Validation of a simplified numerical contact model

Surface roughness tends to have a significant effect on how loads are transmitted at the contact interface between solid bodies. Most numerical contact models for analyzing rough surface contacts are computational demanding and more computationally efficient contact models are required. Depending on the purpose of the simulation, simplified and less accurate models can be preferable to more accurate, but also more complex, models. This paper discusses a simplified contact model called the elastic foundation model and its applicability to rough surfaces. The advantage of the model is that it is fast to evaluate, but its disadvantage is that it only gives an approximate solution to the contact problem. It is studied how surface roughness influences the errors in the elastic foundation solution in terms of predicted pressure distribution, real contact area, and normal and tangential contact stiffness. The results can be used to estimate the extent of error in the elastic foundation model, depending on the degree of surface roughness. The conclusion is that the elastic foundation model is not accurate enough to give a correct prediction of the actual contact stresses and contact areas, but it might be good enough for simulations where contact stiffness are of interest.