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Design of Ultra-High Performance Concrete Bridges

Conference Paper · July 2023

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 Bridge Engineering Institute Conference 2023 (BEI-2023)
Rome, Italy, July 17-20, 2023

Design of Ultra-High Performance Concrete Bridges

Benjamin Graybeal1* and Rafic Helou2

1
: U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC, USA; [email protected]
2
: U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC, USA; [email protected]
*
: corresponding author

Keywords: ultra-high performance concrete; UHPC; codes and specifications; structural design;
engineering mechanics

1. Introduction
Advancements in concrete technology have led to a new structural material becoming available
for use in bridge design, construction, and rehabilitation — ultra-high performance concrete
(UHPC). As with any novel structural material, the new standards, specifications, and guidance
covering the use of the material need to be developed so that engineering practice can safely and
appropriately engage whatever advantages are associated with the new material. In the bridge
sector in the United States, there is a groundswell of interest in potential structural applications
of UHPC, particularly those which engage the enhanced mechanical and durability properties of
UHPC to create longer span, lighter weight, resilient, and exceptionally durable structures. The
U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s UHPC research and development program has been at
the forefront of developing needed structural design guidance and engineering property test
methods, leading to a series of notable advancements that will facilitate the use of UHPC in the
U.S. bridge sector. Central to this effort is the publication of report titled Structural Design with
Ultra-High Performance Concrete that includes draft structural design guidance, draft material
conformance guidance, and a pair of structural design and analysis examples (Graybeal and
Helou 2023).

2. Material Performance and Conformance

The distinct material properties of UHPC both facilitate novel applications and necessitate the
engagement of new test methods and conformance requirements. UHPC-class materials provide
mechanical resistance that surpasses that expected from conventional and high performance
concretes. The tensile mechanical behavior of UHPC is a defining characteristic of the material,
with UHPCs exhibiting a cracking strength greater than 5 MPa and a sustained or increasing
post-cracking strength through a localization strain of at least 0.0025. The localization strain is
the elongation at which the material ceases to display a response with multiple, tightly-spaced
cracks and begins to exhibit excessive widening of a single, dominant crack. Reliance on the
tensile response of UHPC within the design of structural components necessitates the reliance on
test methods that assess and verify the assumed behaviors. To this end, a test method akin to that
used for structural metals has been developed, refined, and standardized in the United States
(Graybeal and Baby 2013, AASHTO 2022). The AASHTO T 397 Standard Method of Test for
Uniaxial Tensile Response of Ultra-High Performance Concrete provides the testing and

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Rome, Italy, July 17-20, 2023

analysis methodologies required for the direct determination of key engineering properties
necessary for structural design.

As with any structural material being used in an engineered system, the engineering properties
that are relied upon for system performance must be verified as being available. This verification
is commonly completed through material conformance specifications which delineate the
fundamental properties that a material must exhibit, the methods for assessing the properties, and
the processes for ensuring that the delivered product is acceptable. For UHPC, key performance
metrics are the compressive mechanical response, the tensile mechanical response, and the
durability. Additional prescriptive material conformance requirements related to required
constituents, minimized contaminants, and casting and curing processes are also commonly
stated. In support of AASHTO’s efforts to promulgate UHPC structural design guidance for the
US bridge sector (discussed below), the need for companion material conformance guidance is
being addressed by the authors who have drafted a framework that is expected to be refined then
balloted by AASHTO in 2024. A working draft of the material conformance guidance can be
found in Graybeal and Helou (2023).

3. Structural Design Guidance for Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Efficient and appropriate use of structural materials requires that the fundamental behaviors of
the material are understood and engaged safely within a structural system. A first principles-
based approach, wherein engineering mechanics is heavily engaged as a predictive tool within
the design process, is a common method for ensuring that new materials can be used in disparate
applications without incurring undue risk. Although existing analysis and design methodologies
for conventional concrete can be informative, any methodologies that rely on empiricism must be
carefully considered before being engaged for a new class of concrete. To address the demand
for US-based UHPC structural design guidance, the US Federal Highway Administration is
executing a long-running program to conduct applied engineering research on UHPC structural
components and to develop structural design guidance for use in the bridge sector.

During the 2018-2023 timeframe the research group completed a series of studies investigating
UHPC material behaviors (El-Helou et al. 2022, Haber et al. 2018), flexural performance (El-
Helou and Graybeal 2022a), beam shear performance (El-Helou and Graybeal 2022b, 2023),
interface shear performance (Muzenski et al. 2022, 2023), and pretensioning loss behaviors
(Mohebbi and Graybeal 2022, Mohebbi et al. 2022). The results of these studies, in conjunction
with research and standardized guidance developed elsewhere, were combined to create a
framework for the design of UHPC structures. Through work with AASHTO’s Structural
Concrete Design Committee, a Guide Specification for Structural Design with UHPC has been
drafted and is being balloted in May 2023. Once passed and published, this document will allow
for the design of UHPC structural components within an engineering mechanics-based
framework that relies on fundamental properties of the material which have been determined
through direct testing methods. The FHWA-developed draft of the Guide Specification for
Structural Design with UHPC can be found in Graybeal and Helou (2023).

