In 2008, the Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science was approaching its 50th anniversary and the editorial board arranged some personal contributions from those who had been material in the journal’s success. In response to this initiative, the authors spoke informally to Ken Johnson about his life and work. However, typically modest in his approach, Ken was reluctant to see the article published during his lifetime, and so it has remained in the ‘bottom drawer of the desk’ ever since. But now, following Prof. Johnson’s passing in September 2015 we thought it appropriate to publish our brief article with minor modifications, and hope that it will serve as a memorial to the enormous contribution he made to his chosen field of study.
JohnsonKL. Surface interaction between elastically loaded bodies under tangential forces. Proc Roy Soc Lond A1955; 320: 531–548.
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JohnsonKL. One hundred years of Hertz contact. Proc Instn Mech Engrs1982; 196: 363–378.
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CarterFW. On the action of a locomotive driving wheel. Proc Roy Soc Ser A1926; 112: 151–157.
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CattaneoC. Sul contatto di due corpi elastici: distribuzion locale degli sforzi. Reconditi dell Accademia nazionale dei Lincei1938; 27. : 342–348,434–436,474–478.
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MindlinRD. Compliance of elastic bodies in contact. J Appl Mech1949; 16: 259–268.
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DuffyJMindlinRD. Stress-strain relations and vibrations of granular medium. Trans ASME, J Appl Mech1957; 24: 585–593.
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DeresiewiczH. Bodies in contact with applications to granular media. R.D. Mindlin and applied mechanics, Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1974, pp. 105–147.
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KeerLM. Torsion of elastic body in contact with elastic layer where friction law is arbitrary. J Appl Mech1964; 31: 430–434.
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BowdenFPTaborD. The friction and lubrication of solids, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1950.
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JohnsonKL. A note on the adhesion of elastic solids. Br J Appl Phys1958; 9: 199–200.
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O’ConnorJJGoodfellowJW. Theory and practice of meniscal knee replacement: Designing against wear. Proc IMechE, Part H: J Engineering in Medicine1996; 210: 217–222.
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BentallRHJohnsonKL. Slip in the rolling contact of two dissimilar elastic rollers. Int J Mech Sci1967; 9: 389–404.
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BentallRHJohnsonKL. An elastic strip in plane rolling contact. Int J Mech Sci1968; 10: 637–663.
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NowellDHillsDA. Tractive rolling of tyred cylinders. Int J Mech Sci1988; 30: 945–947.
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NowellDDaiDN. Analysis of surface tractions in complex fretting fatigue cycles using quadratic programming. J Tribol1998; 20: 744–749.
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MerwinJEJohnsonKL. An analysis of plastic deformation in rolling contact. Proc Instn Mech Engrs1963; 177: 676–690.
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PomeroyRJJohnsonKL. Residual stresses in rolling contact. J Strain Anal1969; 4: 208–218.
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JohnsonKL. Reversed plastic flow during the unloading of a spherical indenter. Nature1963; 199: 1282–1282.
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JohnsonKL. The correlation of indentation experiments. J Mech Phys Solids1970; 18: 115–126.
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SinclairGBFollansbeePSJohnsonKL. Quasi-static normal indentation of an elastic-plastic half-space by a rigid sphere. Int J Solids Struct1985; 21: 865–888.
HamiltonGMGoodmanLE. The stress field created by a circular sliding contact. J Appl Mech1966; 33: 371–376.
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JohnsonKLGrayGG. Development of corrugations on surfaces in rolling contact. Proc Instn Mech Engrs1975; 189.
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JohnsonKLO’ConnorJJWoodwardAC. The effect of indenter elasticity on the Hertzian fracture of brittle materials. Proc Roy Soc A1973; 334: 95–117.
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JohnsonKLKendallKRobertsAD. Surface energy and the contact of elastic solids. Proc Roy Soc A1971; 324: 301–313.
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JohnsonKLSridharI. Adhesion between a spherical indenter and an elastic solid with a compliant elastic coating. J Phys D Appl Phys2001; 37: 2886–2886.
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Williams JA and Kauzlarich JJ. Selected papers of K.L. Johnson. Private publication, 2005 (available from Prof. J.A. Williams, University of Cambridge Engineering Department).
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JohnsonKL. Contact mechanics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985.
