Cork concrete mechanical behavior under high temperatures

Nowadays, fire remains a risk with potentially severe consequences for most buildings and structures. In fact, beyond the physical damage to the structure, which may require their subsequent repair or demolition, the fire also implies risks for the safety of occupants. Concrete exposure to high temperatures causes a progressive physical and chemical degradation that changes its microstructure and properties. Experimental studies have already been carried out on different types of concrete, under temperature increase. Lightweight, standard and high strength concrete, reinforced with various types of fibers has already been studied. The various types of concrete have shown significant differences in their behavior. However, the behavior of concrete containing cork was not yet studied. In the present study, cork concrete specimens were subjected to high temperatures (ranging from 90°C to 600°C). The specimens were produced replacing the amount of sand from a reference composition with several percentages (20, 25, 30 and 40%) of a mixture of granulated cork expanded. The results were analyzed and compared with those obtained for identical concrete samples that were not subjected to heating. The results revealed that the presence of cork has a beneficial effect on the residual strength of concrete subjected to high temperatures. Despite the reduction of concrete strength with increasing temperature, concrete batches with higher cork amounts reported lower percentage strength reduction. Copyright © 2013 IAHS.