Interfaces studied by electromechanical pull-out testing

The experimental technique of electromechanical pull-out testing is introduced to study the interface between fiber and matrix. The technique involves measuring both the contact electrical resistivity and the shear bond strength of a fiber-matrix interface. Samples that are identically prepared differ in contact resistivity and bond strength, which correlate. The correlation allows determination of even small differences in bond strength due to differences in sample preparation conditions. It also gives information on the structure of the interface and allows the bond strength to be nondestructively determined by measuring the contact resistivity. The technique is demonstrated for the interface between steel fiber and cement.