Determination of the limits of quasi-static/rigid and dynamic solutions for problems with frictional interfaces

•Assumptions for simulations of systems with frictional interfaces are investigated.•Two methods are contrasted: quasi-static and dynamic modeling frameworks.•A 10% error exists between the two methods at 10% of the lowest natural frequency.•Changing boundary conditions does not significantly affect this 10% rule of thumb.

Frictional interfaces exhibit complex, nonlinear behaviour, and are often sources of energy dissipation, wear, and failure mechanisms. High fidelity models of a system with frictional interfaces, however, can be computationally intensive due to the nonlinearity. Thus, numerous techniques exist that each requires different assumptions for an analysis. One categorical divide in techniques is between quasi-static and dynamic analyses. These two phenomenologically different methods are compared in order to ascertain the regimes over which each of these methods is valid. Understanding of the extent of the inertial dominated and stiffness dominated regimes offers insight into the contribution of wave propagation effects to the system's response at the frictional interface, and determines the limits of applicability of each type of analysis.