D.

Siddhartha
(UG101218)
 Introduction
 Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is ultra high strength
and high ductile composite material with advanced
mechanical properties.
 Reactive powder concrete is a concrete without
coarse aggregate, but contains cement, silica fume,
sand, quartz powder, super plasticizer and steel fiber
with very low water binder ratio.
 Compressive strength of RPC ranges from 200 to 800
Mpa.
How to get ultra strength???
 Conventional concrete has achieved the maximum
compressive strength in its existing form of
microstructure.
 However, at such a level of strength, the coarse
aggregate becomes the weakest link in concrete.
 In order to increase the compressive strength of
concrete even further, the only way is to remove the
coarse aggregate.
 This philosophy has been employed in Reactive
Powder Concrete (RPC).
History of RPC
 The concept of reactive powder concrete was first
developed by P. Richard and M. Cheyrezy in the early
1990s
 The world’s first Reactive Powder Concrete structure,
the Sherbrooke Bridge in Canada, was erected in July
1997.
Principles proposed by P. Richard
and M. Cheyrezy
 1. Elimination of coarse aggregates for enhancement of
homogeneity
 2. Utilization of the pozzolonic properties of silica
fume
 3. Optimization of the granular mixture for the
enhancement of compacted density
 4. The optimal usage of super plasticizer to reduce w/c
and improve workability
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 Application of pressure (before and during setting) to
improve compaction

 Post-set heat-treatment for the enhancement of the

microstructure

 Addition of small-sized steel fibers to improve

ductility
 Composition of RPC
CEMENT
STEEL
FIBERS SAND

RPC
SILICA
WATER
FUME

CRUSHED SUPER
QUARTZ PLASTICIZER
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cement
Cement is binding material for production of primary
hydrates. Its particle size ranges from 1µm to 100µm.
Optimum cement properties are C3S: 60% C2S: 22%
C3A: 3.8% C4AF: 7.4%
Sand
Coarse aggregates are replaced by fine sand. It gives
strength to the concrete.
Size ranges from 150µm to 600µm
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Quartz powder
Its particle size ranges from 5µm to 25µm. It must be
in crystalline form.
Silica fume
Silica fume is used for filling voids and enhance
rheology and for production of secondary hydrates. Its
particle size ranges from 0.1µm to 1µm
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Steel fibres
steel fibres are added to improve ductility. It should
have good aspect ratio and should be able to improve
ductility. Its length ranges from 13mm to 25mm. It
should be straight.
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Super plasticizer
super plasticizer to reduce w/c and improve
workability.
A copolymer of acrylic ester (CAE), a polynaphtalene
Sulfonate (PNS) and a polymelamine sulfonate (PMS) are
normally employed for the purpose.
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Components with function parameters
Components Function parameters
 Sand  Give strength to
aggregate
 Cement  Binding material
 Quartz powder  Maximum reactivity
during heat-treating
 Silica fume
 Filling the voids
 Steel fibers
 Improve ductility
 Superplasticiser
 Reduce water binding
 Types of RPC
 The RPC family includes two types of concrete,
designated RPC 200 and RPC 800.
 RPC 200 has compressive strength of 200 MPa
 RPC 800 has compressive strength of 800 MPa
TYPICAL COMPOSITION OF RPC 200
 Portland cement-type V 955 kg/m3
 Fine Sand (150-400 micron) 1051 kg/m3
 Silica fume (18m2/gram) 229 kg/m3
 Precipitated silica(35 m2/g) 10 kg/m3
 Super plasticizer (polyacrylate) 13 kg/m3
 Steel fibers 191 kg/m3
 Total water 153 kg/m3
 Compressive strength(cylinder) 170-230 MPa
 Flexural strength 25-60 MPa
 Young’s modulus 54-60 GPa
TYPICAL COMPOSITION OF RPC 800
 Portland cement-type V 1000kg/m3
 Fine Sand (150-400 micron) 500kg/m3
 Ground Quartz (4 microns) 390 kg/m3
 Silica fume (18m2/gram) 230 kg/m3
 Super plasticizer (polyacrylate) 18 kg/m3
 Steel fibers 630 kg/m3
 Total water 180 kg/m3
 Compressive 490-680 MPa
strength(cylinder) 45-102 MPa
 Flexural strength 65-75 GPa
 Young’s modulus
 PROPERTIES OF RPC
 COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
 FLEXURAL STRENGTH
 WATER ABSORPTION
 WATER PERMEABILITY
 HOMOGENITY
 COMPACTNESS
 MICROSTRUCTURE
 MATERIAL DUCTILITY
 COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
 Higher compressive strength than HPC

 High performance concrete(HPC) is conventional

concrete with high strength, high workability, high
chemical resistance

 Max Compressive strength of HPC: 75 Mpa

 Compressive strength of RPC ranges from 200-800
MPa
http://www.theconcreteportal.com/reac_po
w.html
 FLEXURAL STRENGTH
 Plain RPC is found to possess marginally higher
flexural strength than HPC.

 The increase of flexural strength of RPC with the

addition of steel fibers is higher than that of HPC.

