What is Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) and its Applications

Recent architectural and structural innovations have produced construction materials with incredible strength and durability properties.

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Many versions of steel and concrete elements are used in the construction process. One of the major innovations is Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC).

In this article, you will learn about UHPC, what it is, and why it is better than traditional concrete and other building alternatives. You will also discover how to source UHPC concrete material for your construction projects.

What is Ultra-High Performance Concrete?

UHPC is a type of concrete material that has become quite popular. Different types of UHPC concretes are used for concrete structures and building applications that require high-strength material properties and high durability properties. Two things traditional concrete cannot provide.

The thing that makes UHPC amazing is not just its tensile strength (which has exceptional performance) or its high resistance to stress but the longevity of that tensile strength. Ultra high performance concrete can retain its high tensile strength properties for more than 100 years.

For cement to be classified as Ultra high performance concrete, it requires a minimum compressive strength of 17,000 pounds per square inch (PSI).

Who invented ultra high performance concrete?

UHPC was developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers at the end of the s. The concrete was marketed later to the masses by Bouygues, a French company, in the s. However, the term ‘Ultra High Performance Concrete’ was coined in .

What is ultra-high performance concrete made of?

UHPC Concrete is a combination of the following ingredients with varying quantities of each:

• Fine silica sand: Fine sand comprises about 40% of the total UHPC by weight.
• Portland Cement: Generally, high-quality UHPC contains about 29% Portland cement. For precast concrete deck panels where early mold removal is required, Type I and Type II cement is used.
• Fly Ash: One of the most widely used supplementary cementitious materials, Fly Ash increases the mechanical and durability properties of UHPC without increasing the cost. With fly ash, the early strength of concrete mix is low but ultimately very high when the concrete fully cures.
• Silica fume: UHPC usually has 8.5% silica fume. The purpose of silica fume is to increase the binder content in the UHPC, which makes the compressive strength greater.
• Quartz Flour: Quartz flour in UHPC provides a vital function; it lowers permeability. It does so by filling up the voids in the concrete. Quartz flour is also commonly known as silica flour.
• Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Fibers or Stainless Steel.
• Water: UHPC has a low water content, generally about 9% by weight.
• High-Range Water Reducers: High-range water reducers, also known as HRWR or superplasticizers, are vital in concrete mixes with low water content. They provide the flowing capabilities of concrete while eliminating the need for water to make the concrete.

There can be additional components in the UHPC, such as high-range water reducers, quartz flour, and organic fibers.

What are the Typical Material Specifications of UHPC?

You cannot use any random type of cement for applications that call for Ultra High Performance Concrete. There are various specifications set in place that a concrete should pass to be used as UHPC.

Strength Properties

The strength of UHPC should fall between the following limits:

• The compressive strength should be greater than 17,000 pounds per square inch or 120 MPa. French organizations have this minimum limit increased to 150 MPa.
• The flexural strengths of UHPC should be between to psi (about 15 to 25 MPa).
• The modulus of elasticity of UHPC should be between 45 to 50 GPa (about to ksi).

Durability Properties

Durability is a critical factor that makes UHPC incredibly useful. In order to qualify as UHPC, the concrete should show the following durability characteristics:

• It should retain 100% of its properties after 300 freeze and thaw cycles. This characteristic is tested by immersing a UHPC prism in a water bath. The water is then continuously taken through multiple cycles of freezing and thawing.
• It should have a Relative Volume Loss Index (for abrasion resistance) of 1.7. This factor is measured by calculating the amount of concrete brushed off a surface by a rotary cutter.
• The loss of residue (salt scaling) of the UHPC matrix should be less than 0.013 pounds per cubic foot (about 60 g/m2).
• The Oxygen Permeability of UHPC should be less than 10^-19 square feet (10^-20 square meters).

What are the Advantages of Ultra-High Performance Concrete?

There are several beneficial characteristics of UHPC that make this technology preferable to conventional concrete alternatives. These benefits include:

Durability

UHPC scores off the charts for durability. It is perfect for structures subjected to much stress and can’t be renovated regularly, such as highway bridges.

Strength

Ultra high performance concrete has high compressive strength, up to ten times that of traditional concrete. This means that a lot less UHPC can bear the same weight that would otherwise require a greater volume of conventional concrete materials.

A higher compressive strength helps reduce the area of structural elements such as beams, pillars, and columns made out of UHPC. This is because smaller-sized UHPC products can bear a higher weight due to their high ductility.

Abrasion Resistance

UHPC materials are very resistant to abrasion, as is evident from their abrasion resistance factor. Even its chloride permeability and oxygen permeability are very low, making the cement very long-lasting.

Homogenous Mixture

UHPC mixtures consist of small-sized particles. There are no coarse aggregate materials used in UHPC technology. Therefore, the resulting cementitious composite material is homogenous and uniform.

