Direct Evaluation of Limits in Plasticity and Creep Deformation

The paper discusses the Linear Matching Method for the direct evaluation of shakedown and ratchet limits for an elastic perfectly plastic body subjected to cyclic load and temperature histories. The method is reviewed and a new development is described for locating the ratchet limit by evaluating load states where a small ratchet strain per cycle of loading occurs. The method is applied to the Bree problem.