CIA Biennial Conference

Melbourne October 2005

High Performance Concrete

in Bridge Decks

Opportunities for Innovation

Introduction
Increasing international use of HSC in bridges
Mainly in response to durability problems; de-
icing salts; freeze-thaw conditions
Focus of this paper - direct economic benefit
Saving in materials
Reduced construction depth
Reduced transport and erection cost
Overview
What is High Performance Concrete?
International use of HPC in bridges
Use of HPC in Australia
Economics of High Strength Concrete
HSC in AS 5100 and DR 05252
Case Studies
Future developments
Recommendations
 What is High Performance Concrete?
"A high performance concrete is a concrete in which
certain characteristics are developed for a particular
application and environments:
Ease of placement
Compaction without segregation
Early-age strength
Long term mechanical properties
Permeability
Durability
Heat of hydration
Toughness
Volume stability
Long life in severe environments
 Information on H.P.C.
Bridge Views http://www.cement.org/bridges/br_newsletter.asp
High-Performance Concretes, a State-of-Art Report (1989-1994)
- http://www.tfhrc.gov/structur/hpc/hpc2/contnt.htm
A State-of-the-Art Review of High Performance Concrete
Structures Built in Canada: 1990-2000 -
http://www.cement.org/bridges/SOA_HPC.pdf
Building a New Generation of Bridges: A Strategic Perspective for
the Nation -
http://www.cement.org/hp/
 International Use of H.P.C.
Used for particular applications for well over 20 years.
First international conference in Norway in 1987
Early developments in Northern Europe; longer span
bridges and high rise buildings.
More general use became mandatory in some countries
in the 1990s.
Actively promoted for short to medium span bridges in N
America over the last 10 years.
 International Use of H.P.C.
Scandinavia
Norway
Climatic conditions, long coastline, N. Sea oil
HPC mandatory since 1989
Widespread use of lightweight concrete
Denmark/Sweden
Great Belt project
Focus on specified requirements
France
Use of HPC back to 1983
Useage mainly in bridges rather than buildings
Joint government/industry group, BHP 2000
70-80 MPa concrete now common in France
 International Use of H.P.C.
North America
HPC history over 30 years
Use of HPC in bridges actively encouraged by owner
organisation/industry group partnerships.
Lead State programme, 1996.
HPC Bridge Views newsletter.
Canadian Centres of Excellence Programme, 1990
A State-of-the-Art Review of High Performance
Concrete Structures Built in Canada: 1990-2000
 Use of H.P.C. in Australia
Maximum concrete strength limited to 50 MPa until the
introduction of AS 5100.
Use of HPC in bridges mainly limited to structures in
particularly aggressive environments.
AS 5100 raised maximum strength to 65 MPa
Recently released draft revision to AS 3600 covers
concrete up to 100 MPa
 Economics of High Strength Concrete
0.6 in diameter strands 0.5 in diameter strands
Spacing, m 3.4 2.7 2.1 1.5 3.4 2.7 2.1 1.5
Section
AAASHTO 90 83 83 83 76 76 69 69
Type I
AAASHTO 90 90 90 83 76 76 76 76
Type II
AAASHTO 83 83 83 76 76 69 69 62
Type III
AAASHTO 83 83 83 83 62 62 62 62
Type IV
NU1100 83 76 76 76 62 62 62 62

NU1350 83 76 69 69 62 62 62 55

Table 1 Maximum effective girder compressive strength, after Kahn and Saber (34)
 Economics of High Strength Concrete
Compressive strength at transfer the most significant
property, allowable tension at service minor impact.
Maximum spans increased up to 45 percent
Use of 15.2 mm strand for higher strengths.
Strength of the composite deck had little impact.
HSC allowed longer spans, fewer girder lines, or
shallower sections.
Maximum useful strengths:
I girders with 12.7 mm strand - 69 MPa
I girders with 15.2 mm strand - 83 MPa
U girders with 15.2 mm strand - 97 MPa
Economics of High Strength Concrete
 AS 5100 Provisions for HSC
Maximum compressive strength; 65 MPa
Cl. 1.5.1 - Alternative materials permitted
Cl 2.5.2 - 18 MPa fatigue limit on compressive stress
- conservative for HSC
Cl 6.11 - Part 2 - Deflection limits may become
critical
Cl 6.1.1 - Tensile strength - may be derived from
tests
Cl 6.1.7, 6.1.8 - Creep and shrinkage provisions
conservative for HSC, but may be derived from test.
AS 5100 and DR 05252
Clause Subject Provisions
AS 5100 DR 05252 AS 5100 DR 05252
1.1.2 1.1.2 Concrete srength and 25-65 MPa, 2100-2800 kg/m3 20-100 MPa, 1800-2800 kg/m3
density range
1.5.1 - Use of alternative materials Alternatives allowed Clause removed

