CONCRETE BRIDGE PIER MADE WITH UHPFRC

Amanda Goulart Weber Raylane de Souza Castoldi

Vitor Perim de Lima

CONCRETE BRIDGE PIER MADE WITH UHPFRC

Supervised by Dr. Stephen Jones

Aim

Objectives ü  Analyse the mixture of the material ü  Research mechanical characteristics of UHPFRC ü  Establish usage of the material ü  Weigh pros and cons for using this type of concrete ü  Investigate commercial factors, such as cost and availability ü  Analyse existing bridges for possible usage of UHPFRC,

comparing with previous use of traditional concrete ü  Investigate sustainability issues ü  Draw conclusions on the feasibility of using UHPFRC.

 

The Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete is a cement based material with extra duration and ductility compared to a normal concrete. The aim of this research project is to investigate the use of UHPFRC to design concrete bridge piers.  

Around Sarasota

HISTORY

Ancient times

Human beings have always sought, throughout their existence, different ways to build shelters which could protect themselves from other animals and forces of nature such as wind and rain. Over the years, the construction methods have been improved with the use of techniques and materials that allowed the shelters to be transformed into true fortresses. Among these materials, cement is a major driver that is present in a rudimentary way since thousands of years ago to the present day. •  In 3000 BC, the Egyptians used mud with straw to bind dried bricks. They also used gypsum and lime mortars in the pyramids;

•  In the ancient history of China, the Chinese used cementitious materials to build the Great Wall of China;

•  In 800 BC, the Greeks produced lime mortars which were much more resistant than the mortar that would be later used by the Romans;

•  The Roman Empire was responsible for the construction of structures that exist today and that are still considered true works of art, such as the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Roman baths. They used lime, sand and some natural additives such as animal fat, milk and blood.

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The birth of concrete

The use of concrete as we know it today was only possible thanks to the industrial development of cement production, which took place in the nineteenth century, created by Joseph Aspdin. Thereafter different additives, reinforcements and cement that enabled the creation of new types of concrete emerged. The search for structures that lasted several years and needed little maintenance led to the creation of High Performance Concrete (HPC). According to the terminology of the American Concrete Institute, the HPC meets special requirements of performance and uniformity that cannot be achieved routinely using conventional practices. A HPC is produced to be more durable and, if necessary, stronger than a traditional concrete. The materials used in a HPC are about the same as conventional concrete, but there is a very rigorous quality control with regard to the production of concrete, which explains why it is always precast.

 

Wikimedia Commons

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

WM. Winkler Co.

Self Compacting Concrete The development of High Performance Concrete led to the creation of many other types of concrete, including the Self Compacting Concrete (SCC). SCC is highly fluid, homogeneous non-segregating, allowing the filling of virtually all of the empty spaces where it is dumped from little or no vibration. Due to that property, the SCC is ideal for inaccessible spots and complex designs and shapes. Furthermore, Self Compacting Concrete generates a decrease in the noise levels, it is easily pumped to heights and optimizes manpower of a construction by reducing labour and possibly the skill level of workers. Being a High Performance Concrete, the Self Compacting Concrete has all these benefits while maintaining the strength and durability of a regular concrete.  

 

Halyps Cement

Ultra High Performance Concrete

Currently, the main company that commercializes the Ultra High Performance Concrete is Lafarge. The French company sells UHPC by the name of Ductal®, which is claimed to be exceptional for its ductility. The product has already been used several times in developed countries such as United States, Japan, France and England.

 

In the 60s, concretes with a load capacity of up to 800 MPa were developed in special laboratory conditions. They were compressed under high pressure and heat-treated. In the early 80s, the so-called "Reactive Powder Concrete" was created under the idea of using a dense, homogeneous matrix that should prevent the development of micro cracks.

 

Meanwhile, there existed a wider range of formulations, so the name “Ultra High Performance Concrete” (UHPC) was established for any concrete with minimal compression capacity of 150 MPa. The first commercial applications began in the 80’s in Denmark, especially in constructions involving high-level security such as vaults, strong rooms and protective defense construction.

 

University of Kassel

Dauber Schmidt

Imperial College London

CONCRETE

Mechanical Characteristics As stated previously, the main Ultra High Performance Concrete commercialized currently is Ductal®, from Lafarge Company. The information described below show some of the properties of the material. The data were obtained from the supplier.  

