Category: Ongoing Projects
Group: Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC)
Subject: Alternative to UHPC
State: Michigan
Abstract:

Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) is a specially formulated concrete that is capable of achieving extremely high performance. When properly reinforced with steel fibers, the material is capable of achieving the following properties: (1) High compressive strength,approaching that of mild steel. (2) High tensile strength, several times that of regular concrete. (3) Pseduo-ductility, with tensile softening strains of up to an order of magnitude greater than that of regular concrete. (4) Exceptional energy absorption prior to fracture. (5) Extremely small crack widths, small enough to practically eliminate ingress of chlorides. (6) Exceptional durability, primarily enabled by the very small crack widths and the extremely high packing density of the material at the microstructure level. (7) Self-consolidating properties, which simplify construction. (8) Autogenous self-healing properties, enabled by small crack widths under service loads. High material cost coupled with complicated and costly construction procedures have seriously delayed widespread adoption of UHPC in the United States (US). An alternative UHPC developed at the University of Michigan, here termed np-UNPC for non-proprietary-UHPC, has the potential for removing all obstacles preventing widespread use of UHPC in the State of Michigan and in the US. In addition to the basic 8 properties listed above, this new material has 3 new critical advantages: (1) Substantially greater pseudo-ductility, up to an order of magnitude greater than available materials, when fibers are used. (2) It is nonproprietary and made up of components that are available on the US market. (3) Does not require expensive heat or pressure treatment as Ductal and other material do. In fact, it can be made using conventional mixers, which reduces adoption costs dramatically and allows the material to be made and delivered the same way as regular concrete. The material has currently broken world records in terms of energy absorption, but could be optimized for lower cost, albeit with lower strength performance. The objective of this research is to optimize the cost of various np-UHPC's using materials available in the State of Michigan, characterize their mechanical properties, and explore applications, focusing on Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) and Precast Bridge Element Systems (PBES).

Key Words:

Bridge construction; Bridge members; Compressive strength; Concrete bridges; Cracking; Energy absorption; High performance concrete; Mechanical properties; Tensile strength; Ultra high performance concrete

Specific ABC aspect:

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Budget and Timeline

Budget (USD): 311125.00
Project length: 48
Project Starting Year: 2013
Project Completion Year: 2017

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Primary Sponsor

Michigan Department of Transportation
Murray Van Wagoner Building
425 West Ottawa, P.O. Box 30050
Lansing, MI 48909 USA

Steve Kahl
kahls@michigan.gov
(517) 322-5707

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Primary Performing Organization

Regents of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Wolverine Tower, Room 1038
3003 South State St
Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA

PI:
Sherif El-Tawil
Professor and Associate Chair
(734) 764-5617
eltawil@umich.edu

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Other Documents

View RC1637_Part_1_526889_7.pdf
View RC1637_Part_2_526890_7.pdf
View RC1637_Part_3_526891_7.pdf

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Other Related URLs

Go to: https://rip.trb.org/view/2013/P/1247848