A flat punch pressed against an elastic interlayer under conditions of slip and separation

The problem of a square-ended rigid punch bearing on an elastic half-plane through the medium of an elastically dissimilar interlayer is considered, under plane deformation. The interlayer is in frictional contact with both the punch and half-plane. Regions of slip and separation along the interface are found, and it is shown how these phenomena affect the stress state in the immediate neighbourhood of the contact. This problem is of direct, practical interest to the design of interfacial bearing pads employed in supporting glass plates in structural applications.