diff --git a/docs/index.d.ts b/docs/index.d.ts
index 35d9433..581de62 100644
--- a/docs/index.d.ts
+++ b/docs/index.d.ts
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ export const examples: {
     readonly createFoldConstraintRegistry: 'examples/foldSetup.ts';
     readonly createCubicBarrier: 'examples/foldCubicBarrier.ts';
     readonly computeFrozenStiffness: 'examples/foldStiffness.ts';
+    readonly createContactBarrier: 'examples/foldContactBarrier.ts';
   };
   readonly performance: {
     readonly debounce: 'examples/requestDedup.ts';
@@ -3332,6 +3333,20 @@ export interface StiffnessDesignOptions {
 }
 export function computeFrozenStiffness(input: StiffnessDesignInput, options?: StiffnessDesignOptions): number;
 
+/**
+ * Contact barrier leveraging Fold extended direction scaling.
+ * Use for: point-triangle and edge-edge contact inequality enforcement.
+ * Import: physics/fold/contactBarrier.ts
+ */
+export interface ContactBarrierOptions {
+  id?: string;
+  stiffnessOverride?: number;
+  maxGap?: number;
+  direction?: Vector3D;
+  extendedDirectionScale?: number;
+}
+export function createContactBarrier(options?: ContactBarrierOptions): FoldConstraint;
+
 export type FoldConstraintType =
   | 'cubic-barrier'
   | 'contact-barrier'
diff --git a/examples/foldContactBarrier.ts b/examples/foldContactBarrier.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a780824
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/foldContactBarrier.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { createContactBarrier } from '../src/index.js';
+
+const barrier = createContactBarrier({ extendedDirectionScale: 1.25 });
+
+const evaluation = barrier.evaluate(
+  {
+    gap: -0.01,
+    maxGap: 0,
+    stiffness: 0,
+    direction: { x: 0, y: 0, z: 1 },
+    extendedDirection: { x: 0, y: 1, z: 0 },
+    effectiveMass: 0.2,
+    metadata: {
+      hessian: [
+        [1, 0, 0],
+        [0, 1, 0],
+        [0, 0, 1],
+      ],
+    },
+  },
+  { deltaTime: 1 / 120 }
+);
+
+console.log('contact energy', evaluation.energy);
diff --git a/examples/foldCubicBarrier.ts b/examples/foldCubicBarrier.ts
index 4e73e64..7a48d6e 100644
--- a/examples/foldCubicBarrier.ts
+++ b/examples/foldCubicBarrier.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { createCubicBarrier } from '../src/index.js';
 
-const cubicBarrier = createCubicBarrier({ stiffness: 50 });
+const cubicBarrier = createCubicBarrier({ stiffnessOverride: 50 });
 
 const evaluation = cubicBarrier.evaluate(
   {
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 7e8d1ac..8bccccb 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ export const examples = {
     createFoldConstraintRegistry: 'examples/foldSetup.ts',
     createCubicBarrier: 'examples/foldCubicBarrier.ts',
     computeFrozenStiffness: 'examples/foldStiffness.ts',
+    createContactBarrier: 'examples/foldContactBarrier.ts',
   },
   performance: {
     debounce: 'examples/requestDedup.ts',
@@ -1189,7 +1190,12 @@ export type { ClosestPairResult } from './geometry/closestPair.js';
 // ⚙️ PHYSICS & FOLD BARRIERS
 // ============================================================================
 
-export { createFoldConstraintRegistry, createCubicBarrier, computeFrozenStiffness } from './physics/fold/index.js';
+export {
+  createFoldConstraintRegistry,
+  createCubicBarrier,
+  computeFrozenStiffness,
+  createContactBarrier,
+} from './physics/fold/index.js';
 
 export type {
   CubicBarrierOptions,
@@ -1204,6 +1210,7 @@ export type {
   FoldSystemState,
   StiffnessDesignInput,
   StiffnessDesignOptions,
+  ContactBarrierOptions,
 } from './physics/fold/index.js';
 
