Ultra-high Performance Concrete as a Sustainable Structural Composite

Abstract

The phenomenal strides in the modifications and the use of supplementary cementitious materials in conjunction with superplasticizers and discrete fiber distributions in concrete made it possible to arrive at the structural material termed as “ultra-high performance concretes” (UHPC) or its extension “ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concretes” (UHPFRC). Its development heralded a new era, opening new vistas in structural configurations and forms that could be a serious contender to structural steel constructions. Primarily, the chemistry and physics of concrete constituents and mixture design philosophy have not changed much, though the intricacies that are often neglected were effectively corrected from time to time. The use of materials ranging from the conventional to nanoparticles that could exhibit superior pozzolanic activity along with microfibers resulted in strengths well beyond 200 MPa. This opens up several avenues in structural configurations that are of high strength and durability. However, this isn’t a stipulation of replacing the present-day concrete in all structures with UHPC, but the key is to modulate the structural configurations to suit the needs of the particular application for ensuring sustainability in consonance with the capabilities of UHPC. The paper attempts to look at the possible avenues for such options in materials and structural forms to effectively assure sustainable construction alternates.