Application of boundary integral equations to elastoplastic problems

The application of the boundary integral equation method (BIE) to the elastoplastic torsion problem is considered. It is found that the BIE is very suitable for the elastoplastic analysis of the torsion of prismatic bars. A comparison of the BIE with the finite difference method shows savings for the BIE concerning the number of unknowns which have to be determined and also a much faster convergence rate. Attention is given to the problem of an edge-notched beam in pure bending, taking into account a biharmonic formulation and a displacement formulation.