 // ============================================================================
diff --git a/src/physics/fold/contactBarrier.ts b/src/physics/fold/contactBarrier.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e9fd22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/physics/fold/contactBarrier.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+import type { Matrix3x3, Vector3D } from '../../types.js';
+import type {
+  FoldComputationContext,
+  FoldConstraint,
+  FoldConstraintEvaluation,
+  FoldConstraintState,
+} from './types.js';
+import { computeFrozenStiffness } from './stiffness.js';
+import { createCubicBarrier } from './cubicBarrier.js';
+
+export interface ContactBarrierOptions {
+  id?: string;
+  stiffnessOverride?: number;
+  maxGap?: number;
+  direction?: Vector3D;
+  extendedDirectionScale?: number;
+}
+
+const ZERO_GRADIENT: Vector3D = { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 };
+const ZERO_HESSIAN: Matrix3x3 = [
+  [0, 0, 0],
+  [0, 0, 0],
+  [0, 0, 0],
+];
+
+export function createContactBarrier(options: ContactBarrierOptions = {}): FoldConstraint {
+  const extendedScale = options.extendedDirectionScale ?? 1.25;
+  const baseBarrier = createCubicBarrier({
+    id: options.id,
+    stiffnessOverride: options.stiffnessOverride,
+    maxGap: options.maxGap,
+    direction: options.direction,
+  });
+
+  return {
+    type: 'contact-barrier',
+    id: options.id,
+    enabled: true,
+    evaluate(state: FoldConstraintState, context: FoldComputationContext): FoldConstraintEvaluation {
+      const baseDirection = options.direction ?? state.direction;
+      const contactDirection = state.extendedDirection ?? baseDirection ?? state.direction;
+      const stiffness = options.stiffnessOverride ??
+        computeFrozenStiffness(
+          {
+            gap: state.gap,
+            effectiveMass: state.effectiveMass ?? 0,
+            direction: contactDirection ?? baseDirection ?? state.direction,
+            hessian: (state.metadata?.hessian as Matrix3x3 | undefined) ?? ZERO_HESSIAN,
+          },
+          { min: 0 }
+        );
+
+      const maxGap = options.maxGap ?? state.maxGap;
+      const direction = contactDirection ?? baseDirection ?? state.direction;
+
+      if (!direction) {
+        return { energy: 0, gradient: ZERO_GRADIENT, hessian: ZERO_HESSIAN };
+      }
+
+      const violation = Math.max(0, maxGap - state.gap * extendedScale);
+      if (violation <= 0 || stiffness <= 0) {
+        return { energy: 0, gradient: ZERO_GRADIENT, hessian: ZERO_HESSIAN };
+      }
+
+      const unit = normalise(direction);
+      if (!unit) {
+        return { energy: 0, gradient: ZERO_GRADIENT, hessian: ZERO_HESSIAN };
+      }
+
+      const cubicEvaluation = baseBarrier.evaluate(
+        {
+          ...state,
+          maxGap,
+          direction,
+          stiffness,
+        },
+        context
+      );
+
+      return cubicEvaluation;
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+function normalise(vector: Vector3D): Vector3D | null {
+  const length = Math.hypot(vector.x, vector.y, vector.z);
+  if (length <= 0) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return {
+    x: vector.x / length,
+    y: vector.y / length,
+    z: vector.z / length,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/physics/fold/cubicBarrier.ts b/src/physics/fold/cubicBarrier.ts
index fefb11f..3f2a05a 100644
--- a/src/physics/fold/cubicBarrier.ts
+++ b/src/physics/fold/cubicBarrier.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import type {
 