 Flexural strength at first cracking is higher than

ultimate flexural strength of normal concrete.
Comparison of HPC (80 MPa) and RPC
200
Property HPC (80 MPa) RPC 200

Compressive strength 80 MPa 200 MPa

Flexural strength 7 MPa 40 MPa

Modulus of Elasticity 40 GPa 60 GPa

Fracture Toughness <10³ J/m² 30*10³ J/m²

WATER ABSORPTION & PERMEABILITY
 The percentage of water absorption of RPC is very low
compared to that of HPC.

 This quality of RPC is one among the desired properties of

nuclear waste containment materials.

 Incorporation of fibers and use of heat curing marginally

increase the water absorption.

 The permeability of RPC is almost 7 times lower than that

of HPC.
http://www.theconcreteportal.com/reac_po
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http://www.theconcreteportal.com/reac_po
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 COMPACTNESS:
Application of pressure before and during concrete
setting period.

 MICROSTRUCTURE:
Microstructure of the cement hydrate can be
changed by applying heat treatment during curing.

 MATERIAL DUCTILITY:
Material ductility can be improved through the addition
of short steel fibres
 RPC APPLICATIONS
 Used in nuclear waste containment structures due
to lower water absorption and low permeability.

 Used for heavily loaded structures like bridges due

to its ultra high strength and durability.

 Used for marine structures due to high chemical

resistance.
 Structures built using RPC
 First bridge that used RPC-pedestrian bridge in
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. (230MPa)

 Portugal has used it for seawall anchors

 Australia has used it in a vehicular bridge

 France has used it in building power plants

 Qinghai-Tibet Railway Bridge.

 Limitations
 Least costly components of conventional concrete are
eliminated by more expensive elements.

 The mineral component optimization alone results in a

substantial increase in cost over and above that of
conventional concrete (5 to 10 times higher than HPC)

 RPC is still in the intial stages,So long term properties are

not yet known.
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 Applying pressure to mix and applying heat
treatment in the field has got technological
difficulties and cost
 Case study

Qinghai-Tibet Railway
http://www.theconcreteportal.com/reac_po
w.html
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 The Qinghai-Tibet railway lies in the west area of
China at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters.
 The 576-km railway is being built on frozen earth.
 The bad climate and sandstorms of the tundra
require the concrete of the bridge to have superior
mechanical properties and high durability.
 Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is used in the
sidewalk systems of bridge with compressive
strength of 160 MPa
 …conitnue
 There are a lot of different problems with
conventional concrete sidewalks such as corrosion,
rust of reinforcing steel bars, and breakability of
concrete slab.
 The steel brackets rust in a conventional concrete
sidewalk.
 As a result, a conventional concrete sidewalk
system requires maintenance every year.
 Dead weight of the traditional sidewalk system is
greater than that of the RPC sidewalk system.
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 The sidewalk system made of RPC has such merits
as small deadweight, excellent durability, low cost,
and minimum maintenance.
 Thus, RPC is more suitable for the sidewalk
system of Qinghai-Tibet Railway than
conventional concrete.
 conclusions
 Next to water, concrete is the second-most consumed
substance on earth.
 In future material might get extinct.
 RPC will allow the concrete industry to optimize
material use, generates economic benefits, and build
structures that are strong and durable
 By using RPC optimization of materials can be done
because of its high strength (dimensions of the
structural elements reduce and hence less material is
used)
 Reinforcement can be avoided in some cases and
hence economic benefits.
 References
 Composition of reactive powder concretes Pierre Richard
and Marcel Cheyrezy Cement and Concrete Research, Vol.
25. No. 7, pp. 1501-1511.1995.

(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/000888
4695001442)
 MICROSTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF RPC Pierre Richard
and Marcel Cheyrezy Cement and Concrete Research, Vol.
25, No. 7. pp. 1491-1500.1995.

(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/000888
469500143Z)
 ….continue
 The effect of autoclave pressure, temperature and duration time
on mechanical properties of reactive powder concrete by Halit
Yazıcı, Engin Deniz, Bülent Baradan. Construction and Building
Materials, Volume 42, May 2013, Pages 53-63

(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S09500618130
00299)
 4. Compressive and tensile properties of reactive powder
concrete with steel fibres at elevated temperatures by
Wenzhong Zheng, Baifu Luo, Ying Wang.Construction and
Building Materials, Volume 41, April 2013, Pages 844-851

(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S09500618130
00226)
 .....continue
 Mechanical performance of low cement reactive powder
concrete (LCRPC) by Hüseyin Yiğiter, Serdar Aydın, Halit Yazıcı,
Mert Yücel Yardımcı. Composites Part B: Engineering, Volume
43, Issue 8, December 2012, Pages 2907-2914

(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S13598368120
04969)
 Compressive behaviour of hybrid fiber-reinforced reactive
powder concrete after high temperature by Wenzhong Zheng,
Haiyan Li, Ying Wang.Materials & Design, Volume 41, October
2012, Pages 403-409

(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S02613069120
03275)
 …..continue
 Compressive stress–strain relationship of steel fiber-reinforced
reactive powder concrete after exposure to elevated temperatures
by Wenzhong Zheng, Haiyan Li, Ying Wang .Construction and
Building Materials, Volume 35, October 2012, Pages 931-940

(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950061812
00387X)
 Reactive powder concrete – change in compressive strength and
modulus of elasticity at high temperature by Tomasz Zdeb,
Izabela Hager, Jacek Śliwiński. Brittle Matrix Composites 10,
2012, Pages 135-143

(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780857099
88450013X)
Thank you