Contact mechanics of a dilatant region located at a compressed elastic interface

Interfaces possess complex mechanical responses that are governed by several factors including the type of material, the local topography of the interacting surfaces, the stress state and the mode of deformation. This paper examines the mechanics of a mated smooth interface that is subjected to a normal stress and where the contact is perturbed by a circular patch that can experience dilatancy under shear. The analysis of the static stress drop occurring during shear at the interface is examined using a contact mechanics approach that accounts for the separation at the pre-compressed geological interface induced by the development of dilatancy of the patch during relative shear. This paper presents an elementary model of the mechanics that takes into consideration the normal stress evolution during dilatant shearing of the interface. The problem is of particular interest to the modelling of local phenomena that can occur at material interfaces and geological faults that are subjected to steady movement.