High temperature behaviour of various natural building stones

Abstract The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of high temperature and identify important changes that occur when selected building stones (six french limestones and a sandstone) are laboratory-heated. Tests under high temperature such as thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry measurements but also thermal linear expansion tests were conducted in order to establish the thermo-chemical–mechanical behaviour of these materials when subjected to high temperature. Furthermore, these stones were exposed to four different heating–cooling cycles (200, 400, 600, 800 °C). Then, mechanical tests were performed to determine the evolution of compressive strength, tensile strength and dynamic elastic modulus.