Material Characteristic Normal Concrete UHPFRC

Compressive Strength (MPa) 20 - 40 180 - 230

Modulus of Elasticity (GPa) 14 - 41 55 – 59

Flexural Strength (MPa) 3 - 5 40 - 50

Chloride Ion Diffusion (x10E-12 m2/s) 1 0.02

Carbonation Penetration Depth (mm) 3 - 7 <0.5

Freeze-Thaw Resistance (RDM) - 100%

Salt-Scaling Resistance (kg/m2) 0.6 <0.0122

Entrapped Air Content 4 – 8% 2 – 4%

Post-Cure Shrinkage (microstrain) 750 0

Creep Coefficient (x10E-6 mm/mm/oC) 9.9 0.2 – 0.5

Density (kg/m3) 2240 - 2400 2435 - 2545

Mechanical Characteristics

In 2005, Benjamin A. Graybeal, a leading researcher on Ultra High Performance Concrete, published a dissertation about the material. In his research, the mechanical characteristics of UHPC were discussed and some conclusions could be made about the material: ü  UHPC clearly has higher mechanical properties than those of

conventional concrete or the High Performance Concrete; ü  UHPC is a viable substitute for conventional concrete or High

Performance Concrete in prestressed I-girders; ü  UHPC I-girders can be designed to withstand greater bending and shear

forces. Conservative estimates can be made to predict the flexural capacity of an I-girder and the post-cracking tensile capacity in the shear region of a girder.

 Style Park Website

Composition Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete is a combination of high strength concrete and fibres. It is basically a superplasticized concrete, reinforced with steel fibres, low water-binder ratio and an improved homogeneity because traditional coarse aggregates are replaced with fine sand.  

A very low water cementitious ratio ranging from 0.16 to 0.24. Improved resistance to impact loading in terms of penetration depth and crater diameter can be achieved through decreased water cementious ratio.

A high cement  content is used to improve the resistance.

Considering that the high cost of UHPFRC is a disadvantage that restricts its wider usage, some industrial by-products such as silica fume have been used as partial cement replacements.

High dosage of superplasticizer to reduce the water cementious ratio.

The only aggregate used is fine quartz sand to give strength to the concrete. By replacing coarse aggregate with fine sand, the size of the micro fissures linked to intrusions in traditional concrete is greatly reduced. A high % by volume (2.5 to 10%) special types steel fibres are used. The presence of the steel fibres is essential to enhance the post-cracking tensile strength and to improve the ductility of the material.

Powwow Water website

The worlds of David Darling

Century Minimetals

China Sunbo

Beijing Kaibiyuan

Jeffry Franky Tumatar

Silica fume Since the 1980s, silica fume has been used extensively around the world to produce high performance concrete. Today, more than 10 million cubic metres of concrete containing silica fume is placed each year. One of the most used product is Elkem Microsilica®. It is used in concrete to promote high quality concrete technology, and the benefits of advanced concrete materials, such as durable infrastructure, advanced concrete structures and sustainable high quality concrete construction. Elkem Microsilica® powder is delivered in bulk, big-bags or small bags, either as undensified (bulk density approx. 200 kg/m3) or densified (bulk density 500-700 kg/m3), depending on the application.

Superplasticizer

Superplasticizers, also known as high range water reducers, are chemical admixtures used where well-dispersed particle suspension is required. These polymers are used as dispersants to avoid particle segregation (gravel, coarse and fine sands), and to improve the flow characteristics of concrete. Their addition to concrete or mortar allows the reduction of the water to cement ratio, not affecting the workability of the mixture, and enables the production of self-consolidating concrete and high performance concrete.

