Nanoindentation and its application for determination of the micromechanical behavior of concrete
This paper shows experimental measurement of fracture energy and tensile strength of C-S-H rich zones of cement paste at microlevel. Cantilever micro-beams with pentagon cross section and length of about 16 µm were fabricated by focused ion beam on polished samples hydrated cement paste. Nanoindentaion was used for determination elastic properties. The tensile properties were evaluated from beam bending test. Displacement controlled micro-scale tests give access to both tensile strength and estimates of fracture energy based on the load-displacement curves measured with the nanoindenter. The mean fracture energy obtained by the beam bending test was 16,7 J/m2.