Preprint on an embedded mesh approach for contact mechanics

3 März 2026

Our new preprint "An Embedded Mesh Approach for Isogeometric Boundary Layers in Contact Mechanics" by Eugenia Gabriela Loera Villeda, Ivo Steinbrecher and Alexander Popp is now available on arXiv.

In this work, we propose a novel discretization workflow for contact problems that decouples the discretization of the contact interface from that of the bulk domain. This separation enables independently tailored meshes, allowing local requirements - such as element type and mesh resolution - to be addressed in a flexible and efficient manner.

The contact interfaces are discretized using NURBS-based isogeometric boundary layer meshes derived directly from the CAD boundary representation, providing a smooth geometric description and enhanced inter-element continuity. The bulk domains are modeled with structured Cartesian grids. To couple these non-matching discretizations, we employ an embedded mesh approach based on a mortar-type constraint formulation.

The paper details the complete workflow for generating both the isogeometric boundary layer and the Cartesian background mesh, presents strategies for constructing NURBS-based boundary layers, and demonstrates the performance of the approach through several numerical examples.

Loera Villeda, E.G., Steinbrecher, I., Popp, A. (2026): An Embedded Mesh Approach for Isogeometric Boundary Layers in Contact Mechanics. Preprint, submitted for publication. arXiv web-logo.png

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