 Aquaproof Website

Steel fibres

Steel fibres mixed into the concrete can provide an alternative to the provision of conventional steel bars or welded fabric in some applications. The concept has been in existence for many years (the first patent was applied for in 1874). Fibres are usually used to control cracking due to plastic shrinkage and to drying shrinkage. Steel fibres can:

ü  Improve structural strength ü  Reduce steel reinforcement requirements ü  Improve ductility ü  Reduce crack widths and control the crack widths tightly, thus improving durability ü  Improve impact– and abrasion–resistance ü  Improve freeze-thaw resistance

  Coal Age Website FP McCann Website Ready Mix Online

Component Material Normal concrete (kg/m3) UHPFRC (kg/m3)

Cement 330 705

Silica fume - 230

Quartz sand - 210

Coarse Aggregate 1040 -

Sand 850 1010

Superplasticizer - 17

Steel fibres - 190

Water 180 195

Typical Composition

D&D Pré-Moldados

Typical composition (Dallaire et al., 1998)

Mixing Procedure Several researchers recommend to mix all fine dry particles first before adding water and high-range water reducer (HRWR). It is because small particles tend to agglomerate and it is easier to break these chunks when the particles are dry. The specific mixing procedure was as follows:

ü  In the first step both types of aggregate and silica fume were mixed for 5 min;

ü  In the second step cement and glass powder were mixed for another 5 min;

ü  At the end of the procedure water and HRWR were added. The addition of HRWR was gradual;

ü  The mixture became fully workable after another 5 min.

 

Water addition

HRWR addition

Prepaste consistency

Fibre addition

Finished mix

U.S. Department of Transportation

Curing Procedure

Wikihow Website

 

Curing the concrete is essential for protect it from loss of water, what can affect its durability and compressive strength. For UHPC, this is particularly important due to the small amount of water in its composition. To prevent it from dehydration, the concrete needs to be protected with an impermeable coat right after casting. In order to speed up the setting process, UHPC should pass through a heat treatment, which usually is submitting the concrete to a 48 hours moist curing at 90ºC.

�  CBI Consulting Website

 

Clayton Tang

Shrinkage A high amount of cement in a concrete usually can be a synonymous for a large rate of shrinkage, however this problem can be solved for UHPC with a heat treatment. One great advantage of using this type of concrete is that the shrinkage process will take place during the heat treatment. This means that prefabricated parts will not shrink any further once it is finished.

Durability Another consequence of the heat treatment is improving the creep of the material, which is essential for its durability. UHPC has less than half of the creep coefficient for traditional concrete. Besides that, this type of concrete does not need steel rebar, and the lack of corroded material improves the durability of the structure.

PROS CONS ü  Self placing and have excellent fluidity;

ü  Very high compressive strength as well as high strength and tenacity in flexure;

ü  The volume of needed concrete can be significantly reduced;

ü  Significant dead load reductions and comparative with steel structures due to the very high strength;

ü  Excellent material ductility giving improved overload behaviour;

ü  Improved durability and longer service life with reduced maintenance;

ü  Blast resistance;

ü  High flexural strength reducing the need for reinforcing steel and expanding the range of structural shapes and forms;

ü  Improves blast resistance of cladding panels and walls while maintaining its standard thicknesses and appearance.

x Limited research was developed on strengthening of structures;

x High material cost mainly because of the large amount of cement used;

x High energy consumption and CO2 emission;

x Strict control of the mixing procedure is essential and especially mixing times must be strictly adhered to;

x There is a need for further research and

development to close existing gaps of knowledge and to come to a widespread “regular” application based on

comprehensive technical regulations.

DUCTAL® •  Reactive powder concrete (RPC), a type of UHPFRC, is a material that

consists mainly of cement. Ductal®, which was developed by Bouygues, Lafarge and Rhodia, is a set of different types of RPC that have organic fibres in its composition.

•  Ductal® has been used in a large number of engineering projects, what allows the company to study the behaviour of the material and improve it.

•  When talking about bridges, Ductal® has already been used for beams, girders, decks, piles, and joint fill for precast deck systems.

•  The Australian Company, VSL Infrastructure Protection, has been fabricating Ductal® for more than ten years, working on projects in New Zealand and Australia.

Availability

CERACEM® •  In association with Sika, Eiffage has developed BSI (Béton Spécial

Industriel, or special industrial concrete), which later became Ceracem®. •  The French construction company, Eiffage, provides two types of

Ceracem®: structural, for support elements, and architectural, for decorative elements.

DUCORIT® •  Ducorit® is another type of Ultra High Performance Concrete. It was

developed by Densit, a company whose head office is located in Denmark. •  Densit provides different types of Ducorit, Ducorit® S1, Ducorit® S2,

Ducorit® S5 and Ducorit® D4, that have different properties due to aggregates addition, such as quartz sand or bauxite.

