Characterization of Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete Materials for Application in Modular Construction
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33, Issue 5
Abstract
In this paper, a new class of self-consolidating ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC) was investigated. The UHPC featured a compressive strength higher than 150 MPa with self-consolidating characteristics desirable for modular construction. This paper describes the development and characterization of UHPC, its large-scale processing techniques with conventional equipment, its verification with internal and surface microstructure analysis techniques, and the structural behavior of large-scale steel plate UHPC (S-UHPC) beams under out-of-plane loads. Based on a particle size distribution study, an optimum packing density was achieved in the mixture that uses an uncommonly used undensified silica fume. The physical parameters of the ingredients and the resulting microstructure after hydration are considered essential for the design of self-consolidating UHPC materials. Distinguishing the three phases of the material after hydration using three-dimensional X-ray microtomography allowed the quantitative analysis of the UHPC microstructure. The internal microstructure study showed a significant reduction of macropores in UHPC compared to mortar specimens, which confirmed the physical attributes behind the improved material characteristics. A microstructure study of the material was also performed using scanning electron microscopy. In addition, a comparison of the experimental results of four large-scale steel plate concrete (SC) beam specimens cast with either conventional concrete or UHPC materials under three-point shear loading indicated that the developed UHPC materials significantly enhanced the ductility and capacity of the S-UHPC beams.
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Data Availability Statement
The authors state that some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request (including all the photos and test results presented in this paper).
Acknowledgments
The research described in this paper was financially supported by the US Department of Energy NEUP program (Project CFP-13-5282). The authors would also like to acknowledge the contribution of some companies: Boral Material Technologies, Martin Marietta Materials, and Sika Corporation, who had provided a large amount of materials free of charge. The opinions expressed in this study are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.
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Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33 • Issue 5 • May 2021
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Sep 12, 2019
Accepted: Sep 16, 2020
Published online: Feb 27, 2021
Published in print: May 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jul 27, 2021
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