Thermal Conductivity and Thermal Behavior of Mortar Containing Wood Shavings and Sawdust

In the frame of an extended research program dealing with wood shavings and wood sawdust utilization in mortar, thermal conductivity and thermal behavior under various temperatures of mortars containing wood shavings and sawdust as a replacement for a part of the conventional aggregates were studied. Mixes with 0, 30, 50 and 70% replacement of conventional fine limestone aggregates with wood shavings were made. Also, mixes with 0, 10 and 20% replacement of aggregates with wood sawdust were made. The density of fresh concrete and the thermal conductivity of hardened concrete were determined. Thermal conductivity was determined with the guarded hot plate method according to standard ΕΝ 12667:2001. Specimens were also submitted to 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 °C. Flexural and compressive strength were determined 24 h after thermal strain. Results showed that thermal conductivity decreased when volume replacement increased, both for the use of wood shavings and sawdust, thus improving the thermal properties of mortar. Flexural and compressive strength exponentially decrease as exposure temperature increases.