Abstract: A method for analyzing a structure, including a measurement of a duration T, a mechanical S or acoustic energy Sac and/or a spatial extension ? of a sequence and/or a number of mechanical or acoustic events N or Nac in that sequence and/or of the mechanical A or acoustic Aac energies of the events of that sequence, and/or a measurement of a mechanical energy A or acoustic energy Aac of an event, and/or of a temporal frequency of mechanical events dN/dt or acoustic events dNac/dt, and/or of a dissipated mechanical energy rate dE/dt or of an acoustic energy rate dEac/dt at the time of that event, and according to the measurement of an event and/or the measurement of a sequence of events, a calculation by technical means of a data r representative of a state of health of the structure or of a time tc to failure of the structure.

Abstract: The disclosed method includes, from a topographic map showing, for a set of points {x} located in a midplane of the fracture surface, a height of the fracture surface h relative to the midplane: a step of determining, for each point x on the topographic map, a quantity ?? representative of an average difference in height)I?xI?? between the height h of the fracture surface at point x in question and the height h of the fracture surface at one or more points {x+?x} located inside a circle of radius ? centered on point x in question, a step of determining, according to a test distance ?r, a spatial correlation function C? representing a spatial correlation between points {x} and points {x+?x} such as I?xI=?r, and a step of determining a correlation length ? from the spatial correlation function C?.

Abstract: The disclosed method includes, from a topographic map showing, for a set of points {x} located in a midplane of the fracture surface, a height of the fracture surface h relative to the midplane: a step of determining, for each point x on the topographic map, a quantity ?? representative of an average difference in height)I?xI?? between the height h of the fracture surface at point x in question and the height h of the fracture surface at one or more points {x+?x} located inside a circle of radius ? centered on point x in question, a step of determining, according to a test distance ?r, a spatial correlation function C? representing a spatial correlation between points {x} and points {x+?x} such as I?xI=?r, and a step of determining a correlation length ? from the spatial correlation function C?.

Abstract: An adhesive system with material and structural heterogeneity is described. The adhesive system comprises a tape having a spatially heterogeneous physical property, the spatially heterogeneous physical property is configured to enhance the adhesive strength of the adhesive system when the adhesive system is in contact with a substrate and/or attain adhesion directionality. The spatially heterogeneous physical property can include a bending stiffness. Heterogeneous variations in the bending stiffness can be achieved by variations in the tape's thickness, elastic modulus and/or Poisson's ratio. Heterogeneity in thickness can be attained by mold pressing and/or patterned laminated structures. Elastic modulus heterogeneity can be achieved by masked irradiation of the tape, where the tape is made of an irradiation-sensitive material. Also described is an adhesive system with a patterned film that exhibits adhesion directionality when the adhesive system is in contact with a substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and to a system for determining, in a solid structure that has failed along at least one fracture surface, the propagation path of at least one crack at the origin of said or each fracture surface. The method according to the invention comprises a step a) for the acquisition of topographical data for said or each surface either in a case (i) by extraction of height profiles along a plurality of directions or in a case (ii) by acquisition of a height contour map, and with a resolution for which said structure is heterogeneous and rough, which method includes, after this step a), an analysis of the statistical roughness properties of the or each surface that displays an anisotropy of these properties along said plurality of directions, in order to deduce from this anisotropy at least one propagation direction X of the or each crack that defines all or part of said path.