Lafarge Website

Eiffage Website

Lafarge Website

TAKTL® •  Taktl® is a company based in Western Pennsylvania

that sells a type of UHPC. Taktl is not only the name of the company, but also the name of their concrete.

•  Focusing in architectural applications, Taktl also developed the VECTR Panels, with custom textures, patterns, perforations, shapes, and profiles. The panels contain Taktl and two different glass fibres in its composition.

DURA® •  Dura® is the patented name for a Malaysian

mixture of UHPC, or UHPdC, Ultra-High Performance ductile Concrete.

•  The company, Dura Technology, was established in 2006 and its head office is located in Chemor, Malaysia.

Taktl Website

A UHPFRC contains about twice the cement volume as conventional concrete, and thus produces twice as much CO2 and consumes twice as much energy in production. Yet experience using UHPFRC shows that if used appropriately, the quantities of material used in a structure can be divided by two or three. A UHPFRC structure therefore provides a slight gain in terms of initial CO2 footprint and energy compared to a conventional solution.

Sustainability issues

It also offers a significant gain in terms of durability, lightness and global economy of material. It is therefore important to incorporate an anticipation of sustainability earning enabled by UHPFRC solutions; this is particularly relevant when searching for long-life or evolutive structures and when taking into account economic cost, image, operating constrains and the environmental costs of all operations of maintenance required by traditional solutions.

Boma.org

APPLICATIONS

Sherbrooke Bridge

The Sherbrooke Footbridge, built in 1997, is the first bridge to use UHPC in Canada, and the first to use Ductal®. The structure consists of a space truss with a top UHPC, two UHPC bottom chords, and truss diagonals made of steel tubes filled with UHPC. Its top deck is 30 mm thick. The construction process consisted in pre-casting two half-spans which were put together in order to create a 60 m long span bridge.

St. Pierre La Cour Bridge The first Ductal® bridge in France was built over a railway line in St. Pierre La Cour. It has a 19 m span, supports a 7.6 m reinforced concrete road, pavement and a cycle lane and consists of precast I-beams made of UHPC with no stirrups. The materials and techniques used in the construction process allows the bridge to have almost half of the weight that a conventional concrete bridge would have. The project required one day for casting and one day to bond the concrete slab in place.

Peace Footbridge The Sunyudo Footbridge, or Peace Footbridge, completed in 2002 in South Korea is an arch bridge with a single span of 120 m. It is built from six precast pi-shaped girder and the deck is a slab 30 mm thick with transverse prestressing. The arch is supported at its ends by two 9 m deep reinforced concrete foundations. This bridge is the longest span UHPC bridge in the world.

VSL website

VSL website

Lafarge website

Lafarge website

Lafarge website

Lafarge website

Horikoshi Highway Bridge The first use of UHPC in Japan was in the Horikoshi Highway C-Ramp bridge. It is composed of four pretensioned UHPC I-shaped girders and a regular concrete deck. The number of girders would be 11 if conventional concrete was used in this part of the process, and they would weight more individually. The overall weight of the bridge was reduced by 30 percent.

Haneda Airport The Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, is working in a project that started in 2010 and will build a new runway over the sea. The pier is made of two structures: steel pillars and their coatings, going underwater to a depth of 70 meters, and a UHPC slab secured in steel girders. The material was chosen due to its resistance, high impermeability and lightweight.

Wapello County Bridge In 2006, the first North American Ductal® bridge was completed. Situated in Iowa, the Wapello County Bridge is a single-span bridge 34 m long, built with three UHPC I-girders that did not use any rebar for shear stirrups.

Okuma, 2006, p. 6

U.S. Department of Transportation

Lafarge Website

Kurumaerabi Website

Okuma, 2006, p. 9

U.S. Department of Transportation

Sakata Mirai Footbridge The Sakata Mirai Bridge is a single span, 50 m long and 2.4 m wide footbridge. The deck is perforated to give the bridge better resistance to wind deformation. The slab is made of UHPC and its thickness is only 50 mm. The use of RPC contributes to the construction of a lightweight bridge that need no reinforcing bars and reduces the construction costs. If traditional concrete was used, the bridge would weight almost five times more than the UHPC one.

