Mesoscale Contact, Friction and Wear

Contact between rough surfaces

A major challenge in contact mechanics stems from the multi-scale nature of phenomena occurring at the contact. Natural surfaces are made of a vast number of asperities over a wide range of length scales, which induces a much smaller contact area than the observable one.

Rough surfaces are usually modeled as a Gaussian random field with a self-affine fractal-like structure. From a given rough surface, we can compute the solution of the contact problem using discretization methods such as Finite Element Method (FEM) or Boundary Element Method (BEM). In order to agglomerate sufficient statistical data, a lot of simulations have to be realized. Our research aims at developing new numerical techniques by casting the contact problem into a fully statistical framework, which will provide means to analyze statistical properties at lower costs. We collaborate with CSQI laboratory in EPFL to propose new efficient methods for the statistical analysis of contact quantities.

Recent publications

2022

The INTERNODES method for applications in contact mechanics and dedicated preconditioning techniques

Y. Voet; G. Anciaux; S. Deparis; P. Gervasio 

Computers & Mathematics With Applications

2022

Vol. 127 , p. 48 – 64.

DOI : 10.1016/j.camwa.2022.09.019

The role of the roughness spectral breadth in elastic contact of rough surfaces (vol 107, pg 469, 2017)

V. A. Yastrebov; G. Anciaux; J-F. Molinari 

Journal Of The Mechanics And Physics Of Solids

2022

Vol. 158 , p. 104269.

DOI : 10.1016/j.jmps.2020.104269

2021

Numerical Generation and Contact Analysis of Rough Surfaces in Concrete

M. Pundir; G. Anciaux 

Journal Of Advanced Concrete Technology

2021

Vol. 19 , num. 7, p. 864 – 885.

DOI : 10.3151/jact.19.864

Coupling between cohesive element method and node‐to‐segment contact algorithm: Implementation and application

M. Pundir; G. Anciaux 

International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering

2021

Vol. 122 , num. 16, p. 4333 – 4353.

DOI : 10.1002/nme.6705

2020

Tamaas: a library for elastic-plastic contact of periodic rough surfaces

L. Frérot; G. Anciaux; V. Rey; S. Pham-Ba; J-F. Molinari 

Journal of Open Source Software

2020

Vol. 5 , num. 51, p. 2121.

DOI : 10.21105/joss.02121

Crack Nucleation in the Adhesive Wear of an Elastic-Plastic Half-Space

L. Frérot; G. Anciaux; J-F. Molinari 

Journal Of The Mechanics And Physics Of Solids

2020

Vol. 145 , p. 104100.

DOI : 10.1016/j.jmps.2020.104100

2019

Review of fundamental assumptions of the Two-Phase model for aggregate interlocking in cracked concrete using numerical methods and experimental evidence

M. Pundir; M. Tirassa; M. F. Ruiz; A. Muttoni; G. Anciaux 

Cement And Concrete Research

2019

Vol. 125 , p. 105855.

DOI : 10.1016/j.cemconres.2019.105855

A Fourier-accelerated volume integral method for elastoplastic contact

L. Frérot; M. Bonnet; J-F. Molinari; G. Anciaux 

Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering

2019

Vol. 351 , p. 951 – 976.

DOI : 10.1016/j.cma.2019.04.006

2017

On the accurate computation of the true contact-area in mechanical contact of random rough surfaces

V. A. Yastrebov; G. Anciaux; J-F. Molinari 

Tribology International

2017

Vol. 114 , p. 161 – 171.

DOI : 10.1016/j.triboint.2017.04.023

The role of the roughness spectral breadth in elastic contact of rough surfaces

V. A. Yastrebov; G. Anciaux; J-F. Molinari 

Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids

2017

Vol. 107 , p. 469 – 493.

DOI : 10.1016/j.jmps.2017.07.016

Normal adhesive contact on rough surfaces: efficient algorithm for FFT-based BEM resolution

V. Rey; G. Anciaux; J-F. Molinari 

Computational Mechanics

2017

Vol. 60 , num. 1, p. 69 – 81.

DOI : 10.1007/s00466-017-1392-5

2015

From infinitesimal to full contact between rough surfaces: Evolution of the contact area

V. A. Yastrebov; G. Anciaux; J-F. Molinari 

International Journal Of Solids And Structures

2015

Vol. 52 , p. 83 – 102.

DOI : 10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2014.09.019

2014

The existence of a critical length scale in regularised friction

D. S. Kammer; V. Yastrebov; G. Anciaux; J-F. Molinari 

Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids

2014

Vol. 63 , p. 40 – 50.

DOI : 10.1016/j.jmps.2013.10.007

Impact of internal crystalline boundaries on lattice thermal conductivity: Importance of boundary structure and spacing

R. Aghababaei; G. Anciaux; J-F. Molinari 

Applied Physics Letters

2014

Vol. 105 , num. 19, p. 194102.

DOI : 10.1063/1.4901887

The Contact of Elastic Regular Wavy Surfaces Revisited

V. A. Yastrebov; G. Anciaux; J-F. Molinari 

Tribology Letters

2014

Vol. 56 , num. 1, p. 171 – 183.

DOI : 10.1007/s11249-014-0395-z

2013

A molecular dynamics and finite element study of the nanoscale thermal contact conductance

G. Anciaux; J-F. Molinari 

International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer

2013

Vol. 59 , p. 384 – 392.

DOI : 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2012.12.003

2012

A finite temperature bridging domain method for MD-FE coupling and application to a contact problem

G. Anciaux; S. B. Ramisetti; J-F. Molinari 

Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering

2012

Vol. 205-208 , p. 204 – 212.

DOI : 10.1016/j.cma.2011.01.012

The effect of loading on surface roughness at the atomistic level

P. Spijker; G. Anciaux; J-F. Molinari 

Computational Mechanics

2012

Vol. 50 , num. 3, p. 273 – 283.

DOI : 10.1007/s00466-011-0574-9

Contact between representative rough surfaces

V. A. Yastrebov; G. Anciaux; J-F. Molinari 

Physical Review E

2012

Vol. 86 , num. 3, p. 035601.

DOI : 10.1103/PhysRevE.86.035601

2011

The autocorrelation function for island areas on self-affine surfaces

S. B. Ramisetti; C. Campañá; G. Anciaux; J-F. Molinari; M. H. Müser et al. 

Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter

2011

Vol. 23 , num. 21, p. 215004.

DOI : 10.1088/0953-8984/23/21/215004