Durability

Using Formation Factor to Define the Durability of UHPC

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Abstract

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) has gained an increasing usage for a wide-range of applications in transportation infrastructure. UHPC tends to exhibit good performance with respect to durability, but there is an interest in 1) being able to quantify the durability and 2) using a rapid measurement to qualify the durability of UHPC-class materials within performance-related specifications(PRS). This study proposes the use of the formation factor, a material property that describes the pore network (i.e., porosity and pore connectivity),and can be related to diffusion properties. While this approach has been applied to concrete pavement mixtures in a recently released pavement PRS, this study will focus on its applicability specifically to UHPC. The paper provides a background of the formation factor, details the test method that is currently in development, shares results from a range of commercially available UHPC materials, and details how thresholds for a PRS could be established based on UHPC classes and exposure categories.

Keywords: Diffusion, Formation Factor, UHPC, Concrete Durability

How to Cite:

Spragg, R. P., De La Varga, I., Montanari, L. & Graybeal, B. A., (2019) “Using Formation Factor to Define the Durability of UHPC”, International Interactive Symposium on Ultra-High Performance Concrete 2(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.21838/uhpc.9696