New methods to assess the performance of structural joints with microstructures

The reliability of structural joints plays a crucial role in ourdaily life since the most recent innovations in engineeringand structural materials have exponentially increased the usageof advanced products, multi- components, and structures.Hence, it is necessary to introduce new methods to assess thebonding strengths of adhesive joints, especially in complexinterfaces, as in the presence of micro-structured or roughsurfaces, since the morphology of the interface highly influencesthe overall performance of a structural joint.The present thesis explores the role of complex interfaces andfunctional surfaces in the overall performance of multi-componentsproducts, intending to understand the mechanicalphenomena that may take place at the interface between differentmaterials, simply in contact or joined through an adhesive.Different topics have been analyzed through experimental andnumerical analyses. The research deals with rough interfacecontact simulations proposing a novel multi-scale approachin the context of computational contact mechanics. Furthermore,the surface morphology influence on adhesive jointshas been investigated through peeling tests and numericalmodels. Moreover, a computational framework for microstructuredadhesives has been proposed. The final topic regardsthe failure simulation of bilayer structural joints withrubber-like materials.