A new subregion boundary element technique based on the domain decomposition method

A new subregion boundary element technique based on the domain decomposition method is presented in this paper. This technique is applicable to the stress analysis of multi-region elastic media, such as layered-materials. The technique is more efficient than traditional methods because it significantly reduces the size of the final matrix. This is advantageous when a large number of elements need to be used, such as in crack analysis. Also, as the system of equations for each subregion is solved independently, parallel computing can be utilized. Further, if the boundary conditions are changed the only equations required to be recalculated are the ones related to the regions where the changes occur. This is very useful for cases where crack extension is modelled with new boundary elements or where crack faces come to contact. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the method.