Introduction

ACI defines High Performance Concrete as A concrete which

meets special performance and uniformity requirements that cannot always be achieved routinely by using only conventional materials and normal mixing, placing and curing practices.
It contains one or more of cementious materials which

enhances the performance of the concrete

 The conventional Portland cement concrete is found deficient in

Why HPC ?

respect of : Durability in severe environment (shorter service life and frequent maintenance) Time of construction (slower gain of strength) Energy absorption capacity (for earthquake resistant structures)
Any concrete which satisfies certain criteria proposed to

overcome limitations of conventional concretes may be called High Performance Concrete.

Phases of HPC

High performance concrete can be modelled as three

phase composite material : The hardening cement paste 2. The aggregates 3. The interfacial zone
1.

SELECTION OF MATERIALS

The proportioning of High Performance Concrete involves the following three important inter-related steps:
Selection of suitable ingredients for concrete Determination of relative quantities of the ingredients Careful quality control of every phase of the concrete

1. 2. 3.

Materials for HPC

Cement Mineral admixtures Aggregates Chemical admixtures Water

Cement

Cement to be used for HPC must meet the following

requirements :

It must develop appropriate strength It must represent the appropriate rheological behavior

Increase in the fineness of the cement increases the early

strength of the concrete

Mineral Admixtures
Some of the mineral admixtures generally used are :
Fly

ash Silica fume Blast furnace slag

Mineral admixtures act as pozzolonic materials which makes the hardened concrete more denser and stronger They fill the space between the cement and aggregate particles

Aggregates
FINE AGGREGATES Coarser sand may be preferred, as finer sand increases the water demand of the concrete Very fine sand may not be essential in HPC COARSE AGGREGATES Coarse aggregate in cement concrete contributes to the heterogeneity of the concrete By usage of mineral admixtures, concrete becomes homogenous and also enhances its strength and durability characteristics

Chemical admixtures

Chemical admixtures increases the efficiency of the

cement paste by improving the workability of the mix Different types of chemical admixtures are : Plasticizers Super plasticizers Retarders Air entraining agents

Water

Water is the most important ingredient of concrete as it

actively participate in the chemical reactions with cement

The strength of cement concrete comes mainly from the

binding action of the hydrated cement gel.

Properties of HPC
WORKABILITY Workability of HPC is normally good even at low slumps HPC typically pumps very well They have the ability to fill the reinforced sections without segregation SETTING TIME Setting time varies depending on the admixtures used The use of large quantities of admixtures can significantly extend setting time and therefore reduce very early strengths

 STRENGTH The strength of concrete depends on a number of factors including the properties and proportions of the constituent materials, degree of hydration, etc STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT An adequate amount of moisture is necessary to ensure hydration to attain the desired strength Higher rate of strength development is attained at the early stages COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH 28 day strength upto 80Mpa can be obtained

 DURABILITY CHARACTERISTICS The durability of HPC is superior to the normal

concrete It has very low permeability to ingress of water, air, and other deleterious agents. The abrasion resistance of High Performance Concrete is very good High Performance Concrete has a poor resistance to fire The absence of pores in the structure zone of High Performance Concrete prevents growth of bacteria

Advantages of HPC
High Performance Concrete can be used in severe

exposure conditions It has higher strength than normal concrete It ensures very low permeability It has very good durability in aggressive environment High Performance Concrete can be used to prevent deterioration of concrete. It has high wearing and abrasion resistance Increased durability in marine environment

Limitations of HPC
High Performance Concrete has to be manufactured and placed much more carefully than normal concrete. An extended quality control is required Low water cement ratios leads to increased strength, but negatively will lead to an accelerated and higher shrinkage Some special constituents are required unlike normal concrete

Bridge
Joigny (France)

High rise building

Water tower plaza (US),

Nuclear structure Civeaux (France)