Feasibility of Non-proprietary Ultra-high Performance Concrete (UHPC) for Use in Highway Bridges in Montana

Feasibility of Non-proprietary Ultra-high Performance Concrete (UHPC) for Use in Highway Bridges in Montana
Author: Michael Patrick Berry
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2023
Genre: Bridge construction
ISBN:

Previous research conducted at MSU developed a nonproprietary UHPC mix design (MT-UHPC) that is significantly less expensive than commercially available mixes and is made with materials readily available in Montana. The focus of the research discussed herein was on the field implementation of MT-UHPC. Specifically, MT-UHPC was used in all field-cast joints on two bridges spanning Trail Creek on Highway 43 outside of Wisdom, MT. This project began with an extensive literature review focused on previous field applications of UHPC. Subsequently, implementation research was performed with the intent of filling several research gaps related to the field application of MT-UHPC. This research investigated the effects that mixing process, batch size, and temperature have on the performance of MT-UHPC. It also developed maturity curves to be used in estimating the early strength gain of MT-UHPC. Trial batches were then conducted on site and placed into joint mockups to confirm and improve the construction methods to be used on the actual bridge project. In this exercise MT-UHPC was mixed using the same methods and under the same environmental conditions expected on the day of construction. MT-UHPC was then used in the Trail Creek bridges to connect the precast concrete bridge elements. Overall, this project was a successful demonstration of using a nonproprietary UHPC in field-cast joints for an accelerated bridge construction (ABC) project. All placed UHPC had adequate flows, gained strength quickly, and reached the required minimum compressive strengths. This was accomplished despite an accelerated construction schedule, and despite mixing and placing the material in the field under varied environmental conditions.

FEASIBILITY OF NON-PROPRIETARY ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE CONCRETE (UHPC) FOR USE IN HIGHWAY BRIDGES IN MONTANA

FEASIBILITY OF NON-PROPRIETARY ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE CONCRETE (UHPC) FOR USE IN HIGHWAY BRIDGES IN MONTANA
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 49
Release: 2020
Genre: Bridges
ISBN:

The overall objective of this research was to further develop and characterize an economical non-proprietary ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) made with materials readily available in Montana. Specifically, this research focused on (1) investigating the potential variability in performance related to differences in constituent materials, (2) investigating issues related to the field batching/mixing of these UHPC mixes, and (3) testing rebar bond strength and studying how this will affect requisite development lengths. Based on this research, it was determined that, while variations in the source of the constituent materials had some effects on performance, the effects were fairly minor, with all recorded flows and 28-day compressive strengths exceeding 6 inches and 16 ksi, respectively. Further, in regards to the effects of mixing/batching conditions, only temperature was observed to have a significant effect on performance, with flows and set times decreasing with increasing temperature. Regarding the pullout tests, all of the specimens that met the minimum embedment depth requirements specified by the FHWA yielded prior to concrete bond failure, indicating the suitability of these recommendations for the Montana UHPC developed in this research.

Advanced Concrete Technology

Advanced Concrete Technology
Author: Zongjin Li
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 628
Release: 2022-09-21
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1119806259

Advanced Concrete Technology A thorough grounding in the science of concrete combined with the latest developments in the rapidly evolving field of concrete technology In the newly revised second edition of Advanced Concrete Technology, a distinguished team of academics and engineers delivers a state-of-the-art exploration of modern and advanced concrete technologies developed during the last decade. The book combines the essential concepts and theory of concrete with practical examples of material design, composition, processing, characterization, properties, and performance. The authors explain, in detail, the hardware and software of concrete, and offer readers discussions of the most recent advances in concrete technology, including, but not limited to, concrete recycling, nanotechnology, microstructural simulation, additive manufacturing, and non-destructive testing methods. This newest edition of Advanced Concrete Technology provides a sustained emphasis on sustainable and novel technologies, like new binders, 3D printing, and other advanced materials and techniques. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to concrete, including its definition and its historical evolution as a material used in engineering and construction In-depth explorations of the materials for making concrete and the properties of fresh concrete Comprehensive discussions of the material structure of concrete, hardened concrete, and advanced cementitious composites Fulsome treatments of concrete fracture mechanics, non-destructive testing in concrete engineering, and future trends in concrete Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students studying civil or materials engineering—especially those taking classes in the properties of concrete or concrete technologies—as well as engineers in the concrete industry. Advanced Concrete Technology, 2nd Edition will also earn a place in the libraries of civil and materials engineers working in the industry.

