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 worlds 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
STEEL
FIBERS
WATER
CRUSHED
QUARTZ
SUPER
PLASTICIZER
SILICA
FUME
SAND
CEMENT
RPC
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cement
Cement is binding material for production of primary
hydrates. Its particle size ranges from 1m to 100m.
Optimum cement properties are C
3
S: 60% C
2
S: 22%
C
3
A: 3.8% C
4
AF: 7.4%
Sand
Coarse aggregates are replaced by fine sand. It gives
strength to the concrete.
Size ranges from 150m to 600m


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Quartz powder
Its particle size ranges from 5m to 25m. 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 0.1m to 1m

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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
Sand

Cement
Quartz powder

Silica fume
Steel fibers
Superplasticiser





Function parameters
Give strength to
aggregate
Binding material
Maximum reactivity
during heat-treating
Filling the voids
Improve ductility
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
Fine Sand (150-400 micron)
Silica fume (18m2/gram)
Precipitated silica(35 m2/g)
Super plasticizer (polyacrylate)
Steel fibers
Total water
Compressive strength(cylinder)
Flexural strength
Youngs modulus


955 kg/m3
1051 kg/m3
229 kg/m3
10 kg/m3
13 kg/m3
191 kg/m3
153 kg/m3
170-230 MPa
25-60 MPa
54-60 GPa
TYPICAL COMPOSITION OF RPC 800
Portland cement-type V
Fine Sand (150-400 micron)
Ground Quartz (4 microns)
Silica fume (18m2/gram)
Super plasticizer (polyacrylate)
Steel fibers
Total water
Compressive
strength(cylinder)
Flexural strength
Youngs modulus


1000kg/m3
500kg/m3
390 kg/m3
230 kg/m3
18 kg/m3
630 kg/m3
180 kg/m3
490-680 MPa
45-102 MPa
65-75 GPa
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 <10 J/m 30*10 J/m
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)

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The effect of autoclave pressure, temperature and duration time
on mechanical properties of reactive powder concrete by Halit
Yazc, Engin Deniz, Blent 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)
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Mechanical performance of low cement reactive powder
concrete (LCRPC) by Hseyin Yiiter, Serdar Aydn, Halit Yazc,
Mert Ycel Yardmc. 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)
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Compressive stressstrain 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 liwiski. Brittle Matrix Composites 10,
2012, Pages 135-143

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