Shepherds Creek Bridge Build in 2002, the Shepherds Creek Bridge spans 15 m. It is located in New South Wales, Australia, and comprises 16 UHPC girders and a reinforced concrete deck slab. The slab, 170 mm thick, was placed above a UHPC formwork panel between the beams. The panel is 25 mm thick, light weighted and increases the durability of the deck.

Papatoetoe Footbridge The Papatoetoe is the first of a series of footbridges that were constructed to allow pedestrian movement over the railway tracks in Auckland, New Zealand. It is 175 m long and consist of ten spans, most of them measuring 20 m, and they are formed with two precast UHPC sections, that weight a lot less than if made with traditional concrete. The UHPC beams were precast in a ten week period and post-tensioned on site.

VSL Website

Lafarge Website

Lafarge Website

Lafarge Website

VSL Website

VSL Website

The Shawnessy LRT Station In the Shawnessy LRT Station was constructed the first thin-shelled precast canopy roof system with Ductal®. It is made of thin canopies supported on structural columns, also made with UHPC. The columns, which have rectangular cross-sections and different size over the height of the column, were reinforced with conventional black steel rebars and then bolted to the cast-in-place concrete beams.

Queen Sofia Museum The expansion of the Queen Sofia Museum in Madrid, Spain, required the construction of three new buildings on an existing support structure made of steel columns that was not strong enough. Therefore, the supporting columns were reinforced by pouring RPC inside them. This provided greater resistance and stability.

Lafarge Website

Lafarge Website

Lafarge Website

Lafarge Website

The Project Living Bridges, developed by the architect Marc Mimram in association with Lafarge, aims to make bridges become inhabitable structures. The reason for that lies on a high population growth rate. Marc Mimram believes that the role of bridges should be reconsidered and that we should take advantage of the infrastructure, using it to connect two areas in a more effective way. Using Lafarge UHPC, Ductal®, it is possible to conciliate high strength and grace, enabling the project to come true.

Marc Mimram Website

 

Living Bridges Project

New York

In New York, a city with one of the largest populations in the world, the idea is to create a bridge that, besides connecting two oposites banks, can offer residential potential. The use of UHPC is essential to create a high strength structure with different architectural aspects.

Marc Mimram Website

 

La Courneuve

The park located in the region of La Courneuve, in France, seems to be excluded from the city due to a busy roadway. This scenario can be easily remedied with the construction of a footbridge above the avenue, to get around the traffic, connecting the city to the park. The project of a bridge that looks like a strip can be easily carried out using UHPC, which increases the structural and plastic capacities of conventional concrete.

Marc Mimram Website

 

A superior material

Due to the super ior mechanica l properties of the material, the Ultra High Performance Concrete al lows the construction of slender, lightweight and durable. The failure ductility of the material is closer to the metal than the ordinary concrete. The combination of strength and ductility results in lower structural dimensions, faster construction time and longer spans design.

The Ultra High Performance Concrete is also useful to withstand environments of harsh conditions, such as offshore structures and nuclear plants. Moreover, the UHPC is ideal for places of special protection, such as government facilities, as it has excellent resistance to blast, thermal insulation and heat resistance.

Ductal Website

Ductal Website

Alternative uses The architectural issues in Ultra High

Performance Concrete opens a range of innovative opportunities concerning the

shape and volume of structures. Applications vary, including lamps, chairs, balconies,

stairs, bus stops and awnings.

Ductal Website

Alternative uses Ductal Website Ductal Website Ductal Website

Alternative uses Ductal Website

Ductal Website

Ductal Website

Colour and texture With chameleon-like quality, UHPC is able to replicate colours and textures, the final product can provide new freedoms in Architecture Aesthetics. This is possible thanks to the addition of pigments to the mixture. Moreover, finished surfaces may be further protected from fading, blotching and graffiti, with the use of clear-coat sealant.

Ductal Website

Ductal Website

Ductal Website

Ductal Website

Ductal Website

VECTR Panels are comprised

of TAKTL®  reinforced with

Alkali Resistant (AR) Glass

Fibre and two layers of AR

Glass Fibre Mesh. Panels are

cast utilizing a proprietary,

a u t o m a t e d p r o d u c t i o n

process into molds that yield

an intrinsic pattern and finish.

