A step-wise variational approach to elastic-plastic analysis by boundary/interior elements (Q1322546)

The evolutive elastic-plastic analysis problem is addressed by a time/space discretization procedure via energy methods. Using the maximum plastic work theorem in conjunction with an assumed material evolutive model, the initial/boundary value problem of rate-form plasticity is transformed into a sequence of boundary value problems of deformation- theory plasticity (weighted step problems). The main purpose of the paper is to establish a couple of boundary/domain variational principles of deformation-theory plasticity, namely a constrained stationarity principle and a saddle-point one, each of which is able to characterize the solution of the typical step problem.