 export interface CubicBarrierOptions {
   id?: string;
-  stiffness?: number;
+  stiffnessOverride?: number;
   maxGap?: number;
   direction?: Vector3D;
 }
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export function createCubicBarrier(options: CubicBarrierOptions = {}): FoldConst
     evaluate(state: FoldConstraintState, context: FoldComputationContext): FoldConstraintEvaluation {
       void context;
       const maxGap = options.maxGap ?? state.maxGap;
-      const stiffness = options.stiffness ?? state.stiffness;
+      const stiffness = options.stiffnessOverride ?? state.stiffness;
       const direction = options.direction ?? state.direction;
 
       if (stiffness <= 0) {
diff --git a/src/physics/fold/index.ts b/src/physics/fold/index.ts
index 18315f0..2224dc5 100644
--- a/src/physics/fold/index.ts
+++ b/src/physics/fold/index.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 export * from './types.js';
 export * from './cubicBarrier.js';
 export * from './stiffness.js';
+export * from './contactBarrier.js';
diff --git a/tests/contactBarrier.test.ts b/tests/contactBarrier.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7534ace
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/contactBarrier.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import { createContactBarrier } from '../src/physics/fold/contactBarrier.js';
+
+describe('contact barrier', () => {
+  it('falls back to cubic barrier when no violation occurs', () => {
+    const barrier = createContactBarrier();
+    const evaluation = barrier.evaluate(
+      {
+        gap: 0.1,
+        maxGap: 0,
+        stiffness: 10,
+        direction: { x: 0, y: 0, z: 1 },
+        effectiveMass: 1,
+      },
+      { deltaTime: 1 / 60 }
+    );
+
+    expect(evaluation.energy).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it('uses extended direction and stiffness design', () => {
+    const barrier = createContactBarrier({ extendedDirectionScale: 1.25 });
+    const evaluation = barrier.evaluate(
+      {
+        gap: -0.02,
+        maxGap: 0,
+        stiffness: 0,
+        direction: { x: 0, y: 0, z: 1 },
+        extendedDirection: { x: 0, y: 1, z: 0 },
+        effectiveMass: 0.5,
+        metadata: {
+          hessian: [
+            [2, 0, 0],
+            [0, 4, 0],
+            [0, 0, 6],
+          ],
+        },
+      },
+      { deltaTime: 1 / 60 }
+    );
+
+    expect(evaluation.energy).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(evaluation.gradient.y).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/tests/cubicBarrier.test.ts b/tests/cubicBarrier.test.ts
index 3b4eaba..81a0fe3 100644
--- a/tests/cubicBarrier.test.ts
+++ b/tests/cubicBarrier.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { createCubicBarrier } from '../src/physics/fold/cubicBarrier.js';
 
 describe('cubic barrier potential', () => {
   it('returns zero output when constraint is satisfied', () => {
-    const barrier = createCubicBarrier({ stiffness: 10 });
+    const barrier = createCubicBarrier({ stiffnessOverride: 10 });
     const evaluation = barrier.evaluate(
       {
         gap: 0.5,
diff --git a/tests/index.test.ts b/tests/index.test.ts
index e827470..22e4fd1 100644
--- a/tests/index.test.ts
+++ b/tests/index.test.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ describe('package entry point', () => {
     expect(examples.physics.createFoldConstraintRegistry).toBe('examples/foldSetup.ts');
     expect(examples.physics.createCubicBarrier).toBe('examples/foldCubicBarrier.ts');
     expect(examples.physics.computeFrozenStiffness).toBe('examples/foldStiffness.ts');
+    expect(examples.physics.createContactBarrier).toBe('examples/foldContactBarrier.ts');
   });
 
   it('provides strong typing for example categories and names', () => {
@@ -203,6 +204,7 @@ describe('package entry point', () => {
       | 'createFoldConstraintRegistry'
       | 'createCubicBarrier'
       | 'computeFrozenStiffness'
+      | 'createContactBarrier'
     >();
 
     expectTypeOf<ExampleName<'ai'>>().toEqualTypeOf<