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UHPC is the next generation of concrete, and what we’re doing is we’re finding ways
to build bridges better.
We want bridges that are easy to construct, but that also are going to be sustainable
and are going to be durable.
With materials of the past, with concretes of the past, in aggressive environments such
as bridge decks with salt, we would sometimes end up having bridges that would be falling
apart within 15 or 20 years or even shorter than that.
With UHPC, we can build it in a similar way, but we can easily get 75-plus years of performance.
Narrator: Ultra-high performance concrete, or UHPC, is a steel-fiber reinforced, portland cement-based
material that is castable and self-consolidating with superior mechanical and durability properties
compared to conventional concrete.
Utilizing many recent advancements in concrete material science, UHPC allows engineers to
design bridges that are not only more constructible, but also more durable and resilient.
UHPC’s tensile strength is at least twice as high as that of conventional concrete and
its compressive strength can be more than four times higher.
And, unlike conventional concrete, the steel fiber micro-reinforcement allows UHPC to carry
tensile loads even after cracking.
In addition to its superior mechanical properties, UHPC is highly durable.
Its discontinuous pore structure significantly reduces permeability compared to conventional
concrete, helping it resist freeze and thaw damage and chloride penetration.
UHPC’s advantages over conventional concrete make it a viable option for both new construction
and bridge replacement and rehabilitation.
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We've implemented UHPC on the largest ABC project in the country--the Pulaski Skyway, three
and half miles long.
We were able to fit it using precast panels, and with the implementation of the UHPC, we
were able to keep the construction joints down to a minimum.
Currently, there are more than 150 bridges in service across the U.S. and Canada that
use UHPC.
The majority of these bridges used UHPC for connections between prefabricated bridge elements.
Compared to connections using conventional materials, UHPC connections are more durable,
simpler to fabricate, and simpler to assemble.
This makes construction easier and cost effective.
Field-cast UHPC connections have been used between precast concrete deck panels, modular
superstructure elements, and for substructure connections between caps and columns and columns
and footers.
Engineers from Hennepin County, Minnesota, used UHPC on a complete re-decking of the
historic Franklin Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.
The project was completed in 17 weeks using precast concrete deck panels and UHPC connections.
The New York State Department of Transportation has constructed over 30 bridges using UHPC,
many of which have used field-cast UHPC connections between precast concrete deck panels.
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For more information on UHPC, check out these resources.