  A general half-plane contact problem in which the geometry is specified in a
piecewise-quadratic sense over three segments is solved in closed form. This
includes the effects of a moment applied sufficient to introduce separation of
one segment and the application of a shearing force sufficient or insufficient
to cause sliding. Extending existing solutions to asymmetrical problems is
necessary in order to broaden our understanding of the behaviour of dovetail
roots of gas turbine fan blades. In previous studies symmetrical contacts have
often been used to represent a dovetail flank contact. In the asymmetrical
case, the contact pressure may be considerably higher at one of the contact
edges compared to the corresponding symmetrical case. Exploiting the generality
provided with the solution presented in this study, several simpler indenter
problems are investigated making use of an algebraic manipulator. The
Mathematica code is made available for download.
