Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC)

UHPC is the next big thing in concrete

Our CTI 150 concentrate with your sand, your cement, your additives and your microfibres and you are on the first steps of an exciting new journey with next generation UHPC.

Give us a call today to discuss licencing opportunities across Australia and New Zealand.

Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC)

CorTuf™ is the nomenclature given to a family of ultra-high-performance concretes developed at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Centre. It is an advanced fibre-reinforced cementitious material with greater strength, tensile ductility, and durability properties when compared to conventional or even high-performance concrete. CorTuf™ exhibits elastic-plastic or strain-hardening characteristics under uniaxial tension and has a very low permeability due to its dense and discontinuous pore structure.

CorTuf™ is a tailored UHPC and was designed to work with local raw materials. The CorTuf™ premixed compounds, the core ingredient of the UHPC, is only 25 percent of the final product’s volume. And sourcing all other constituents locally eliminates the need to ship large volumes around the world.

Together with Portland cement, the active components of a CorTuf™ Compound create a reactive binder that, when combined with fine aggregates and high-range water reducers, hydrates into a densely-packed matrix.

The main characteristic of CorTuf™ are achieved through homogeneity encasement by eliminating coarse aggregates in the matrix, density encasement by optimising the packing density, and ductility enhancement by the introduction of fibres. The result of combining these concepts is an extremely compact material, in which pores are not communicated, so the lifespan of a structure made of CorTuf™ is significantly extended. The corrosion resistance even in the cracked state increases significantly even when exposed to an aggressive environment due to the low permeability and discontinues fibre reinforcement.

Fibre reinforcement solves the problem of brittleness in CorTuf™ and drastically improves tensile strength in impact resistance. Alongside the low water-binder ration optimised particle packing, fibres are an essential part of ultra-high-performance concrete. There are up to 60 million fibres in just 1 cubic metre of CorTuf™. And for special requirements, this number can go even further. Other types of fibres such as synthetic, mineral or even recycled steel can also be used to reinforce CorTuf™. They can be combined with conventional reinforcement and prestressing when needed.

CorTuf 150 has many applications and will appeal to architects, bridge builders, flood mitigation engineers, coastal and riverine developers, and many, many more.

It’s strength and durability enables bridges to be built with longer spans, piles to be created with 150 year lifespans and architects to build much larger open spaces.

Licensing opportunities available for the fabrication, sales and usage of CorTuf 150 across Australasia.

Bridge Deck Overlays

Deck deterioration is caused by a combination of vehicle loading, freeze–thaw degradation, cracking, delamination of cover concrete, and/or corrosion of internal reinforcement. As an overlay material, UHPC provides structural strengthening and protection from ingress of contaminants. New UHPC overlays can be incorporated into new bridge designs or added to existing, older bridges. It adheres to roughened concrete surfaces and bonds well, requiring minimal preparation.

Connecting Prefabricated Bridge Elements (PBE)

Prefabricated elements have added significant benefits to bridge construction, thanks to design and logistical efficiencies, but they still need to be properly assembled. The long-term performance of these spans will be greatly affected by the quality of the connections. Construction speed is also important to consider. UHPC has become a popular method for field-casted connections of PBE, because it enhances the integrity of connections while reducing complexity and shortening project schedules.

Precast Structural Members

UHPC is being successfully used in precast applications. Precast concrete construction involves easier logistical planning, controlled production settings, and standardized design and installation. These factors result in efficient projects that can be performed at scale. UHPC improves the strength and durability of precast members and offers more design opportunities.

Bonding is Easy with Cor-Tuf UHPC

UHPC's bond behavior excels at preventing and repairing concrete structures. While the underlying science involves intricate interactions within its microstructure and chemical layering, installing UHPC is straightforward. These products are designed to integrate seamlessly with conventional concrete techniques, eliminating the need for specialised lab environments to reap the benefits on the job site. The mix and fibers readily combine with local materials yet still, achieve the fluidity and bonding capacity necessary for exceptional outcomes. Form-fitting, workable, and boasting century-long durability, UHPC allows you to achieve lasting quality using your existing sand, cement, and CorTuf Concentrate.

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Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC)

UHPC is the next big thing in concrete