Dans cette thèse, des considérations fondamentales de modélisation des phénomènes de rupture sont abordées pour des systèmes discrets endommageables. Le but est d’établir, en commençant par des problèmes structuraux simples, un pont entre la Mécanique de l’Endommagement Discret (MED) et celle de la Mécanique de l’Endommagement Continu (MEC) non local. Il est actuellement admis que la MEC doit être considérée dans un cadre non local afin d’obtenir des résultats cohérents, notamment lors de la modélisation numérique de phénomènes de radoucissement basés sur des lois d’endommagement. Nous appuyons cette non-localité sur l’échelle de la microstructure du matériau. A l’aide d’une procédure de continualisation et l’utilisation de l’approximant de Padé, nous avons pu obtenir l’expression analytique de l’approximation continue non-locale offrant une représentation très fidèle du comportement du problème discret dans tout le processus d’endommagement. Nous étudions les systèmes de la chaîne axiale discrète en traction, de la poutre console discrète en flexion ainsi que de la membrane microstructurée sous pression uniforme. Le système discret est tout d’abord résolu puis les équations discrètes sont continualisées pour obtenir un modèle non local continu. Pour chacun de ces problèmes une attention toute particulière est portée aux conditions aux limites du problème continualisé, dont l’importance est illustrée tout au long de ce manuscrit. / In this thesis, some fundamental considerations of the modeling of failure are addressed for discrete damage systems. The goal is to establish, starting with simple structural problems, a bridge between the Discrete Damage Mechanics (DDM) and that of the non-local Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM). It is currently accepted that DDM systems must be considered in a non-local framework to obtain consistent results, especially during numerical modeling of softening phenomena based on damage laws. We support this non- locality on the scale of the microstructure of the material. Using a continualisation procedure and with the use of the Padé approximant, we were able to obtain the analytic expression of the non-local continuous approximation offering an accurate simulation of the discrete problem for the whole damage process. We study the systems of the discrete axial chain under traction, the discrete bending beam and the microstructured membrane under uniform pressure. The discrete system is first solved, then the discrete equations are continualised to obtain a non-local continuum model. For each of these problems, careful attention is paid to the boundary conditions of the continual problem, the importance of which is illustrated throughout this manuscript.

Nature uses fibrous surfaces for a wide range of functions such as sensing, adhesion, structural color, and self-cleaning. However, little is known about how fiber properties enable them to self-organize into diverse and complex functional forms. Using polymeric micro/nanofiber arrays with tunable properties as model systems, we demonstrate how the combination of mechanical and surface properties can be harnessed to transform an array of anchored nanofibers into a variety of complex, hierarchically organized dynamic functional surfaces. We show that the delicate balance between fiber elasticity and surface adhesion plays a critical role in determining the shape, chirality, and hierarchy of the assembled structures. We further report a strategy for controlling the long-range order of fiber assemblies by manipulating the shape and movement of the liquid-vapor interface. Our study provides fundamental understanding of the pattern formation by self-organization of bioinspired fibrous surfaces. Moreover, our new strategies offer a foundation for designing a vast assortment of functional surfaces with adhesive, optical, water-repellent, capture and release, and many more capabilities with the structural and dynamic sophistication of their biological counterparts. / Engineering and Applied Sciences