Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) - Gage Brothers

A Game Changing Precast Concrete option featuring extreme Strength and Longevity

Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) is an advanced, high-strength concrete incorporating small, high-strength steel or synthetic fibers. This innovative blend not only eliminates the need for traditional rebar but also extends span lengths and reduces reinforcement requirements. Our precast concrete panels showcase unmatched strength and durability, making them ideal for architectural applications such as cladding and facade panels.

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Gage Brothers specializes in delivering sustainable concrete solutions that meet the highest industry standards. Our UHPC panels are engineered with precision, offering exceptional performance in terms of load-bearing capacity and resilience. With a potential life expectancy exceeding 100 years, UHPC represents the forefront of modern construction materials.

Explore our range of UHPC products designed for architects and builders seeking cutting-edge concrete design solutions. Whether you’re looking for lightweight concrete panels, durable architectural concrete, or innovative concrete technology, our products promise to elevate your projects with unmatched quality and aesthetic appeal.

Plan your Project with Gage Brothers, and learn more about how UHPC can transform your next architectural endeavor.

Case Study: Trading Traditional Design for 70′ Clear-Span Spaces

The Steel District Office – Sioux Falls, SD

Situated on a historic riverfront campus, The Steel District Office project has emerged as a beacon of innovation and sustainability in the realm of mixed-use office buildings. A defining feature is its utilization of UHPC beams to eliminate interior columns, enabling unparalleled design customization and flexibility.

In conventional high-rise construction, 36-foot-long beams are supported by vertical columns. However, UHPC revolutionizes this process, enabling the creation of structures with double the span lengths with zero interior supports.

This total precast project encompasses precast concrete elements, including 86 UHPC beams that support the entire 175,000-square-foot structure. This innovative structural system, combined with expansive windows and open floor plans, ensures an unparalleled user experience characterized by abundant natural light, panoramic views, and adaptable spaces conducive to modern work environments.

“If you’re a tenant divided between a building that gives you complete layout flexibility and one that doesn’t — isn’t your choice intuitive? The value to the developer and the tenants speaks for itself.”

With competitive price and timely delivery, Jushui sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.

Keith Thompson, Principal Architect, Koch Hazard Architects

UHPC Is Put To The Test

Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln conducted an experimental investigation to evaluate the flexural and shear capacities of a new precast/prestressed ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) box beam with cast-in-place (CIP) concrete topping. Two separate tests were conducted on a beam with five 2 ft x 1 ft voids through the webs at the middle third for utilities.

UHPC is ideal for extreme environments, such as areas that experience very low temperature or wet areas and high stress locations like bridges, tunnels and towers. It also allows for the use of thinner panels and support structures while providing superior strength and reliability. UHPC is the next generation of concrete enabling engineers to use smaller sections for longer spans and greater load resistance with less reinforcement.

Overview

Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) is part of FHWA's Every Day Counts intended to highlight some advantages of accelerated project delivery and long-term durability minimizing repairs and future disruption to traffic. Both the FHWA and FDOT support the use of accelerated project delivery techniques such as UHPC and Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems (PBES) as an economical way to increase quality, reduce long-term maintenance costs and construction time, which indirectly supports safety. Use of these innovative concepts aids in solving many constructability and durability challenges, while potentially revolutionizing bridge construction in the United States.

The deterioration of reinforcing and prestressing steel within concrete elements and connections is one of the prime causes of failure of concrete structures. In addition to being exposed to weather, concrete transportation structures in Florida are also commonly located in aggressive environments such as marine locations and inland water crossings where the water is acidic. Cracks in concrete create paths for the agents of the aggressive environments to reach the reinforcing and/or prestressing steel and begin the corrosive oxidation process. An innovative approach to combat this major issue is to replace traditional concrete with UHPC in either or both the connections and precast elements.

Beneficial characteristics of UHPC include:

• High resistance to chloride ion and chemical attack
• High tensile strength (1-2 ksi)
• Post cracking ductility (greater than 0.006 strain at failure)
• High compressive strength (greater than 17 ksi)
• High early compressive strength (14 ksi in 24 hours)

Like any construction material, there are pros and cons to the use of UHPC:

• Due to its ultra-high compressive strength and significant post-cracking tensile strength, current design codes are not applicable without significant modification. Engineers must familiarize themselves with the applicable technical guidelines that have been issued by FHWA, and Specifications in development by AASHTO member agencies.
• Due to the complex chemistry in the UHPC, the mix design and batching process are more extensive compared to conventional concrete. As such many of the successful UHPC mix designs are proprietary.
• Storage and handling requirements for prebagged mixes on the construction site can be more restrictive than typical grouting operations.
• The initial cost of UHPC is considerably higher than that of traditional concrete. However, this higher initial cost may be partially offset by a reduction in the concrete volumes, lighter handling weights and speed of construction. A longer service life of the concrete component may also be expected if UHPC is used by reducing the need for repairs and eliminating cathodic protection or sacrificial anodes in reinforced and prestressed concrete elements.
  

Due diligence must be done to ensure UHPC benefits outweigh the costs of implementation for each concrete component. However, the use of this innovative material in certain Florida bridge connections and components will keep Florida on the leading edge in the design of state-of-the-art transportation facilities.

Want more information on UHPC Panels? Feel free to contact us.