Axisymmetric Boussinesq problem of a transversely isotropic half space with surface effects

A transversely isotropic half space with surface effects subjected to axisymmetric loadings is investigated in terms of the Lekhnitskii formulism. Surface effects including residual surface stress and surface elasticity are introduced by using the Gurtin–Murdoch continuum model. With the aid of the Hankel transforms, solutions corresponding to several different axisymmetic loadings are derived and used to determine the influence of surface effects on contact stiffness in nanoindentations. Numerical results are provided to show the influence of surface effects and material anisotropy on the material behaviours. Meanwhile, the obtained analytical Green’s functions for two special cases can be used as building blocks for further mixed boundary value problems