• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.48-57
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• 2013

To consider the practicality and economic feasibility of developing reactive powder concrete (RPC), the strength and microstructure properties of RPC using ternary pozzolanic materials (silica fume, blast furnace slag, fly ash) were investigated in this study. Through the investigation, it was found that the compressive strength of RPC using ternary pozzolanic materials was increased significantly compared to that of the original RPC containing silica fume only. A considerable improvement in the flexural strength of RPC using ternary pozzolanic materials was found, and then the utilization of a structural member subjected to bending was expected. The X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis and Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) revealed that the microstructure of RPC was denser using the ternary pozzolanic materials than the original RPC.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.347-356
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• 2021

To address the limitation of the commonly used steam curing of reactive powder concrete (SC-RPC) in engineering, a preparation technology of normal curing reactive powder concrete (NC-RPC) is proposed. In this study, an experimental comparative research on the mechanical properties of NC-RPC and SC-RPC under uniaxial tension is conducted. Under the premise of giving full play to the ultra-high performance of RPC, the paper tries to explore whether normal curing can replace steam curing. The results show that various mechanical indexes of NC-RPC (e.g., tensile strength, ultimate tensile strain, elastic modulus and deformation performance) could basically reach the mechanical index values in steam curing at 28d age, some performance is even better at a longer age. So it affirms the feasibility of normal curing. In this paper, the influence of normal curing age on the tensile properties of RPC is discussed, and the relationship between each index and age is introduced in detail. Based on the experimental data, the tensile mechanism of RPC is analyzed theoretically, and two kinds of tensile constitutive models for RPC are proposed, one is curvilinear model, and another one is polygonal line model. The validity of the two models is further verified by the test results of others.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.167-179
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• 2018

Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is a type of ultra-high strength cement-based material with a dense microstructure, which is made of ultra-fine powders. RPC demonstrate a very brittle behavior, thus adding fibers improves its mechanical properties. In this study, it was attempted to investigate the effect of using steel and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers as well as their combination on the properties of RPC. In this regard, hooked-end crimped steel fibers together with short PVA fibers were utilized. Steel and PVA fibers were used with the maximum volume fraction of 3% and 0.75%, respectively, and also different combinations of these fibers were used with the maximum volume fraction of 1% in the concrete mixes. In total, 107 concrete specimens were prepared, and the effect of fiber type and volume fraction on the physico-mechanical properties of RPC including compressive strength, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, density, and failure mode was explored. In addition, the effect of the curing type on the properties of compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and density of RPC was evaluated. Finally, coefficients for conversion of cubic compressive strength to cylindrical one for the RPC specimens were obtained under the two curing regimes of heat treatment and standard water curing.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2013.11a
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• pp.68-71
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• 2013

Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) is an ultra high strength and high ductility cement-based composite material and has shown some promise as a new generation concrete in construction field. It is characterized by a silica fume-cement mixture with very low water-binder (w/b) ratio and very dense microstructure, which is formed using various powders such as cement, silica fume and very fine quartz sand (0.15~0.4mm) instead of ordinary coarse aggregate. However, the unit weight of cement in RPC is as high as 900~1,000 kg/㎥ due to the use of very fine sand instead of coarse aggregate, and a large volume of relatively expensive silica fume as a high reactivity pozzolan is also used, which is not produced in Korea and thus must be imported. Since the density of RPC has a heavy weight at 2.5~3.0 g/㎤. In this study, the modified RPC was made by the combination of ternary pozzolanic materials such as blast furnace slag and fly ash, silica fume in order to economically and practically feasible for Korea's situation. The fire resistance and structural behavior of the modified RPC exposed to high temperature were investigated.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2016

The paper presents a research project on the tensile properties of RPC mixed with both steel and polypropylene fibers after exposure to $20-900^{\circ}C$. The direct and the indirect tensile strength (in bending) were measured through tensile experiment on dog-bone specimens and bending experiment on $40{\times}40{\times}160mm$ prisms. RPC microstructure was analyzed using scanning electron microscope. The results indicate that, steel fibers can significantly improve the tensile performance of hybrid fiber-reinforced RPC, whereas polypropylene fibers have no obvious effect on the tensile performance. With increasing temperature, the flexural and axial tensile strength of hybrid fiber-reinforced RPC substantially decrease linearly, which attributes to the deteriorating microstructure. Based on the experimental results, equations are established to express the decay of the flexural and tensile strength with increasing temperature.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.425-436
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• 2007

