Nanoindentation technique in characterizing cementitious materials– A review

• Published in: Materials today : proceedings
• Main Authors: Renuka, V., Venkateswara Rao, S., Tadepalli, Tezeswi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2023
• Subjects: Cement-based material; Micro-mechanical properties; Nanoindentation; Time-dependent viscoelastic properties; Cement-based material; Micro-mechanical properties; Time-dependent viscoelastic properties; Nanoindentation
• ISSN: 2214-7853; 2214-7853
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2023.04.107

Concrete is a highly heterogeneous composite containing randomly dispersed inclusions with length scale ranging from nano to micro meters. Recent advanced technological aspects of cementitious materials research have mostly concentrated on developing high-strength, high-performance cementitious composites. Many macroscopic properties such as the mechanical, physical, and durability characteristics of cement-based materials originate from the underlying material structure as well as the interaction between phases at the nano and micro scales. Instrumented nanoindentation technology has demonstrated its worth by revealing remarkable details about the material microstructure of homogenous materials. Nanoindentation is becoming increasingly popular among construction and building materials researchers. Because it is able to accurately predict the macroscopic behaviour of concrete samples based on the results of cement paste indentation testing, it is used in heterogeneous materials such as cementitious composites. When an indenter tip is pressed into a sample under different loading conditions, the micro-mechanical properties (e.g., elastic modulus, hardness, fracture toughness) can be assessed by monitoring the changes in load and indenter displacement over time. In addition, the approach has been used to examine the time-dependent viscoelastic characteristics of cementitious materials, such as creep behaviour, owing to its superior benefit of significantly lowering the measurement time required to see creep behaviour. This information is essential for comprehending and increasing macroscopic mechanical properties. Many multiscale analytical and numerical models have been proposed and efficiently employed to assess the mechanical performance of cement-based materials based on the microstructural data collected from nanoindentation. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the nanoindentation-measurable mechanical and time-dependent viscoelastic characteristics of cementitious materials.