Configurational forces in the mechanics of a solid deformable body (Q1083919)

A configurational force, which always originates in a deformable solid whenever the stress source moves, represents physically the contribution of the external strain and stress fields to the dissipation of energy, taken per unit path length of the source. When the stress source (singularity) is internal, the configurational force is the fundamental parameter controlling the process of motion and it can be called a driving force. Linear singularities of the type of crack and dislocation contours, point singularities of the type of small cavities and inclusions, etc. are examples of each cases. If the singularity is generated directly by external forces, the configurational force plays an auxiliary role and such cases will be examined below. This is the problem of the motion of a small solid body over the surface of a half-space, and different schemes of wedge motion in an unbounded elasto-plastic space.