Effects of intra-crystalline microcracks on the mechanical behavior of a marble under indentation

► CSM nanoindentation is applied to marble. ► Strong influence of the cracking during indentation is observed.► The brittle failures occur along the cleavage planes of the calcite grains. ► The cracking effects depend on the marble texture (xenoblastic and granoblastic). ► By means of CSM mode, the reliability of the Oliver and Pharr method is assessed.