A novel embedded mesh discretization approach for contact mechanics
3 August 2026
We are happy to announce the publication of the article “An Embedded Mesh Approach for Isogeometric Boundary Layers in Contact Mechanics” in the journal Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering.
In this paper, we present a novel discretization workflow for contact problems that decouples the discretization of the contact interface from that of the bulk domain. This separation enables the use of independently tailored meshes, combining smooth NURBS-based boundary layer meshes for the contact surfaces with structured Cartesian grids for the bulk volume. The two non-matching discretizations are coupled through an embedded mesh approach based on a mortar-type constraint formulation. The proposed workflow offers increased flexibility in mesh generation while maintaining an accurate geometric representation of the contact interface. Several numerical examples demonstrate the robustness and effectiveness of the method for contact mechanics applications.
Loera Villeda, E.G., Steinbrecher, I., Popp, A. (2026): An Embedded Mesh Approach for Isogeometric Boundary Layers in Contact Mechanics. In Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering (Vol. 461, p. 119207). Elsevier BV. DOI (Open Access) 