Setting Time

Due to its low water content, a UHPC mix has a short setting time, unlike conventional concrete. This leads to accelerated time of construction.

Seismic Resistance

UHPC structural elements have mechanical properties that are very seismic resistant. This means that the buildings, bridges, and other structures created by UHPC are not prone to earthquake damage.

Cost-Effective

UHPC applications also have reduced maintenance costs. Additionally, since this concrete is abrasion resistant, there is low depreciation in the structures. This makes UHPC a very cost-effective option.

What are the Applications of Ultra-High Performance Concrete?

There are many potential UHPC applications because UHPC is considered the premier material in today’s construction industry for various structures.

Construction

One of the earliest applications of UHPC was fabricating bridge decks for accelerated bridge construction. Even today, you will find UHPC as the preferred concrete for most bridge, Marine, Airport and Parking construction projects.

Does UHPC Have Any Disadvantages?

There are no specific disadvantages of UHPC. However, there are some considerations to bear in mind when considering using UHPC for your construction project:

1. Mix Proportions

Mixing proportions are critical when it comes to UHPC. Small changes in ingredients can alter the overall structural characteristics of the concrete. Therefore, make sure you are using the correct proportions to make UHPC. Even better, procure a genuine and certified proprietary UHPC such as the one available at Premier Precast.

2. Upfront Costs

The upfront cost of UHPC is higher than traditional concrete. This might make UHPC seem like a costly alternative. However, if you calculate the overall cost savings, UHPC is the cheaper option for large projects in the long term.

Where Can You Source UHPC From?

The lack of competition in the Ultra-high performance concrete market has led to a high cost for this raw material. This is a concern for people who wonder ‘where they can buy good quality UHPC?’

This is why Premier Precast has become one of the most popular UHPC brands in the US. It provides very high-quality UHPC at a reasonable cost, aiming to make large-scale projects affordable for builders.

To benefit from the ‘high compressive strength’ of UHPC, it must be mixed in the correct proportions. The concrete mixtures provided by Premier Precast are certified, so you always know you are getting what you need.

In fact, you can source every line of architectural concrete from Premier Precast. It is the only certified manufacturing unit in Florida to provide all these architectural concrete mixtures.

Why is UHPC Still Limited in Practice?

After reading all this information about UHPC, you can understand how it is the best choice for many construction projects. So why isn’t UHPC more popular?

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Many reasons have led to the limited application of UHPC in construction. Here are some of these factors:

• UHPC has a very low water content, so it requires mixers running at high speed to properly mix the constituents together. On a construction site with conventional mixers, significant modifications and upgrades are needed to use UHPC properly.
• The high strength of UHPC is dependent on (a) mixture constituents and (b) thermal treatment. While the first issue can be fixed by using a proprietary UHPC from reputable suppliers like Premier Precast.

Conclusion

When it comes to the range of building materials, UHPC has been one of the pioneering achievements of the last few decades.

The performance difference between conventional concrete and ultra-high performance concrete isn’t just theory. There are tested numbers and figures for key factors like compressive strength.

These results are, in no doubt, astonishing and significantly higher than conventional concrete’s performance characteristics.

wall panels for every application

Because Gast Home was created with the goal of democratizing custom building, our products can be formulated in an expansive range of designs, colors, textures, and aesthetics.  Standard lead time for these products is 12 weeks, but it does depend on the complexity of the panels.  We offer simple facade designs with modest texture and reliefs, repeating geometries, and our most popular standard colors that fully leverage the efficiency of our automated processes, resulting in lower prices and shorter lead times.  Custom textures and surface patterns with more relief, oversized panels, profiles, perforated panels, and other 3D shapes require additional design and engineering support which is offered thru our Custom Program.  Please contact our Technical Support Team to discuss custom applications.

Colors

Below are the standard colors that were developed for the building industry, but custom colors can be made upon request for projects needing excess of 5,000 square feet.  Saturated colors are achieved with UV stable pigments that are integrated with the mix, and protected by the dense UHPC matrix.

Because UHPC is a natural, mineral-based product, in generally exhibits subtle color variation between panels.  To minimize color variation, we take the following steps:

• Climate and humidity controlled curing chambers
• Tight specification and control of pigments and micro-aggregates
• Precise material dosing to achieve exact mix
• Stringent quality management procedures for incoming raw materials

* Darker colors have greater chance of color variance

Textures and visual range

Gast Home UHPC panels provide architects and contractors with a broad range of visual options.  Because we design and manufacture our molds in-house, we can offer almost any aesthetic desired.  Below are just a few examples of textures we can produce.

Mediablasting creates a subtly lighter and more visually varied surface of exposed aggregate.  We can also incorporate aggregates of varying color and size into the face of the panels.  Custom aggregate finishes can be used for quantities in excess of 10,000 square feet.

