A mathematical approximation for the solution of a static indentation test

The classical contact problem of the indentation of a thin compressible linear elastic layer bonded to a rigid substrate is considered. Closed-form mathematical approximations of the deformation are presented for the cases of plane indentation by a rectangular block and three dimensional indentation by a plane-ended (axisymmetric) cyclinder. The approximations are analyzed in the context of a static indentation test by comparison of applied load values to those obtained using a classical integral transform solution. In the case of plane indentation, the mathematical and classical predictions agree to within 2% relative error for aspect ratios between 0.1 and 1.0 and apparent Poisson ratio between 0.0 and 0.3. Comparisons for the axisymmetric case indicate a similar pattern. The main advantage of the new approach is that it yields closed-form approximations of the static indentation solution which can also capture the essential singular behavior.