I N T E R N AT I O N A L C O N G R E S S O F A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S, Baku, Azerbaycan, 27 - 30 Ocak 2026, cilt.1, sa.3, ss.20-25, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
High temperatures negatively affect the mechanical properties of concrete. This study examines the effect of elevated temperature on the mechanical properties of concrete produced with raw perlite aggregate. In the research, high temperature tests (25°C, 200°C, 400°C, and 600°C) were conducted on four different concrete mixtures (C25, C40, P25, and P40) produced using two different aggregate types (raw perlite aggregate and conventional coarse aggregate). Experimental results showed that as the temperature increased to 600°C, the compressive strength of conventional concrete samples decreased by 34.91% for C25 and 41.79% for C40, while the raw perlite aggregate samples (P25 and P40) exhibited significantly lower strength reductions of only 9.91% and 12.80%, respectively. These findings clearly demonstrate that raw perlite aggregate significantly enhances thermal resistance compared to conventional aggregates. Additionally, although the flexural strength of P25 and P40 samples at 25°C was initially lower due to the more limited stress-strain relationship of perlite, their post-exposure performance showed similar flexural behavior under increasing temperature. Microstructural analyses further confirmed that raw perlite aggregates contribute to minimizing micro-crack propagation and are more resistant to thermal degradation. In conclusion, raw perlite aggregate provides a sustainable and economical alternative for fire-resistant structures.