ABSTRACT
Rubber blocks are widely used as compression springs and cushioning devices. Frictional constraints at the loaded surfaces prevent a block from expanding freely outwards, and the apparent compression modulus is therefore greater than the actual modulus. Approximate solutions are given for blocks of circular cross-section, sandwiched between rigid frictional surfaces. The compressive strains are assumed to be small and the rubber is taken to be linearly-elastic and incompressible in bulk. Coulomb’s frictional law is assumed to hold.
