A symmetric Galerkin BEM implementation for 3D elastostatic problems with an extension to curved elements

 Like the finite element method (FEM), the symmetric Galerkin boundary element method (SGBEM) can produce symmetric system matrices. While widely developed for two dimensional problems, the 3D-applications of the SGBEM are very rare. This paper deals with the regularization of the singular integrals in the case of 3D elastostatic problems. It is shown that the integration formulas can be extended to curved elements. In contrast to other techniques, the Kelvin fundamental solutions are used with no need to introduce the new kernel functions. The accuracy of the developed integration formulas is verified on a problem with known analytical solution.

Authors and Affiliations

1. Institute of Applied Mechanics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Egerlandstr. 5, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany e-mail: haas@ltm.uni-erlangen.de, , , , , , DE

   M. Haas & G. Kuhn

Received 6 November 2000

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