Additionally, special surface

effects can be created with

aggregates and/or a variety of

media-blasting techniques in

an automated, enclosed

blasting line.

Colour and texture

Taktl Website

Taktl Website

CASE STUDY

ü  Analysed structure: Pen Lan Lane Bridge

ü  Location: A55 Chester to Holyhead trunk road

ü  Objective: Analyse and compare the behaviour of the

bridge columns, if the conventional concrete was

replaced by UHPFRC, and the bridge location was

altered to Curitiba, Brazil.

Arquivo

Introduction

Pen Lan Lane Bridge

Arquivo Arquivo

Dimensions

Loads

The imposed loads were based on the

Brazilian code “Reinforced Concrete and

Prestressed Concrete Bridges Project” (NBR

7187:2002).

ü  Dead Loads

ü  Live Loads

ü  Impact Loads

ü  Traffic Loads

Dead Loads

Structure weight

The specific weight for simple concrete should be assumed to a minimum value of 24 kN/m³ and 25 kN/m³ for reinforced or prestressed concrete.

Paving

The minimum value of 24 kN/m³ must be adopted for specific weight of the material employed, with an additional load of 2 kN/m², considering a possible resurfacing.

Live Loads

Vertical Loads

The values of live loads are determined by the code or by the owner of the work.

Construction Loads

Throughout the design and the structural calculations, the loads that may be imposed during the construction period should be considered, especially those due to equipment weight and auxiliary structures of assembling and launching structural elements weight and their effects at each stage of work.

Temperature variations

The temperature variations should be considered as stated in section 11 of the Brazilian code NBR 6118: 2003. Considering that the bridge would be built in Curitiba, the average thermal variation used was 15ºC.

Traffic Loads Representative loads system of characteristic values of loads from the traffic that the structure is subjected in service. The critical position of the load is achieved by using influence lines.

The pillars that are subjected to road vehicles or vessels impacts must have their security verified due to possible shocks.

Impact Loads

GSA Analysis The first programme used to analyse the bridge was the GSA Analysis, Oasys Limited Company, which calculates the elastic behaviour of structures. The software is able to provide deformation graphics, axial force, shear forces and bending moments, from inputs that the user provides. Among these inputs, it is important to emphasize internal and external forces, section of the structure, material properties and general dimensions of the structure. Below are some images of the structure in the programme before and after applying the loads, with the resulting deformations.

The output data of the programme are displayed in tables, as shown above. The beams and colums are enumerated relating directly to the previous image. The strength of an element at any point is the force required to maintain the balance if the element was isolated at this point, not considering the other end of the element. Therefore, it is important to note that:

ü  Positive axial forces are tensile forces. ü  Forces and moments are considered toward the

axis of the element, i.e.: Fx: Axial Force; Fy and Fz: Shear Forces; Mxx: Torsion; Myy and Mzz: Bending Moments.

The Structure

Shear Force Chart

Bending Moment Chart

The Structure

An important observation to be made is related to the impact loads that can occur in the structure. This load is due to the fact that the bridge is located above a highway, which means that the vehicles in transit there may collide with the columns of viaduct. According to the current regulations, the collision loads generate moments that should be considered.

c  

500  

1000  

1500  

500  

2000  

250  

500  

750  

250  

1000  

Aside are the diagrams of Shear Forces and Bending Moments for each axis of the columns. These calculations were done by hand. The Bending Moments should be added to the results of the corresponding axes generated by GSA Analysis.

Axis ZX Axis ZY

DIAGRAMS

Bending (kNm) Shear (kN)

Axis ZX Axis ZX

COLLISION LOAD

500  kN   250  kN  

1000  kN   500  kN  

Shear (kN) Bending (kNm)

1.0  m  

1.0  m  

Impact Load

After determining the forces to which the columns of the bridge are submitted, it is necessary to test whether the elements, with its defined materials and sections, bear the forces applied on them. For this, it is interesting to use the software Adsec, also from Oasys Limited.