Lowering the Cost of Ultrahigh-performance Concrete Via Design and Performance Evaluation of Non-Proprietary Mixtures

Lowering the Cost of Ultrahigh-performance Concrete Via Design and Performance Evaluation of Non-Proprietary Mixtures
Author: Deepika Sundar
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2023
Genre:
ISBN:

The new infrastructure bill promises to invest in repairing and replacing the aging critical infrastructure in the US, particularly roads and bridges. Ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC) is a "robust solution for highway infrastructure" since the high compressive strength (>120 MPa), high tensile strength (>5 MPa), homogeneity, and the superior durability of UHPC make it highly reliable wherever it is used (Du et al. 2021). This research aimed to produce and evaluate the performance of low-cost UHPC mixtures using local ingredients. To that end, in the first section of this dissertation, a database consisting of 139 mixture proportions of non-proprietary UHPC formulations, and their workability (flow) and compressive strength data was developed. This database was expanded using prior data of 83 UHPC mixtures developed at Penn State. Random forest-based machine learning (ML) models were developed using this data to first predict the mixtures' flow and compressive strength. Further, physics-based knowledge of the impact of particle size (of aggregates and cementitious materials), particle packing, and chemical composition of the cement was incorporated into the model. This endeavor improved the generalizability of prediction models. In the second part of the dissertation, 130 UHP mortar and concrete mixtures were developed using local ingredients and were evaluated. A plan was devised and executed to determine the impact ingredient properties, mixture proportions, and the temperature of fresh concrete on the properties of UHPC. This experimentation also allowed insight into the robustness of the developed UHPCs to quantify their sensitivity to variability in the mixture constituents and proportions. This research study determined lower-cost alternatives for expensive mixture constituents like quartz filler and quartz sand. At the end of this section, several low-cost UHPC mixtures were developed that met the requirements of FHWA and AASHTO guidelines. Reliably characterizing the mechanical performance, especially the tensile-stress-strain behavior of UHPC mixtures, is critical to determine whether the UHPC exhibited strain-hardening behavior. However, measuring this response by applying uniform loading in tension without pre-maturely cracking the test specimens or inducing large bending strains in the process is challenging. Therefore, in the third section of the dissertation, a UHPC tensile testing setup in compliance with the AASHTO T397-22 test method was built. This set-up involved equipping an 11-kips load cell with custom-made flat grips fabricated following AASHTO recommendations. In addition, an aluminum extensometer was fabricated to measure the average strain in the gauge section, and a data acquisition system was set up to accurately record the load and displacement signals. As a result, the mixtures' extent of strain hardening, and pre-crack localization strain capacity were consistently determined. This setup further allows for the optimization of the fiber reinforcement to reduce the cost of UHPC. Finally, a comprehensive literature review was carried out with the objective of assessing the risk of, and formulating strategies to mitigate, shrinkage cracking in UHPC mixtures. UHPC mixtures tend to be dominated by cementitious materials, composing greater than 60% of the volume of concrete. A high content of cementitious materials and low water-to-cementitious material (w/cm) ratio render UHPC mixtures vulnerable to shrinkage cracking and damage, particularly in connections between prefabricated bridge elements. Thus, the last part of the dissertation reviewed the risk of shrinkage-based cracking in UHPC, the role of fiber reinforcement, and finally assessed the effectiveness of mitigation measures. The outcome of this dissertation is the reduction of the cost of non-proprietary UHPC that were compliant with and exceeded FHWA and AASHTO design guideline performance. It also adds to the know-how in the reliable production of low-cost non-proprietary UHPC mixtures by offering consistently produced and collected data. ML modeling offers efficient and robust tools for future UHPC producers to optimize UHPC mix designs with minimal trial and error.

