Cost and Ecological Feasibility of using UHPC in Highway Bridges

There is a growing interest in expanding the use of ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) from bridge deck joints and connections for accelerated bridge construction to other components and applications. Currently, most of the available UHPC mixes are proprietary mixes that relies on steel fibers from international suppliers and costs up to $2000/yd3, which is almost 20 times the cost of conventional concrete ($100/ yd3). Moreover, the high cement content in UHPC and the massive energy consumption associated with its production raise concerns about the ecological feasibility of expanding the use of UHPC in the built environment. On the other hand, the higher strength and durability of UHPC should result in more compact cross-sections, safer structures, and longer service life compared to the conventional concrete. This study considers different UHPC mixes to design a bridge pier (a multi-column bent) and analyze its cost and ecological feasibility for future optimization of UHPC mixes.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $74027
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  University of Nevada, Reno

  College of Engineering
  Reno, NV  United States  89557
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Nevada, Reno

  College of Engineering
  Reno, NV  United States  89557
• Principal Investigators:

  Moustafa, Mohamed

• Start Date: 20160301
• Expected Completion Date: 20170930
• Actual Completion Date: 20171130

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge construction; Bridge decks; Bridge piers; Built environment; Energy consumption; Environmental impacts; High performance concrete; Mix design; Steel fibers
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01595996
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Advanced Transportation Education and Research (CATER)
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Apr 13 2016 11:41AM