Evaluación de la acción del fuego en una estructura de hormigón armado mediante XRD, SEM y Espectroscopía infrarroja

The Monument to the Independence Heroes in Humahuaca (northern Argentina) was built in 1950 and represents magnificently the native and European people which shape the national identity. A reinforced concrete structure bears the bronze sculptures of 40tons and includes a dwelling for the monument keeper. The basement of this dwelling underwent a fire whose load and duration are unknown. A few samples from a sector of the structure were taken in order to assess the effects that fire produced in the concrete. They were analyzed by different techniques: X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The study allowed to infer the temperature experimented by the analyzed samples and the depth of the damage. The following steps to assess the whole structure are proposed.

Keywords:reinforced concrete; fire; electronic microscopy; X-ray diffraction; infrared spectroscopy.