2.2 2.2 Strength reduction factors Phi reduced for ku > 0.4 Phi reduced for ku > 0.375
2.5.2 - Fatigue provisions Maximum stress under fatigue Not included
loading = 18 MPa
6.1.1 3.1.1.2(b) Tensile strength From compressive strength or tests From flexural or tensile tests,
(b,c) upper and lower bound factors
applied if compressive strength
used
6.1.2 3.1.2 Modulus of elasticity Proportional to square root fc Revised for higher strength grades
6.1.7 3.1.7 Shrinkage Default basic shrinkage strain Autogeneous and drying shrinkage
independent of concrete strength calculated separately, both related
to concrete strength
6.1.8 3.1.8 Creep Basic creep factor constant for f'c Basic creep factor increased for f'c
>= 50 MPa = 40, 50 MPa; reduced for f'c >=
80 MPa
6.4.3.3 3.4.3.3 Loss of prestress due to Default creep factor uses prestress Default creep factor reduced to
creep force before time-dependent 80% of AS 5100 value
losses.
8.1.2.2 8.1.3 Rectangular stress block Stress = 0.85f'c Stress = (1.0-0.003f'c)f'c with limits
of 0.67 and 0.85
8.2.7.1 8.2.7.1 Shear strength of beams Shear strength proportional to f'c1/3 f'c1/3 limited to 4 Mpa, ie no
excluding shear increase in shear strength for f'c >
reinforcement 64 MPa
8.2.8 8.2.8 Minimum shear Independent of concrete strength Increased area for f'c > 36 MPa
reinforcement
8.6.1(a) 8.6.1(a) Minimum steel area in 3ks(Act/fs) Cl 8.1.4.1 (minimum strength
tensile zone requirements) applied
9.1.1 9.1.1 Minimum tensile steel in Independent of concrete strength Increased area for f'c > 30 MPa
slabs approx
 AS 5100 and DR 05252
Main Changes:
Changes to the concrete stress block parameters for
ultimate moment capacity to allow for higher strength
grades.
More detailed calculation of shrinkage and creep
deformations, allowing advantage to be taken of the
better performance of higher strength concrete
Shear strength of concrete capped at Grade 65.
Minimum reinforcement requirements revised for higher
strength grades.
Over-conservative requirement for minimum steel area
in tensile zones removed.
 Case Studies
Concrete strength: 50 MPa to 100 MPa
Maximum spans for typical 3 lane Super-T girder bridge
with M1600 loading
Standard Type 1 to Type 5 girders
Type 4 girder modified to allow higher pre-stress force:
Increase bottom flange width by 200 mm (Type 4A)
Increase bottom flange depth by 50 mm (Type 4B)
Increase bottom flange depth by 100 mm (Type 4C)
 Case Studies
Compressive strength at transfer = 0.7fc.
Steam curing applied (hence strand relaxation applied
at time of transfer)
Strand stressed to 80% specified tensile strength.
Creep, shrinkage, and temperature stresses in
accordance with AS 5100.
In-situ concrete 40 MPa, 160 mm thick in all cases.
Assumed girder spacing = 2.7 m.
 Case Studies

Type Depth Section Properties Max No

Precast Composite Strands
A I Yc A I Yc
mm mm2 mm4 mm mm2 mm4 mm
1 750 454,084 3.280E+10 389 887,584 7.685E+10 604 50
2 1000 491,409 6.675E+10 515 924,909 1.412E+11 779 50
3 1200 531,021 1.043E+11 613 964,521 2.112E+11 913 50
4 1500 573,592 1.756E+11 776 1,007,092 3.357E+11 1,122 50
5 1800 616,426 2.658E+11 946 1,049,926 4.886E+11 1,331 50
4A 1500 680,172 1.971E+11 627 1,113,672 4.383E+11 998 82
4B 1500 592,772 1.798E+11 760 1,026,272 3.488E+11 1,106 62
4C 1500 618,612 1.840E+11 743 1,052,112 3.632E+11 1,088 74
 Super-T Maximum Span

55

50

80 MPa
45
Number of Strands

Type 1
Type 2
40 Type 3
Type 4
65 MPa
Type 5
35

50 MPa
30

25
18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00 26.00 28.00 30.00 32.00 34.00 36.00 38.00
Maximum Span, m
 Super-T Maximum Span

85

80

75
Number of Strands

70
Type 4
80 MPa Type 4A
65
Type 4B
Type 4C
60
50 MPa
55

65 MPa
50

45
33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
Maximum Span, m
 Case Studies - Summary
Significant savings in concrete quantities and/or
construction depth.
Grade 65 concrete with standard girders.
Grade 80 concrete with modified girders and Type 1 and
2 standard girders.
More substantial changes to beam cross section and
method of construction required for effective use of
Grade 100 concrete.
 Future Developments
Strength-weight ratio becomes comparable to steel:
Strength-Weight Ratio

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
Structural steel Concrete High strength Lightweight HSC
concrete
Future Developments
Summary
Clear correlation between government/industry
initiatives and useage of HPC in the bridge market.
Improved durability the original motivation for HPC
use.
Studies show direct economic benefits.
HPC usage in Australia limited by code restrictions.
Recommendations
65 MPa to be considered the standard concrete
grade for use in precast pre-tensioned bridge girders
and post tensioned bridge decks.
The use of 80-100 MPa concrete to be considered
where significant benefit can be shown.
AS 5100 to be revised to allow strength grades up to
100 MPa as soon as possible.
Optimisation of standard Super-T bridge girders for
higher strength grades to be investigated.
Investigation of higher strength grades for bridge
deck slabs, using membrane action to achieve
greater spans and/or reduced slab depth.
Recommendations
Active promotion of the use of high performance
concrete by government and industry bodies:
Review of international best practice
Review and revision of specifications and
standards
Education of designers, precasters and
contractors
Collect and share experience