ON A CLASS OF A FINTE ELEMENTS FOR FRICTIONLESS CONTACT PROBLEMS
P. PAPADOPOULOS AND R. E. JONES Recent Developments in Finite Element Analysis ,T.J.R. Hughes, E. Onate and O.C. Zienkiewicz editors, pp. 246-254, Springer-Verlag/CIMNE, Barcelona, (1994)

Abstract
This article presents a new methodology for the finite element solution of contact problems involving bodies that may undergo finite motions and deformations. The analysis is based on a decomposition of the two-body contact problem into two simultaneous sub-problems, and results naturally in geometrically unbiased discretization of the contacting surfaces. The proposed finite elements are designed to unconditionally allow for exact transmission of constant normal traction through interacting surfaces.