In order to improve the brittleness of high-strength cement mortar,calcium carbonate（CaCO3） whiskers are incorporated to strengthen and toughen the high-strength cement mortar.The compressive strength,flexural strength,split tensile strength and work of fracture are measured.Microstructures and micromechanical behaviors are investigated using scanning electron microscopy.The strengthening and toughening mechanisms and the efficiency of whisker-reinforced high-strength cement mortar are discussed.The results show that the addition of CaCO3 whiskers brings positive effects on the high-strength cement mortar.The strengthening and toughening mechanisms are whisker-cement coalition debonding,whisker peeling,whisker impact breakage and whisker bridging.Crack deflection is one efficient mechanism,but it is hard to be achieved in high-strength cement mortar.And the interfacial bonding strength between whiskers and the cement mortar matrix should be appropriately weak to introduce more crack deflection mechanisms to strengthen and toughen the cement mortar efficiently.