1500 mm

4500

mm

From the section of an element, the material used in it and details of the frame of the structure, the program creates the axial load and bending moment interaction chart, where you can test if the given element supports its load conditions. Observing the output data of GSA Analysis, the point used should be that in which the axial force and bending moment have their maximum values. If the point is located within the region bounded by the red line, then the structure supports the forces applied on it.

Oasys Limited

Therefore, it is necessary to define input data for the

two bridge analysed. The materials used are reinforced

concrete and Ultra High Performance Concrete. The

input data used in GSA Analysis for the original bridge,

made of reinforced concrete, are:

ü  Dead Loads: 26.51 kN/m;

ü  Live Loads: (4.8 kN/m for pedestrians and

14.4 kN/m for vehicles);

ü  Temperature variation: 15° C uniform;

ü  Weight of the structure.

Esacademic

Loads of Reinforced Concrete Structures

Finally, the output data of the elements of the bridge made with reinforced concrete, added to the exceptional load calculated previously, are:

ü  Maximum Axial force: -5400 kN; ü  Maximum Shear Forces: -8200 kN; ü  Maximum Bending moment: 32200 kNm

These data, when analysed in Adsec, result in the

graph beside. As shown, the point related to the

maximum forces to which the columns are

subjected is acceptable within the delimited

region, showing that the structure is working as

expected.

An important detail to be highlighted is the fact

that the point on the graph is very close to the

bounding line. This means that the sizing of the

structure is accurate and the construction will not

require more material than necessary.

Final test of Reinforced Concrete Bridge

For the analysis of the Ultra High Performance Concrete structure, it is necessary to follow the same line of thought as the previous example. Therefore , i t i s necessary to put the corresponding input data. As the UHPFRC has compressive strength far superior to normal concrete, the column is hollow, as the image shows. As well as for reinforced concrete, the loads to which the structure is subjected are:

Copel Website

ü  Dead Loads: 26.51 kN/m;

ü  Live Loads: (4.8 kN/m for pedestrians and

14.4 kN/m for vehicles);

ü  Temperature variation: 15° C uniform;

ü  Weight of the structure. Copel Website

Loads of Ultra High Performance Concrete Structures

Final Test Of Ultra High Performance Concrete Bridge

The output data for the bridge UHPFRC bridge,

added to the previously calculated exceptional

loads, are:

Maximum Axial force -4900 kN; Maximum shear force: -8500 kN;

Maximum Bending moment: 35500 kNm

From these data, the calculations of Serviceability

limit State and Ultimate Limit State are made to

verify that the structure supports the loads to

which it is subjected. The calculations are shown

below.

SLS Analysis Moment of Inertia I = bh3/12 I = (4500×15003/12) – (4160×11603/12) I = 7.25×1011 mm4

  Area A = bh A = (4500×1500 – (4160×1160) A = 1924400 mm2

A=1.92 m2

  Section Modulus Z = I/y Z = (7.25×1011)/750 Z = 970000000 mm3

Z = 0.97 m3

Using P=64800 kN and considering each strand resisting 300 kN, temos: 64800/300 = 216 strands Will be 4 different positions for the cables, so: 216/4 = 54 strands each side   We chose use 2 cables 27c15 instead one with 54 cables. Area of cables = 27×150=4050 mm2

Total diameter = [(area × 4)/π]0.5 = 71 mm

Test

σ= (P/A) ± (M/Z)

σ= [(P+4945)/1.92] ± (35500/0.97)

 

Minimum value > 0

{[(P+4945)/1.92] – (35500/0.97)} > 0

P > 65000 kN  

Maximum value < 0.6×180MPa=108 MPa

=108000 kN/m2

{[(P+4945)/1.92] + (35500/0.97)} < 108000

P < 132000 kN

Final Test Of Ultra High Performance Concrete Bridge

ULS Analysis Fsteel = 27×2×2×300 = 32400 kN Fconcrete = 180000 x E (E = section thickness)

32400 = 180000 x E E = 0.18 m = 180 mm   Mu = 32400×1.03 = 33300 kNm Considering 10% of tolerance in the results, the concrete bridge made with UHPFRC is acceptable.

Final Test Of Ultra High Performance Concrete Bridge

CONCLUSIONS

Introduction

Throughout this project, research was made about Ultra High Performance Concrete. History, mechanical characteristics, examples of previous use, alternative uses, future projections and case study were some of the points discussed. Therefore, it is suitable for the data exposed to be discussed and evaluated.

