Using fundamental solutions in the scaled boundary finite element method to solve problems with concentrated loads

This paper introduces a new technique for solving concentrated load problems in the scaled boundary finite element method (FEM). By employing fundamental solutions for the displacements and the stresses, the solution is computed as summation of a fundamental solution part and a regular part. The singularity at the point of load application is modelled exactly by the fundamental solution, and only the regular part, which enforces the boundary conditions of the domain onto the fundamental solution, needs to be approximated in the solution space of the scaled boundary FEM. Examples are provided illustrating that the new approach is much simpler to implement and more accurate than the method currently used for solving concentrated load problems with the scaled boundary method. In each illustration, solution convergence is examined. The relative error is described in terms of the scalar energy norm of the stress field. Mesh refinement is performed using p-refinement with high order element based on the Lobatto shape functions. The proposed technique is described for two-dimensional problems in this paper, but extension to any linear problem, for which fundamental solutions exist, is straightforward.