Approximation of the Axisymmetric Elasticity Equations with Weak Symmetry

Abstract: In this article we consider the linear elasticity problem in an axisymmetric three dimensional domain, with data which are axisymmetric and have zero angular component. The weak formulation of the the three dimensional problem reduces to a two dimensional problem on the meridian domain, involving weighted integrals. The problem is formulated in a mixed method framework with both the stress and displacement treated as unknowns. The symmetry condition for the stress tensor is weakly imposed. Well posedness of the continuous weak formulation and its discretization are shown. Two approximation spaces are discussed and corresponding numerical computations presented.