Three-dimensional stress analysis by the boundary integral equation method

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Abstract
The principles and development of the boundary integral equation (BIE) method for solving engineering problems are reviewed, with particular emphasis on applications in three-dimensional stress analysis. Its use in problems of this type is illustrated with the aid of three examples, one a classical stress concentration problem, the other two involving cracked components. Compared with a finite-element method, the BIE approach is shown to be capable of being both more accurate and more economical to use in terms of competing resources required and the cost of data preparation. These advantages may, however, be less clear-cut when predictions of stresses and displacements at a large number of points within a component are required, or when the component concerned has a relatively high surface-to-volume ratio.