Reactive Powder

Concrete
SHREEKANTH BAPAT
2ab11cv031

Introduction
Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is ultra high

strength and high ductile composite material

with advanced mechanical properties.
Reactive powder concrete is a concrete
without coarse aggregate, but contains
cement, silica fume, sand, quartz powder,
super plasticizer and steel fiber with very low
water binder ratio.
Compressive strength of RPC ranges from 200
to 800 Mpa.

How to get ultra

strength???
Conventional concrete has achieved the

maximum compressive strength in its existing

form of microstructure.
However, at such a level of strength, the
coarse aggregate becomes the weakest
link in concrete.
In order to increase the compressive strength
of concrete even further, the only way is to
remove the coarse aggregate.
This philosophy has been employed in
Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC).

History of RPC
The concept of reactive powder concrete was

first developed by P. Richard and M. Cheyrezy

in the early 1990s
The worlds first Reactive Powder Concrete
structure, the Sherbrooke Bridge in Canada,
was erected in July 1997.

Principles proposed by P. Richard

and M. Cheyrezy
1. Elimination of coarse aggregates for

enhancement of homogeneity
2. Utilization of the pozzolonic properties of
silica fume
3. Optimization of the granular mixture for the
enhancement of compacted density
4. The optimal usage of super plasticizer to
reduce w/c and improve workability

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Application of pressure (before and during

setting) to improve compaction

Post-set heat-treatment for the enhancement

of the microstructure
Addition of small-sized steel fibers to

improve ductility

Composition of
RPC
CEMENT
STEEL
FIBERS

SAND
RPC

WATER
CRUSHED
QUARTZ

SUPER
PLASTICIZER

SILICA
FUME

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cement
Cement is binding material for production of
primary hydrates. Its particle size ranges from
1m to 100m. Optimum cement properties
are C3S: 60% C2S: 22% C3A: 3.8% C4AF: 7.4%

Sand
Coarse aggregates are replaced by fine sand.
It gives strength to the concrete.
Size ranges from 150m to 600m

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Quartz powder
Its particle size ranges from 5m to 25m. It
must be in crystalline form.

Silica fume
Silica fume is used for filling voids and
enhance rheology and for production of
secondary hydrates. Its particle size ranges
from 0.1m to 1m

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Steel fibres
steel fibres are added to improve ductility. It
should have good aspect ratio and should be
able to improve ductility. Its length ranges
from 13mm to 25mm. It should be straight.

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Super plasticizer
super plasticizer to reduce w/c and improve
workability.
A copolymer of acrylic ester (CAE), a
polynaphtalene Sulfonate (PNS) and a
polymelamine sulfonate (PMS) are normally
employed for the purpose.

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Components with function

Function
parameters
Components
Sand
Cement
Quartz powder
Silica fume
Steel fibers
Superplasticiser

parameters

Give strength to
aggregate
Binding material
Maximum reactivity
during heat-treating
Filling the voids
Improve ductility
Reduce water binding

Types of RPC
The RPC family includes two types of

concrete, designated RPC 200 and RPC 800.

RPC 200 has compressive strength of 200 MPa
RPC 800 has compressive strength of 800 MPa

TYPICAL COMPOSITION OF RPC 200

Portland cement-type V
Fine Sand (150-400 micron)
Silica fume (18m2/gram)
Precipitated silica(35 m2/g)
Super plasticizer

(polyacrylate)
Steel fibers
Total water
Compressive
strength(cylinder)
Flexural strength
Youngs modulus

955 kg/m3
1051 kg/m3
229 kg/m3
10
kg/m3
13
kg/m3
191 kg/m3
153 kg/m3
170-230 MPa
25-60 MPa
54-60 GPa

TYPICAL COMPOSITION OF RPC 800

Portland cement-type V
Fine Sand (150-400 micron)
Ground Quartz (4 microns)
Silica fume (18m2/gram)
Super plasticizer
(polyacrylate)
Steel fibers
Total water
Compressive
strength(cylinder)
Flexural strength
Youngs modulus

1000kg/m3
500kg/m3
390 kg/m3
230 kg/m3
18 kg/m3
630 kg/m3
180 kg/m3
490-680 MPa
45-102 MPa
65-75 GPa

PROPERTIES OF RPC
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
FLEXURAL STRENGTH
WATER ABSORPTION
WATER PERMEABILITY
HOMOGENITY
COMPACTNESS
MICROSTRUCTURE
MATERIAL DUCTILITY

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
Higher compressive strength than HPC
High performance concrete(HPC) is

conventional concrete with high strength, high

workability, high chemical resistance
Max Compressive strength of HPC: 75 Mpa
Compressive strength of RPC ranges from

200-800 MPa

http://www.theconcreteportal.com/rea
c_pow.html

FLEXURAL STRENGTH
Plain RPC is found to possess marginally

higher flexural strength than HPC.

The increase of flexural strength of RPC with

the addition of steel fibers is higher than that

of HPC.
Flexural strength at first cracking is higher

than ultimate flexural strength of normal

concrete.

