The non-smooth contact dynamics method Original Research Article

The main features of the Non-Smooth Contact Dynamics method are presented in this paper, the use of the dynamical equation, the non-smooth modelling of unilateral contact and Coulombʹs law, fully implicit algorithms to solve the dynamical frictional contact problem for systems with numerous contacting points, in particular large collections of rigid or deformable bodies. Emphasis is put on contact between deformable bodies. Illustrating numerical simulation examples are given for granular materials, deep drawing and buildings made of stone blocks.