Introduction -- State of the art -- Overall concept of mechanical characterization -- Mechanical characterization on constituent level -- Mechanical characterization on structural element level -- Mechanical characterization on sub-component level -- Virtual testing approach for sandwich panel joints -- Development of novel sandwich panel joints -- Summary and outlook -- Literature -- Appendix A - Constituent level -- Appendix B - Structural element level -- Appendix C - Sub-component level.

Virtual test methods can contribute to reducing the great effort for physical tests in the development of lightweight products. The present work describes an approach for virtual testing of sandwich panel joints based on the Building Block Approach and the Finite Elements Method. Building on a multitude of physical tests on sandwich materials and joints, adequate sub-models are developed, validated and synthesized to top-level models. The developed approach is eventually applied for the development of a novel sandwich panel joint. The Author Ralf Seemann studied mechanical Engineering at TU Hamburg (TUHH) and at National University of Singapore. From 2011-2016 he worked as research engineer at the Institut of Product Development and Mechanical Engneering Design at TUHH. Since 2017 he works as stress & weight engineer at Diehl Aviation. .