Preface

In recent years scenarios involving terrorism activities continue to increase, struc-

tural protection against blast loads has been and will continue to be an important
topic for engineering practitioners and researchers. Extensive research has been
conducted to figure out the effective means to ensure the structural safety.
Recent advances in concrete admixtures and nanotechnology ensure the material
durability, serviceability, and mechanical strength, which lead to the development
of ultra-high performance concrete. Improvement in the concrete compressive
strength leads to a significant reduction in structural member size and self-weight,
which in turn results in project cost reduction and structural esthetic enhancement.
Microreinforcement from steel fibers drastically improves the material ductility
after cracking, which further elevates material energy absorption capacity. Despite
these advantages, until now there is a lack of systematic study on ultra-high perfor-
mance concrete to enlighten the community about the potential of this new con-
struction material.
In this book, the development of UHPC materials and their application in
protective structures are presented and discussed. The topics covering in this book
range from material development to field blast tests, and to three-dimensional finite
element modeling. This book compiles the most recent work in ultra-high
performance concrete structures against blast loads. It is not intended to be an
exhaustive treatise on ultra-high performance concrete, because ultra-high
performance concrete technology and knowledge are evolving quickly. This book is
primarily written to serve as a guide to engineers, researchers, and graduate
students, to present the outstanding features of ultra-high performance concrete as a
protective construction material.