DEVELOPMENT OF NON-PROPRIETARY ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE CONCRETE

DEVELOPMENT OF NON-PROPRIETARY ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE CONCRETE
Author: Michael Berry
Publisher:
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2017
Genre: Bridges—Design and construction
ISBN:

The overall objective of this research was to develop and characterize economical non-proprietary UHPC mixes made with materials readily available in Montana. This objective was achieved by first identifying and obtaining suitable/economical materials to be used in UHPC. Specifically, the materials identified and used in this research were simply Type I/II portland cement, class F fly ash, fine masonry sand, silica fume, and high range water reducer. UHPC mixes were then developed/characterized/optimized by using a statistical experimental design procedure (response surface methodology). An optimal mix that provided desired workability and strength was selected for further evaluation through a suite of mechanical and durability tests. The mixes developed as part of this research obtained compressive strengths of approximately 20 ksi with flows of 8 to11 inches. The mechanical properties tested in this research were compressive and tensile strength, elastic modulus, and shrinkage. Durability tests included alkali-silica reactivity, absorption, abrasion, chloride permeability, freezethaw resistance, and scaling.

Ultra-High Performance Concrete and High Performance Building Materials for Sustainable Construction

Ultra-High Performance Concrete and High Performance Building Materials for Sustainable Construction
Author: Ekkehard Fehling
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2024-01-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3737611599

Sustainable construction, with the overarching goal of reducing the environmental footprint of everything we build is becoming increasingly important and urgent in the light of the climate change the world is facing. The use of innovative and sustainable building materials, especially concrete as the worldwide most commonly used building material, offers a great opportunity to significantly reduce climate-relevant emissions in the construction sector. Due to their performance and reliable durability, the use of innovative high-performance concretes will help to reduce the need for new constructions and to sustainably repair existing infrastructure. In new buildings in particular, the use of high-performance materials can help to save energy and natural resources, which reduces climate-relevant emissions and thus global warming. With the current HiPerMat 6, we are responding to the growing understanding of the impact of our construction activities on the environment by placing greater emphasis on sustainability issues.

Evaluation of Ultra-High Performance Concrete Connections

Evaluation of Ultra-High Performance Concrete Connections
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 39
Release: 2022
Genre: Asphalt
ISBN:

Beginning in 2019, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requested that TRB be directly involved in managing evaluations of selected projects undertaken by the agency. The TRB Cooperative Research Program's CRP Special Release 3: Evaluation of Ultra-High Performance Concrete Connections presents an evaluation of the UHPC Research and Development Program. UHPC is used in highway bridges, particularly for bridge-deck-level connections for prefabricated bridge elements.

Properties and Behavior of UHPC-class Materials

Properties and Behavior of UHPC-class Materials
Author: Zachary B. Haber
Publisher:
Total Pages: 153
Release: 2018
Genre: High strength concrete
ISBN:

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is being adopted for a variety of different bridge construction and rehabilitation applications. In North America, the most popular application of UHPC in bridge construction is for field-cast closure pours between adjacent prefabricated bridge elements, which are employed in many accelerated bridge construction (ABC) projects; this application has proven to be a common entry point for many bridge owners. As the demand for this innovative class of materials increases, so will the need for knowledge regarding the material properties and material characteristics. To fill this knowledge gap, researchers at Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) executed an experimental study on six different commercially-available materials being marketed as “UHPC-class”. The goal of the research was to provide the bridge engineering community with a more comprehensive set of properties for this class of materials, which in turn could facilitate broader use within the sector. The UHPC-class materials were evaluated using 14 different ASTM, AASHTO, or FHWA-TFHRC-developed test methods. Results indicate that these materials behave similarly with respect to some performance measures such as compressive strength, tensile strength, and durability, but vary with respect to others such as dimensional stability, bond to precast concrete, and compressive creep.

Development of Post-effective Ultra-high Performance Concrete (UHPC) for Colorado's Sustainable Infrastructure

Development of Post-effective Ultra-high Performance Concrete (UHPC) for Colorado's Sustainable Infrastructure
Author: Yail J. Kim
Publisher:
Total Pages: 56
Release: 2018
Genre: Concrete
ISBN:

This report presents the development of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) using locally available materials that reduce construction costs compared with commercial products. With the aim of achieving a specified compressive strength of 20 ksi, a UHPC mixture is formulated. The implications of various constituent types are examined with an emphasis on silica compounds (silica fume, silica powder, silica sand, finer silica sand, pyrogenic silica, and precipitated silica), including steel and polypropylene fibers. Bond tests are conducted to evaluate the development length of the UHPC. Cost analysis shows that the prototype UHPC is up to 74% less expensive than commercial products.