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H2020 project ReSHEALience (2018-2022)

Background:

The durability of concrete structures is particularly difficult to estimate under aggressive environments, where the number and width of the cracks has a significant influence. Project ReSHEALience (Rethinking coastal defence and Green-Energy Service infrastructures through enHancEd-durAbiLIty high-performance fiber reinforced cement-based materials, nº760824) consisted in the development of a Durability Assessment-based Design (DAD) methodology for structures, to improve durability and predict their long-term performance under extremely Aggressive Exposures (EAE: XS-chloride induced corrosion, XA-chemical attack). For more information, visit the official webpage of the project (www.uhdc.eu).

Why to use UHPC?

UHPC has an extremely high performance under aggressive exposure environments. This also includes the cracked state, as the high fiber content limits the crack width even up to a significant strain in the structure. The ReSHEALience project tried to add new functionalities to UHPC, particularly to promote the self-healing of the microcracks with nanoconstituents added to the concrete matrix. This is especially interesting for marine structures, geothermal/biomass energy plants due to their severe conditions under operation.

Advantages:

  • Induced self-healing is particularly efficient when the crack width is reduced, as happens in the UHPC under service.
  • A more accurate estimation of the durability is particularly relevant for the cradle to grave assessment of structures, helping to take the most appropriate decision in the planning stage.

Achievements:

  • Six different pilots (TRL6-7) were built during the project with advanced concrete technologies.
  • The remote monitoring of the durability installed is active after the project (finished in March 2022) and it is showing the higher performance of the UHPC even under cracked state compared to the uncracked reference concrete.

More Projects with UHPC

Consulting

RDC works closely with the client to evaluate the technical, economical and environmental viability of replacing its current solution by UHPC. A tailored premix of Formex® is proposed to maximize the competitiveness of the new element.

 

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UHPC Applications

Applications

RDC helps the client to make real the use of UHPC in the daily industrial production. The team supports in stages as the scale-up of the production, the resolution of bottlenecks and the implementation of the quality control plan.

 

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the_uhpc

The UHPC

UHPC (Ultra-High Performance Concrete) is an extremely compact and ductile cementitious composite. Its properties make it perfect for applications where durability or maintenance play a significant role, where a lightweight structure is particularly relevant, or where the slenderness or thickness of piece is is important.


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Do you think that UHPC can add value to your business? Share your thoughts with us. We can help you

If you feel that this innovative material can help you to solve a problem that you have, to improve the quality of your product, reduce the maintenance required, minimize the transportation costs, or any other, write us. We will share with you our point of view.