Application of the interior‐point method to shakedown analysis of pavements

Abstract

Abstract Based on the lower‐bound shakedown theorem by Melan, a method to analyse pavements under cyclic, in particular, rolling contact loading is presented. Repeated sliding/rolling line contact as well as repeated stationary contact is considered. The material is assumed to be rate‐independent elastic–plastic. As yield conditions, the rounded Mohr–Coulomb and von Mises yield criteria are used, assuming associated flow rules. The proposed numerical method is based on finite elements, and the inherent optimization problem to determine the shakedown factors is solved using the interior‐point method. Several numerical results are presented and compared with the existing results in literatures. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.