Characterization of UHPFRC Materials for Bridge Construction: An Opportunity to Offset the Need for Prestressing in Bridge Decks

In the current decade, an increasing number of reinforced concrete bridge structures are deemed to be in need of repair either due to the short durability lifetime of the materials of their original design, or due to climatic extremes that cause the concrete materials to fail (Mermigas 2018). This is especially true for structures such as bridges which are continuously exposed to variations of the environment including temperature, moisture, and road de-icing salts (Carl 1971, L. Spellman 1971, Demich 1975, Steinkamp 2015).

In the present work, a detailed research study of a Canadian UHPFRC material product is undertaken with the objective to investigate the material performance to determine its durability life and identify the limitations and challenges the prequalification process and Code Guidelines present when used to characterize the material. Further, the applicability of the Annex A8.1 was explored of the design procedures using a design benchmark example. The exciting finding of this investigation concluded that by taking advantage of the mechanical properties of this material, it is possible to produce design alternatives for large bridge spans without prestressing (Lee et al. 2017). To quantify the global effects on the response of the structural components comprising UHPFRC materials, design parameters affecting the flexural response of UHPFRC girders were studied.