Determination of elastic and flexural strength properties of multi-scale materials via indentation assisted micro-bending experiment and inverse analysis

An original approach for mechanical characterization was developed using indentation assisted micro-bending. Aiming at the reliable measurement of elastic modulus of multi-scale solids, the technique relies on deflection measurements of cantilever-type beams modeled within the framework of beams on elastic foundation. The inference of elastic modulus is carried out by postulating the inverse problem and solving it via the error minimization approach. The validation performed on a set of reference materials disclosed the proposed technique's potential for accurate characterization of elastic properties and flexural strength at micro and mesoscale, motivating its extension to heterogeneous materials - cementitious composites in particular.