  Contact involving soft materials often combines dry adhesion, sliding
friction, and large deformations. At the local level, these three aspects are
rarely captured simultaneously, but included in the theoretical models by
Mergel et al. (2019). We here develop a corresponding finite element framework
that captures 3D finite-strain contact of two deformable bodies. This framework
is suitable to investigate sliding friction even under tensile normal loads.
First, we demonstrate the capabilities of our finite element model using both
2D and 3D test cases, which range from compliant tapes to structures with high
stiffness, and include deformable-rigid and deformable-deformable contact. We
then provide new results on the onset of sliding of smooth elastomer-glass
interfaces, a setup that couples nonlinear material behavior, adhesion, and
large frictional stresses. Our simulations not only agree well with both
experimental and theoretical findings, they also provide new insights into the
current debate on the shear-induced reduction of the contact area in
elastomeric contact.