This study is mainly focused on applying Fuller's ideal gradation curve to theoretically design blended ratio of all solid materials of a reactive powder mortar (RPM), also known as reactive powder concrete (RPC), with the aid of error function, and then to study the effect of fly ash/slag on the performance of RPM. The solid particle is assumed to be spherical particles. Then, the void volume of paste ($V_{\nu}$) and the paste content with specific quality can be obtained. As conclusion, under Fuller's ideal grading curve, the amount of fly ash/slag mixture is higher than that with silica fume along due to it better filled the void within solid particle and obtains higher packing density.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.819-830
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• 2022

This paper presented an experimental study of the bond-slip behavior of reactive powder concrete (RPC)-filled square steel tube. A total of 18 short composite specimens were designed forstatic push-out test, and information on their failure patterns, load-slip behavior and bond strength was presented. The effects of width-to-thickness ratio, height-to-width ratio and the compressive strength of RPC on the bond behavior were discussed. The experimental results show that:(1) the push-out specimens remain intact and no visible local buckling appears on the steel tube, and the interfacial scratches are even more pronounced at the internal steel tube of loading end; (2) the bond load-slip curves with different width-to-thickness ratios can be divided into two types, and the main difference is whether the curves have a drop in load with increasing slip; (3) the bond strength decreases with the increase of the width-to-thickness ratio and height-width ratio, while the influence of RPC strength is not consistent; (4) the slippage has no definite correlation with bond strength and the influence of designed parameters on slippage is not evident. On the basis of the above analysis, the expressions of interface friction stress and mechanical interaction stress are determined by neglecting chemical adhesive force, and the calculation model of bond strength for RPC filled in square steel tube specimens is proposed. The theoretical results agree well with the experimental data.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.13-25
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• 2019

Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is a type of ultra-high strength concrete that has a relatively high brittleness. However, its ductility can be improved by confinement, and the use of RPC in composite RPC filled steel tube columns has become an important subject of research in recent years. This paper aims to present an experimental study of axial capacity calculation of RPC filled circular steel tube columns. Twenty short columns under axial compression were tested and information on their failure patterns, deformation performance, confinement mechanism and load capacity were presented. The effects of load conditions, diameter-thickness ratio and compressive strength of RPC on the axial behavior were further discussed. The experimental results show that: (1) specimens display drum-shaped failure or shear failure respectively with different confinement coefficients, and the load capacity of most specimens increases after the peak load; (2) the steel tube only provides lateral confinement in the elastic-plastic stage for fully loaded specimens, while the confinement effect from steel tube initials at the set of loading for partially loaded specimens; (3) confinement increases the load capacity of specimens by 3% to 38%, and this increase is more pronounced as the confinement coefficient becomes larger; (4) the residual capacity-to-ultimate capacity ratio is larger than 0.75 for test specimens, thus identifying the composite columns have good ductility. The working mechanism and force model of the composite columns were analyzed, and based on the twin-shear unified strength theory, calculation methods of axial capacity for columns with two load conditions were established.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.651-660
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• 2014

Structural members using ultra high strength concrete which usually used with steel fiber is designed with guidelines based on several investigation of SF-RPC(steel fiber reinforced reactive powder concrete). However, there are not clear design method yet. Especially, SF-RPC member should be casted with steam(90 degree delicious) and members with SF-RPC usually used with precast members. Although the most important design parameter is development method between SF-RPC and steel reinforcement(rebar), there are no clear design method in the SF-RPC member design guidelines. There are many controversial problems on safety and economy. Therefore, in order to make design more optimum safe design, in this study, we investigated bond stress between steel rebar and SF-RPC according to test. Test results were compared with previously suggested analysis method. Test was carried out with direct pull out test using variables of compressive strength of concrete, concrete cover and inclusion ratio of steel fiber. According to test results, bond stress between steel rebar and SF-RPC increased with increase of compressive strength of concrete and concrete cover. Increasing rate of bond stress were decrease with increase of compressive strength of SF-RPC and concrete cover significantly. 1% volume fraction inclusion of steel fiber increase the bond stress between steel rebar and SF-RPC with two times but 2% volume fraction cannot affect the bond stress significantly. There are no exact or empirical equations for evaluation of SF-RPC bond stress. In order to make safe bond design of SF-RPC precast members, previously suggested analysis method for bond stress by Tepfers were evaluated. This method have shown good agreement with test results, especially for steel fiber reinforced RPC.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2014.05a
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• pp.278-279
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• 2014

This study was performed an evaluation of mechanical properties of reactive powder concrete using copper slag. So, various RPC containing copper slag were made by replacement ratio of copper slag and different the curing condition and their mechanical properties were investigated. From the experimental results, slump flow using copper slag tends to increase with replacement ratio. And also, 30% of copper slag with quartz sand was found to have a compressive strength superior to that of plain.