Ultra strength material

UHPC is four times as strong as regular concrete, while providing a broader palette of colors, texture, and geometry.  It will not degrade from freeze thaw conditions or from salt.  UHPC derives its high performance from a carefully calibrated ratio of engineered ingredients, and a production sequence that packs molecules closer together to form stronger bonds.  This higher density provides more compressive and tensile strength, while minimizing the capillary pores that cause degradation in other cement-based products.  Other benefits are:

• Freeze/thaw strength
• Anchor pullout strength
• Impact resistance
• Non-combustible; fire-tested for tall buildings
• Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
• Non-absorbent and watertight

Gast Home UHPC panels are reinforced with Alkali Resistant (AR) Glass Fiber and two layers of AR Glass Fiber mesh.  Our panels are cast into molds that create intrinsic patterns and finishes.  Special surface effects are created with different molds, aggregates, or sometimes different mediablasting techniques.

weather and weather testing

UHPC gains most of its strength during the first month after being cast, but it will continue to cure for several years.  This curing reaction is hydration in the material – water molecules creating bonds with cement – and the panels will weather when exposed to rainwater and other ambient moisture.  The subtle color changes will eventually blend together and create the non-homogenous look of a natural material.

Weathering is measured according to ASTM G155.  Gast Home uses in-house Xenon-arc weathering chambers for testing.  Third party laboratory certified testing of custom colors can be arranged for an additional charge.

In addition to accelerated weather testing, we also conduct extensive outdoor weathering tests including sun, precipitation, and chlorides.

joints and thermal movement

Joint size is determined by designer preference, installation tolerances, and building movement.  Thermal movement in negligible and does not affect joint size.  The coefficient of linear expansion of a 36″ panel over a 68 degree Fahrenheit temperature swing is 0.016″ (0.4mm).

Certifications

Gast Home UHPC panels are tested according to the methods for ASTM C.  These products have been certified to meet the standards of ASTM C, which is the International Building Code referenced standard for exterior fiber cement panels.  All test results exceed the requirements for classification of Type A, Grade IV (highest grade).

environmental impacT

UHPC use can dramatically reduce the environmental impact of cement products by replacing 4′ concrete panels with 5/8″ panels.  Less cement is used, reducing CO2 emissions, and weight is reduced for transportation.

We also maximize our panel usage to reduce waste.

We recommend that all customers utilize 4’x10′ or 4’x12′ modules, where designers can still create a wide variety of layouts to make facades that celebrate the textural quality and materiality of our UHPC panels.  Below are also the resulting sizes which can be cut from these large panels.

Custom panels

Gast Home has developed a wide range of custom textures, patterns, perforations, shapes, and profiles.  However we are always looking to innovate and drive forward new technologies, systems, and methods in pursuit of the best solutions for the end user at the best price.  Please contact us as soon as possible in the design process, so that our team can assist you in optimizing for material performance, manufacturing process, and budget.

The maximum panel size is 144″ x 48″ (mm x mm).  All panels will be 5/8″ (15.9mm) in thickness.

Installation of UHPC Panels

Gast Home UHPC exterior wall panels are primarily used for back ventilated facade wall assemblies (rainscreen), with or without continuous exterior insulation.  They are also compatible with a wide range of sub-frame products, and can be used with curtain wall fabrications with horizontal and continuous rail orientation attached to a sub-frame.

Gast Home offers single-source ordering for several mounting hardware components and systems for our UHPC panels.  We offer rails, clips, face fasteners, and concealed anchors.

• Rails are available in 12′, 16′ and 20′ lengths
• Panels are factory drilled for KEIL undercut anchors and can be shipped with clips attached
• Clips and rails are made from recycled content

UHPC panels intended for concealed attachment are factory drilled for KEIL undercut anchors exclusively.  Our clip extrusion profile is designed specifically so that KEIL undercut anchors mechanically engage the panel without transferring internal stress.

Gast Home UHPC panels are cut to size and the holes drilled for fasteners in our factories.  Panels can even be cut to size and drilled on the jobsite.  With fewer anchor points required per panel, installation can be efficient and cost effective.

exposed fastening options

UHPC panels can be attached to the substructure frame with screws or rivets that can be seen in the panels.  Our options include stainless steel or color matched heads for surface or flush-mount applications.

Pricing

design and technical support

Gast Home designers and project managers are typically involved in projects from start thru manufacturing, delivery, and even installation.  We provide expertise at each step in the process, and are always here to help with what you need.  Please contact our Technical Support Team with any requirements.

cost comparison, Quality, and timing

By controlling the entire process, and with vertical integration, Gast Home is able to achieve efficiencies, eliminate distribution markups, and bring projects in at a lower cost and in less time.