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In this paper, the energy and momentum conserving algorithmic paradigm is extended to encompass a phenomenon featuring physical dissipation: dynamic frictional contact. Whereas in other works dealing with conservative systems the chief aim is often the maintenance of numerical stability in the non-linear regime, in this investigation we seek to achieve not only this benefit but also the accurate algorithmic production of physical dissipation associated with frictional processes. The approach here features a product formula algorithm for the evolution of local frictional conditions, with the associated operator split guided by an a priori energy estimate. The resulting algorithm is characterized by exact conservation of energy during stick friction, and positive dissipation consistent with the frictional model used during slip. Effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated by a series of finite element simulations involving large deformations and frictional slip, complete with appropriate comparisons to more traditional schemes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper proposes a formulation of dynamic contact problems which enables exact algorithmic conservation of linear momentum, angular momentum, and energy in finite element simulations. It is seen that a Lagrange multiplier enforcement of an appropriate contact rate constraint produces these conservation properties. A related method is presented in which a penalty regularization of the aforementioned rate constraint is utilized. This penalty method sacrifices the energy conservation property, but is dissipative under all conditions of changing contact so that the global algorithm remains stable. Notably, it is also shown that augmented Lagrangian iteration utilizing this penalty kernel reproduces the energy conserving (i.e. Lagrange multiplier) solution to any desired degree of accuracy. The result is a robust, stable method even in the context of large deformations, as is shown by some representative numerical examples. In particular, the ability of the formulation to produce accurate results where more traditional integration schemes fail is emphasized by the numerical simulations. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.