Comparison between different tensile test set-ups for the mechanical characterization of inorganic-matrix composites

In this paper, the mechanical properties of four different inorganic-matrix composites comprising carbon, glass, basalt, and steel fibers embedded within cement- and lime-based matrices are investigated using two different tensile test set-ups. Analog LVDTs and digital image correlation (DIC) measurements are employed to study the specimen longitudinal strain behavior. Two criteria to assess the reliability of results of tensile tests are proposed. Comparison between results described in this paper shows the strong influence of the test set-up on the tensile behavior of inorganic-matrix composites and helps to shed light on the reliability of the mechanical parameters obtained.