Formulation and solution of some plasticity problems as conic programs

The application of conic programming to some traditionally difficult plasticity problems is considered. Convenient standard forms for conic programming of both limit and incremental elastoplastic analysis are given. The types of yield criteria that can be treated by conic programming is discussed and it is shown that the three-dimensional Mohr–Coulomb criterion can be cast as a set of conic constraints, thus facilitating efficient treatment by dedicated algorithms. Finally, the performance of a number of mixed finite elements is evaluated together with a state-of-the-art second-order cone programming algorithm.