Efficient numerical method for time independent plasticity

A new numerical method for the solution of plasticity equations is presented. The plasticity model is a commonly used elastic-plastic strain hardening model for combined isotropic-kinematic hardening with Ziegler's modification. Thermal strains and temperature variable properties are included. The method is also specialized to the non-thermal linear strain hardening case where only two additional vector and two scalar algebraic equations, including one square root, are needed over that needed for the elastic case. The method has roughly the same accuracy as conventional numerical treatments of the plasticity equations but requires roughly one-third as much computational time