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We currently are experiencing the initial stages of a significant advancement in the use of structural concrete. Historically, structural forms composed of concrete have relied on the modest compressive strength of concrete to carry compressive loads and internal steel reinforcement to carry tensile forces. Recent advances in concrete technology have allowed for the development of very high compressive strength concretes that also exhibit significant tensile strength and tensile toughness through the use of steel fiber reinforcement. The Federal Highway Administration's Ultra-High Performance Concrete Research Program has been investigating the use of these types of concrete in the highway infrastructure. This report discusses a series of tests that were completed on prestressed concrete I-girders composed of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). Although not structurally optimized to take advantage of the high compressive strength of UHPC, these girders did make use of UHPC's significant tensile capacity through the elimination of all mild steel reinforcement. The results contained herein show that UHPC can carry all shear forces normally demanded of a prestressed I-girder and also can significantly enhance the flexural capacity of the girder. These results should aid bridge owners in their initial foray into the use of UHPC within the bridge inventory.
Gary L. Henderson
Director, Office of Infrastructure
Research and Development
This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.
The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers' names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.
1. Report No. FHWA–HRT–06–115 |
2. Government Accession No. |
3. Recipient's Catalog No. |
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4. Title and Subtitle Structural Behavior of Ultra-High Performance Concrete Prestressed I-Girders |
5. Report Date August 2006 |
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6. Performing Organization Code | |||
7. Author(s) Benjamin A. Graybeal |
8. Performing Organization Report No. |
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9. Performing Organization Name and Address PSI, Inc. |
10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) |
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11. Contract or Grant No. |
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12. Sponsoring Agency's Name and Address Office of Infrastructure Research and Development |
13. Type of Report and Period Covered Final Report, March 2001–May 2005 |
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14. Sponsoring Agency's Code | |||
15. Supplementary Notes Additional FHWA Contacts—Joseph Hartmann (Technical Advisor), William Wright (COTR) |
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16. Abstract In the past decade significant advances have been made in the field of high performance concretes (HPC). The next generation of concrete, ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), exhibits exceptional tensile and compressive strength characteristics that make it well suited for use in highway bridge structures. Prestressed highway bridge girders were cast from this material and tested under flexure and shear loadings. These American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Type II girders contained no mild steel reinforcement, forcing the UHPC and its internal passive fiber reinforcement to carry all secondary tensile forces within the girder. These tests demonstrated that UHPC can carry all shear forces normally demanded of a prestressed I-girder and can also significantly enhance the flexural capacity of the girder. Based on this research, a basic structural design philosophy for bridge I-girder design is proposed. |
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17. Key Words UHPC, ultra-high performance concrete, fiber-reinforced concrete, AASHTO Type II girder, I-girder, flexure, shear, design philosophy |
18. Distribution Statement No restrictions. This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161. |
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19. Security Classif. (of this report) Unclassified |
20. Security Classif. (of this page) Unclassified |
21. No. of Pages 104 |
22. Price |
Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized
SI (Modern Metric) Conversion Factors
FHWA-HRT-06-115
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