Ductal Website

Cost

Being a work of Civil Engineering, one of the key factors to

be considered in the construction of any type of

infrastructure is the budget. Taking into consideration the

project analysed, with its sections and measures already

previously defined, it is possible to calculate the price

difference between the construction of the columns of the

structure made with Ultra High Performance Concrete and

reinforced concrete.

ü  Reinforced Concrete: £ 26400.00

ü  UHPFRC: £ 18400.00

It was considered, in this case, that the construction time

would be 7 days, for the bridge that uses UHPC and 5

weeks for the bridge that uses normal concrete. It's easy to

see that even though the unit price of the Ultra High

Performance Concrete is about ten times more expensive

than normal concrete, the final value is inferior.

DCAA Website

Material Price Unit

Normal Concrete £100.00 per m³

UHPC £1000.00 per m³

Formwork £65.96 per m2

Reinforcement £1100.00 per tonne

Traffic Maintenance

£500.00 per day

Construction Time

Since the UHPFRC is precast, the construction of the bridge made with this material is much faster than with reinforced

concrete. This is of extreme importance on the construction site of the structure in question, where it is necessary to

interdict part of a road to start the work. The obstruction of a lane generates economic loss, inconvenience to the drivers

and requires alternative routes. Thus, it is essential for the construction to be done in the shortest time possible.

Cowi Website Infraestrutura urbana Website

Quality Control

Another important aspect related to the fact that

the concrete is precast, is that there is a quality

control more rigorous than in the construction of

the columns with normal concrete. The elements

of UHPFRC shall be produced by a third party

company, which means that the problems arising

from the on-site construction of the columns will

be eliminated.

Iitalian Construction Website

Security Construction Website

Matt Construction Website

Safety It is still possible to note that the precast UHPFRC contributes

not only to the safety of workers, but also for the work in

general. Once the precast elements are bought and

transported by another company, fewer workers will be

needed within the construction site. These workers will be

responsible primarily for assembling the structure with

appropriate machinery. Besides decreasing the running time

of the work, this increases significantly the risk assessment

within the construction site.

Sindtran Website

Sustainability Based on data previously exposed about the composition of Normal Concrete and Ultra High Performance concrete, it is possible to calculate the amount of cement required for the construction of each one of the viaduct columns from the study case analysed.

  It is possible to observe that, despite the higher percentage of cement in the UHPC composition, the normal concrete spends more cement on each column. This is due to the fact that the sections are hollow and solid, respectively. Therefore, UHPC is a relatively sustainable material, since it makes use of less cementitious material in total, which consumes a lot of energy in its production and emits various pollutants in the atmosphere.

NC:  15000  kg   UHPC:  9000  kg  

Being a public infrastructure that will be highly used for several years, the viaduct must necessarily be a durable construction. As

already mentioned earlier, the Ultra high performance concrete is more durable, have a longer service life and requires less

maintenance. This is due to the fact that UHPFRC does not uses reinforcement liable to corrosion and its high density make the

water absorption difficult.

Sustainability

Colegio Web Website

Final Considerations One pro of using Ultra High Performance concrete mentioned earlier, is the fact that it has a higher impact resistance due

to the presence of tiny fibres. This increases the ductility of the material. In the analysis of the UHPFRC bridge, it has not

been possible to measure this advantage numerically, so a conservative position regarding Impact Loads of vehicles that

may collide with the columns of the structure was considered.

Ecplaza website Comitë Obras BR Blogspot Cordec do Brasil

There is still a lot of reluctance in the industry to adopt this new material, even in developed countries. One of the reasons

for that is the fact that there are not many codes and standards available for the Ultra High Performance Concrete. In

addition, the designers are not yet familiar with the material, which would mean hiring a specialist for the development of a

project.

Therefore, it is essential for more research to be done and for standards and codes to

be created and updated so that the UHPFRC is used effectively. Finally, it is important to note that it takes some time for the industry to trust and

adopt a new material. The Ultra High Performance Concrete is a very promising type of concrete that can be used in various

architectural and structural applications, which makes it one of the biggest bets in the civil

construction industry for years to come.

Taktl Website

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