• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.441-444
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• 2008

Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) in this study is composed of sand, cement, silica fume, siliceous powder, superplasticizer and steel fiber. UHPC is composed of fine mineral particles below 0.5mm in diameter. In general, siliceous powder improves the mechanical properties of concrete by physical and chemical effect. Physical effect is related with filling interior voids which weaken the mechanical properties and chemical effect with reaction of $SiO_2$ with cement hydrates in a condition of high temperature and pressure. We evaluated the effect of siliceous powder's particle size on the mechanical properties of ultra high performance concrete in air pressure and $90^{\circ}C$ steam curing condition. siliceous powder's particle size in this study is in the range of $2{\mu}m$ to $26{\mu}m$. Fluidity in a fresh concrete, compressive strength, ultimate strain, elastic modulus and flexural strength in a hardened concrete was evaluated. We could find out that the smaller siliceous powder's particle size is, the better the fluidity and strength properties.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.151-161
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• 2019

In this study, to evaluate the High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse(HEMP) protection performance of UHPC/CNT composites by the content of Carbon nanotubes(CNTs), Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness(SE) test was performed based on MIL-STD-188-125-1. And the results were verified by applying the Antenna theory. In the case of UHPC with a thickness of 200 mm mixed with 1 % CNT of cement weight, the SE was 28.98 dB at 10 kHz and 45.94 dB at 1 GHz. Then the Scabbing limit thickness for bullet proof was computed based on the result of compressive strength test which was 170 MPa, and it was examined whether it satisfied the HEMP protection criteria. As a result, the required HEMP shielding criteria were satisfied in all frequency ranges as well as the scabbing limit thickness was reduced by up to 43 % compared with that of ordinary concrete.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.777-786
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• 2010

This paper examines the flexural behavior of full-scale prestressed concrete girders that were constructed of steel fiber reinforced ultra high performance concrete (UHPC). This study is designed to provide more information about the bending characteristics of UHPC girders in order to establish a reasonable prediction model for flexural resistance and deflection for future structural design codes. Short steel fibers have been introduced into prestressed concrete T-girders in order to study their effects under flexural loads. Round straight high strength steel fibers were used at volume fraction of 2%. The girders were cast using 150~190 MPa steel fiber reinforced UHPC and were designed to assess the ability of steel fiber reinforced UHPC to carry flexural loads in prestressed girders. The experimental results show that steel fiber reinforced UHPC enhances the cracking behavior and ductility of beams. Moreover, when ultimate failure did occur, the failure of girders composed of steel fiber reinforced UHPC was observed to be precipitated by the pullout of steel fibers that were bridging tension cracks in the concrete. Flexural failure of girders occurred when the UHPC at a particular cross section began to lose tensile capacity due to steel fiber pullout. In addition, it was determined that the level of prestressing force influenced the ultimate load capacity.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.1117-1120
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• 2008

In order to develop an Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) suited to the Korean conditions, KICT has carried out several parts of research in the field of UHPC from 2003. KICT developed UHPC which was a structural material exhibiting very remarkable mechanical performances with compressive strength, tensile strength and flexural strength rising up to 200MPa, 15MPa and 35MPa, respectively. In addition, this material presents exceptional durability regard to the very low diffusion and penetration speeds of noxious substances like chloride ions. This 200MPa strength concrete has been effectively adopted for the construction of bridges like Sherbrooke Bridge in Canada in 1997, Sunyu Bridge in Korea in 2002, Meata Bridge in Japan in 2003, Sheperds Guelly Creek Bridge, the first ultra-high strength concrete highway bridge in Australia in 2004 and, more recently in 2005, Mars Hill highway bridge in USA in 2005. The construction of structures using ultra high performance concrete is a worldwide development trend of concrete technology for the construction of advanced facilities in the 21st century.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.10 no.sup3
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• pp.33-41
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• 2016

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is one of the most promising construction materials because it exhibits high performance, such as through high strength, high durability, and proper rheological properties. However, it has low tensile ductility compared with other normal strength grade high ductile fiber-reinforced cementitious composites. This paper presents an experimental study on the tensile behavior, including tensile ductility and crack patterns, of UHPC reinforced by hybrid steel and polyethylene fibers and incorporating plastic beads which have a very weak bond with a cementitious matrix. These beads behave as an artificial flaw under tensile loading. A series of experiments including density, compressive strength, and uniaxial tension tests were performed. Test results showed that the tensile behavior including tensile strain capacity and cracking pattern of UHPC investigated in this study can be controlled by fiber hybridization and artificial flaws.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.121-136
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• 2024

