Recent progress in experimental and theoretical nanomechanics makes it possible to revisit the response of ubiquitous construction materials, like concrete, reevaluate our existing knowledge and understanding, and device methodologies to optimize their macroscopic performance. Particularly, the advent of instrumented indentation and the advancement of homogenization methods provide the mechanics community an unprecedented opportunity to probe the mechanical behavior of structural materials at the nanoscale (with length-resolution in the nanometer and force-resolution in the nanoNewton) and quantitatively convey these information at the macroscopic scale. Furthermore, the capabilities offered in a spatial and temporal domain by these advanced instruments allow the investigation of a number of additional phenomena: interface mechanics, strain-rate effects, high temperature response, sources of anisotropy, chemo-mechanical effects, etc. We here show the validation of a fluid cell module that allows acquisition of nanomechanical data in liquids.