Comparison of HPC (80 MPa)

and RPC 200
Property

HPC (80 MPa)

RPC 200

80 MPa

200 MPa

Flexural strength

7 MPa

40 MPa

Modulus of
Elasticity

40 GPa

60 GPa

<10 J/m

30*10 J/m

Compressive
strength

Fracture Toughness

WATER ABSORPTION &

PERMEABILITY
The percentage of water absorption of RPC is very low

compared to that of HPC.

This quality of RPC is one among the desired properties

of nuclear waste containment materials.

Incorporation of fibers and use of heat curing

marginally increase the water absorption.

The permeability of RPC is almost 7 times lower than

that of HPC.

http://www.theconcreteportal.com/rea
c_pow.html

http://www.theconcreteportal.com/rea
c_pow.html

COMPACTNESS:

Application of pressure before and during

concrete setting period.
MICROSTRUCTURE:

Microstructure of the cement hydrate can be

changed by applying heat treatment during curing.
MATERIAL DUCTILITY:

Material ductility can be improved through the

addition of short steel fibres

RPC APPLICATIONS
Used in nuclear waste containment structures

due to lower water absorption and low

permeability.

Used for heavily loaded structures like bridges

due to its ultra high strength and durability.

Used for marine structures due to high chemical

resistance.

Structures built using

RPC
First bridge that used RPC-pedestrian bridge in

Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. (230MPa)

Portugal has used it for seawall anchors
Australia has used it in a vehicular bridge
France has used it in building power plants
Qinghai-Tibet Railway Bridge.

Limitations
Least costly components of conventional concrete

are eliminated by more expensive elements.

The mineral component optimization alone results

in a substantial increase in cost over and above

that of conventional concrete (5 to 10 times
higher than HPC)
RPC

is still in the intial stages,So long term

properties are not yet known.

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Applying pressure to mix and applying

heat treatment in the field has got

technological difficulties and cost

Case study

Qinghai-Tibet Railway
http://www.theconcreteportal.com/rea
c_pow.html

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The Qinghai-Tibet railway lies in the west area of

China at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters.

The 576-km railway is being built on frozen earth.
The bad climate and sandstorms of the tundra
require the concrete of the bridge to have
superior
mechanical
properties
and
high
durability.
Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is used in the
sidewalk systems of bridge with compressive
strength of 160 MPa


conitnue
There are a lot of different problems with

conventional concrete sidewalks such as

corrosion, rust of reinforcing steel bars, and
breakability of concrete slab.
The steel brackets rust in a conventional
concrete sidewalk.
As a result, a conventional concrete sidewalk
system requires maintenance every year.
Dead weight of the traditional sidewalk system
is greater than that of the RPC sidewalk system.

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The sidewalk system made of RPC has

such merits as small deadweight, excellent

durability,
low
cost,
and
minimum
maintenance.
Thus, RPC is more suitable for the
sidewalk system of Qinghai-Tibet Railway
than conventional concrete.

conclusions
Next to water, concrete is the second-most

consumed substance on earth.

In future material might get extinct.
RPC will allow the concrete industry to optimize
material use, generates economic benefits, and
build structures that are strong and durable
By using RPC optimization of materials can be
done because of its high strength (dimensions of
the structural elements reduce and hence less
material is used)
Reinforcement can be avoided in some cases and
hence economic benefits.

References
Composition of reactive powder concretes Pierre

Richard and Marcel Cheyrezy Cement and Concrete

Research, Vol. 25. No. 7, pp. 1501-1511.1995.
(
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/00
08884695001442
)
MICROSTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF RPC Pierre Richard
and Marcel Cheyrezy Cement and Concrete Research,
Vol. 25, No. 7. pp. 1491-1500.1995.
(
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/00
0888469500143Z
)

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The effect of autoclave pressure, temperature and duration

time on mechanical properties of reactive powder concrete by

Halit Yazc, Engin Deniz, Blent Baradan. Construction and
Building Materials, Volume 42, May 2013, Pages 53-63
(
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950061813
000299
)
4. Compressive and tensile properties of reactive powder
concrete with steel fibres at elevated temperatures by
Wenzhong Zheng, Baifu Luo, Ying Wang.Construction and
Building Materials, Volume 41, April 2013, Pages 844-851
(
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950061813
000226
)

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Mechanical performance of low cement reactive powder

concrete (LCRPC) by Hseyin Yiiter, Serdar Aydn, Halit Yazc,

Mert Ycel Yardmc. Composites Part B: Engineering, Volume
43, Issue 8, December 2012, Pages 2907-2914
(
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359836812
004969
)
Compressive behaviour of hybrid fiber-reinforced reactive
powder concrete after high temperature by Wenzhong Zheng,
Haiyan Li, Ying Wang.Materials & Design, Volume 41, October
2012, Pages 403-409
(
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261306912
003275
)

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Compressive stressstrain relationship of steel fiber-reinforced

reactive powder concrete after exposure to elevated temperatures

by Wenzhong Zheng, Haiyan Li, Ying Wang .Construction and
Building Materials, Volume 35, October 2012, Pages 931-940
(
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950061812003
87X
)
Reactive powder concrete change in compressive strength and
modulus of elasticity at high temperature by Tomasz Zdeb, Izabela
Hager, Jacek liwiski. Brittle Matrix Composites 10, 2012, Pages
135-143
(
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978085709988
450013X
)

Thank you