Self-consistent linearization of non-linear BEM formulations with quadratic convergence

In this work, a general technique to obtain the self-consistent linearization of non-linear formulations of the boundary element method (BEM) is presented. In the incremental-iterative procedure required to solve the non-linear problem the convergence is quadratic, being the solution obtained from the consistent tangent operator. This technique is applied to non-linear BEM formulations for plates where two independent problems are discussed: the plate bending and the stretching problem. For both problems an equilibrium equation is written in terms of strains and internal forces and then the consistent tangent operator is derived by applying the Newton–Raphson’s scheme. The Von Mises criterion is adopted to govern the elasto-plastic material behaviour checked at points along the plate thickness, although the presented formulations can be used with any non-linear model. Numerical examples are presented showing the accuracy of the results as well as the high convergence rate of the iterative procedure.