Trade Journals for the Concrete Industry

Introduced to the world in the mid-90’s, Ductal® Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (“UHPC”) has come a long way. With its unique combination of ductility, strength, durability and aesthetics, precast elements can have thinner sections and longer spans that are lighter, more grace ful and innovative (compared to conventional concrete). Highly moldable, it replicates form materials with amazing precision. Compressive strengths reach up to 200 MPa and flexural strengths up to 40 MPa, providing improved durability and impermeability against corrosion, abrasion and impact. Furthermore, it is sustainable. UHPC structures are expected to have an extended service life, resulting in less environmental impact over time. The purpose of this article is to help precasters learn about Ductal UHPC and the potential opportunities that exist through production of innovative products and solutions that compliment their existing precast products and businesses. The following article is an introduction to UHPC and the first in a series of related articles that CPI will publish in future issues.