In recent times, there has been a growing need to retrofit and strengthen reinforced concrete (RC) structures that have been damaged. Numerous studies have explored various methods for strengthening RC beams. However, there is a significant dearth of research investigating the utilization of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) for retrofitting damaged RC beams within a concrete frame. This study aims to develop a finite element (FE) model capable of accurately simulating the nonlinear behavior of RC beams and subsequently implementing it in an RC concrete frame. The RC frame is subjected to loading until failure at two distinct degrees, followed by retrofitting and strengthening using Ultra high performance shotcrete (UHPS) through two different methods. The results indicate the successful simulation of the load-displacement curve and crack patterns by the FE model, aligning well with experimental observations. Novel techniques for reinforcing deteriorated concrete frame structures through ABAQUS are introduced. The second strengthening method notably improves both the load-carrying capacity and initial stiffness of the load-displacement curve. By incorporating embedded rebars in the frame's columns, the beam's load-carrying capacity is enhanced by up to 31% compared to cases without embedding. These findings indicate the potential for improving the design of strengthening methods for damaged RC beams and utilizing the FE model to predict the strengthening capacity of UHPS for damaged concrete structures.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.341-348
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• 2024

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) has received remarkable attentions in civil infrastructure due to its unique mechanical characteristics and durability. UHPC gains increasingly dominant in essential structural elements, while its unique properties pose challenges for traditional inspection methods, as damage may not always manifest visibly on the surface. As such, the need for robust inspection techniques for detecting cracks in UHPC members has become imperative as traditional methods often fall short in providing comprehensive and timely evaluations. In the era of artificial intelligence, computer vision has gained considerable interest as a powerful tool to enhance infrastructure condition assessment with image and video data collected from sensors, cameras, and unmanned aerial vehicles. This paper presents a computer vision-based approach employing deep learning to detect cracks in UHPC beams, with the aim of addressing the inherent limitations of traditional inspection methods. This work leverages computer vision to discern intricate patterns and anomalies. Particularly, a convolutional neural network architecture employing transfer learning is adopted to identify the presence of cracks in the beams. The proposed approach is evaluated with image data collected from full-scale experiments conducted on UHPC beams subjected to flexural and shear loadings. The results of this study indicate the applicability of computer vision and deep learning as intelligent methods to detect major and minor cracks and recognize various damage mechanisms in UHPC members with better efficiency compared to conventional monitoring methods. Findings from this work pave the way for the development of autonomous infrastructure health monitoring and condition assessment, ensuring early detection in response to evolving structural challenges. By leveraging computer vision, this paper contributes to usher in a new era of effectiveness in autonomous crack detection, enhancing the resilience and sustainability of UHPC civil infrastructure.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.99-108
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• 2012

Ultra High Performance Concrete(UHPC) has compressive strength higher than 180 MPa. The use of steel fibers in the dense UHPC matrix increases tensile strength, ductility and bond strength between UHPC and rebars. However, to apply the advance material behavior of UHPC to the design of a structure, we need design formulas. The crack formula is one of them. This paper investigated experimentally the bond behavior of a rebar and K-UHPC, the UHPC developed by Korea Institute of Construction Technology, and, modified CEB-FIP crack formula based on the test. In addition, this paper tested the crack behavior of K-UHPC reinforced with rebars to verify the modified crack formula. The result showed that the modified formula is reasonable to predict the width of cracks in the reinforced K-UHPC structures.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.251-260
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• 2023

The construction of free-form structures with intricate curved exteriors necessitates the use of bespoke molds. To fulfill this requirement, a blend of Phase Change Material(PCM) and Ultra-High Performance Concrete(UHPC) is utilized. PCM endows the solution with recyclability, while UHPC facilitates the effortless execution of curvature in the mold fabrication process. However, it's worth mentioning that the melting point of PCM hovers around 58-64℃, and the heat emanating from UHPC's hydration process can potentially jeopardize the integrity of the PCM mold. Hence, experimental validation of the mold shape is a prerequisite. In the conducted experiment, UHPC was poured into two distinct mold types: one that incorporated a 3mm silicone sheet mounted on the fabricated PCM mold(Panel A), and the other devoid of the silicone sheet(Panel B). The experimental outcomes revealed that Panel A possessed a thickness of 3.793mm, while Panel B exhibited a thickness of 5.72mm. This suggests that the mold lacking the silicone sheet(Panel B) was more susceptible to the thermal effects of hydration. These investigations furnish invaluable fundamental data for the manufacturing of ultra-high strength irregular panels and PCM molds. They contribute substantially to the enrichment of comprehension and application of these materials within the realm of construction.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.75 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2020

This paper presents a full-scale experimental test to investigate the flexural behavior of an innovative dovetail ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) joint designed for the 5^th Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge. The test specimen had a dimension of 3600 × 1600 × 170 mm, in accordance with the real bridge. The failure mode, crack pattern and structural response were presented. The ductility and stiffness degradation of the tested specimens were explicitly discussed. Test results indicated that different from conventional reinforced concrete slabs, well-distributed cracks with small spacing were observed for UHPC joint slabs at failure. The average nominal flexural cracking strength of the test specimens was 7.7 MPa, signifying good crack resistance of the proposed dovetail UHPC joint. It is recommended that high grade reinforcement be cooperatively used to take full advantage of the superior mechanical property of UHPC. A new ductility index, expressed by dividing the ultimate deflection by flexural cracking deflection, was introduced to evaluate the post-cracking ductility capacity. Finally, a strut-and-tie (STM) model was developed to predict the ultimate strength of the proposed UHPC joint.