4. Compelling Applications
The interest in using UHPC for engineered structures is founded upon the recognition that some
existing challenges are not being appropriately addressed by existing solutions. As evidenced by

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Rome, Italy, July 17-20, 2023

the perspective offered in Graybeal et al. (2020), UHPC’s novel properties can allow for the
design and delivery of lighter, longer-spanning structures, far more durable structures, and
elegant structures that facilitate combination of form and function. In the surface transportation
infrastructure sector, one such compelling application is in bridge superstructures. UHPC
elements, including pretensioned girders, post-tensioned segmental boxes, and spliced girders,
can resist greater structural demands through enhanced mechanical properties and reduced dead
load, leading to longer spans and shallower structures. For example, grade separation highway
interchanges might go from including four spans to including two spans; also, highway viaducts
and approaches to long-span bridges could be constructed with longer spans and fewer piers.

Another compelling application is precast, prestressed piles. The mechanical and durability
properties of UHPC allow for the delivery and installation of piles that 1) are lighter and thus
easier to transport and handle, 2) are able to be driven more rapidly using larger equipment, and
3) are far more durable than existing steel or conventional concrete solutions. This application is
particularly relevant in coastal areas that commonly need to construct infrastructure in locations
with environmentally aggressive subsurface conditions.

Further examples include local elements within portions of structures that are subjected to harsh
environments. The use of UHPC overlays for bridge decks subjected to deicing salts is
continuing to gain adherents as the value in lengthening the lifespan of existing infrastructure is
recognized. The use of precast UHPC shells for mass concrete pours in aggressive environments
is also gaining attention as it is recognized that this solution can offer both accelerated
construction and enhanced long-term durability.

5. Concluding Remarks
As novel structural concepts centered on the advantageous mechanical and durability properties
of UHPC continue to be developed, there is a greater need for formal UHPC material
conformance and structural design guidance. The U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s
decades of work in this topic area is being leveraged by AASHTO to facilitate the drafting,
balloting, and delivery of the needed guide specifications. It is anticipated that these publications
will enable owners, designers, and constructors to broadly and consistently engage UHPC within
their normal practice of delivering safe, reliable, and resilient infrastructure.

6. References
AASHTO. 2022. Standard Method of Test for Uniaxial Tensile Response of Ultra-High
Performance Concrete. T 397-22. Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials.

El-Helou, R., and B. Graybeal. 2022a. “Flexural Behavior and Design of Ultrahigh-Performance
Concrete Beams.” Journal of Structural Engineering, 148(4), doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-
541X.0003246.

El-Helou, R., and B. Graybeal. 2022b. “Shear Behavior of Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete

Pretensioned Bridge Girders.” Journal of Structural Engineering, 148(4),
doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0003279.

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Rome, Italy, July 17-20, 2023

El-Helou, R., and B. Graybeal. 2023. “Shear Design of Strain-Hardening Fiber-Reinforced

Concrete Beams.” Journal of Structural Engineering, 149(2), doi: 10.1061/JSENDH.STENG-
11065.

El-Helou, R., Z. Haber, and B. Graybeal. 2022. “Mechanical Behavior and Design Properties of
Ultra-High Performance Concrete.” ACI Materials Journal, 119(1), 181-194,
doi: 10.14359/51734194.

Graybeal, B., and F. Baby. 2013. “Development of Direct Tension Test Method for
Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete.” ACI Materials Journal, 110(2), 177–186.

Graybeal, B., E. Brühwiler, B.-S. Kim, F. Toutlemonde, Y. Voo, and A. Zaghi. 2020.
“International Perspective on UHPC in Bridge Engineering.” ASCE Journal of Bridge
Engineering, 25(11), doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001630.

Graybeal, B., and R. Helou. 2023. Structural Design with Ultra-High Performance Concrete.
Report No. FHWA-HRT-23-077. Washington DC: Federal Highway Administration.

Haber, Z., I. De la Varga, B. Graybeal, B. Nakashoji, and R. El-Helou. 2018. Properties and
Behavior of UHPC-Class Materials. Report No. FHWA-HRT-18-036. Washington, DC: Federal
Highway Administration.

Mohebbi, A., and B. Graybeal. 2022. “Prestress Loss Model for Ultra-High Performance
Concrete.” Engineering Structures, 252: 113645, doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.113645.

Mohebbi, A., B. Graybeal, and Z. Haber. 2022. “Time-Dependent Properties of

Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete: Compressive Creep and Shrinkage.” Journal of Materials in
Civil Engineering, 34(6), doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0004219.

Muzenski, S., Z. Haber, and B. Graybeal. 2022. “Interface Shear of Ultra-High Performance
Concrete.” ACI Structural Journal, 119(1), 267–280, doi: 10.14359/51733008.

Muzenski, S., Z. Haber, and B. Graybeal. 2023. “Monolithic and Non-Monolithic Interface Shear
Performance of Ultra-High Performance Concrete.” Engineering Structures, 281: 115667, doi:
10.1016/j.engstruct.2023.115667.

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