Protection of river banks and bridges with UHPC technology

At a meeting of local councils in the alpine

region, hhbc-consulting and WPE DK were

invited as guests to discuss possible

rehabilitation and protection of river banks

and bridges. Due to climate change, especially 

in the mountainous regions, the streams and 

rivers are flooded with enormous amounts 

of water as a result of enormous amounts of 

rain and continuous snow melt. In addition 

to the water flowing at high speed, ever 

greater quantities of debris are also being 

transported. Water and debris are increasingly 

damaging bank and bridge structures. For the 

most part, they are not designed for these 

quantities.

One of the main points of this discussion,
was the rehabilitation of the massive damage
caused by scree and water masses on the
construction of the riverbanks, especially in
areas of river diversion and river guidance
in villages and towns.

Particularly the rising water masses among
other things by massive lasting rains and
resulting high flow velocities with scree
movements give rise to concern.

As one of the possible solutions for the future,
the use of UHPC Ultra High Performance
Concrete as a refurbishment material and as
construction material for renewed protective
installation was discussed.

UHPC concrete would offer concrete with its
extreme strength (over 140 MPa - 240 MPa),
very high wear resistance and extremely high
corrosion resistance.

In addition, a joint-free processing is possible.

Due to these characteristics, the design of river

banks and river diversions with artificial rock

constructions made of UHPC was discussed.

As assembly methods for UHPC, assembly

pre-fabricated elements, casting or spray-on-site

(Shotcrete) assembly was discussed.

Since UHPC develop within 48 hours 70% of its

nominal strength are very fast in assembly methods

and thus the repair time is very short.

Due to the many years of experience we have in
offshore and coastal areas, first projects have
been agreed.

UHPC concrete in the petroleum production and processing industry

In the oil producing and processing industry,
UHPC Ultra high Performance concrete can
and will be used in a variety of applications
such as securing material, repair material,
construction material, wear protection and
corrosion protection used.

For the use of offshore platforms UHPC is an
ideal construction, repair and corrosion material.
UHPC can be processed without problems in humid
environments. UHPC is water-permeable even in
low layer thicknesses. UHPC is absolutely saltwater
resistant and can be processed underwater. UHPC in
its high temperature version can be used up to
1000°C/1832°F continuous temperature. UHPC
retains much of its strength at this temperature,
whereas steel has long lost its strength. UHPC is
extremely resistant to rapid temperature fluctuations.

In crude oil processing UHPC can be used as
corrosion protection, wear protection, safety
construction or as construction material.

UHPC concrete are also particularly suitable for the
fracking industry and as oilwell cement.

In the oil refineries and oil ports, UHPC is a perfect

material for all security components. Here, security
can also be interpreted as security against terrorist
attacks. UHPC is extremely corrosion-resistant and
liquid-tight from a wall thickness of 10 mm. Pipes
can be protected against wear and corrosion from
the inside. Important and sensitive constructions
can be permanently protected against temperature
and wear with UHPC. There are already plans to
construct complete crude oil tanks from UHPC. In
case of fires, they would maintain their strength even
at extreme temperatures. Security-related buildings

and production facilities can be protected against a
terrorist attack. Port facilities and loading and
unloading jetty facilities can be permanently
protected against seawater corrosion.

Mixer for UHPC Ultra High Performance Concrete

What is the use of the best UHPC Ultra
High Performance Concrete product if
you do not have the right mixer to mix
this product perfectly? If possible, a
mixer can handle casting compound,
mortar and Shotcrete mass without it
has an effect on the finished UHPC
product.
There are a lot of different mixer types
in the international market. Some may
mix casting compound, other mortar
compound and yet another Shotcrete

mass. Only a few can mix all the masses
well and few of them can mix the UHPC
products perfectly.
We prefer more than 25 years compulsory
mixers or pan pot mixers called. They
have never disappointed us on all our
international construction sites. They are
very sturdy, at least we use and they are
very easy to handle.

Different mixers can be used for different

requirements and markets.

In general, shaft or pan pot mixers are the

best choice for all applications and markets.
For industrial applications such as Offshore,

wear protection, industrial flooring, corrosion

protection, etc., where the highest quality

requirements are set, the best mixers must

also be used, i.e. pan pot or shaft mixer.
Furthermore, our UHPC requires mortar

qualities for mixing powerful pan pot or

shaft mixers.

When mixing UHPC Cast, we recommend

using pan pot or shaft mixers. It is also

possible to mix with standard UHPC Cast

material. With smaller quantities of UHPC

Cast it is also possible to use a hand mixer.
We have used a large number of mixers

worldwide in our more than 25 years of

assembly work. Most mixers failed because

they are underpowered. It is just a difference

to mix a UHPC or a standard concrete.

For our customers we have put together an

information brochure about mixers, which

you can get from us free of charge in paper

format or as a download.

Laboratory mixing devices can also be used

for small quantities of up to one kilogram of

mixing material or, if the performance is right,

kitchen mixing devices can also be used.
We and our worldwide partners have pan pot

or shaft mixers with different services in our

workshop. You can hire these mixers for

processing on request.
You can also get a list of international mixer

manufacturers with whom we have already

worked.

www.hhbc-consulting.de
info@hhbc-consulting.de

Precast elements and Tilt-up manufacturing with HPC and UHPC concrete

HPC and UHPC concrete are very suitable for processing on the construction site in the Tilt-up system or in precast concrete plant. Residential housing and industrial buildings of all sizes can be manufactured using these two systems.

HPC and UHPC concrete has a long list of advantages over standard concrete

- High tensile strength- Extremely high compressive strength
- Very fast strength development
- UHPC elements have a very high production accuracy. If the mold is   exact, the element is exact.
- High chemical resistant
- Absolute corrosion resistant
- Even small layers already lead to an absolute waterproofness.

- Customer requirements such as burglary resistant, fire resistant, storm resistant and acoustic properties as well as noise reduction can be easily met.
- Combinations with a high-performance insulation layer reduce energy costs by several times compared to wooden houses or brick houses.
- The required wall thicknesses are only a fraction of comparable housing designs.

Tilt-up elements
Tilt-up elements are manufactured using locally produced molds and concrete in a wide variety
of HPC and UHPC concretes produced by us achieve 70% of their nominal strength in just 48 hours, the average nominal strength of our UHPC concretes is 140 MPa / 20000 psi.

Due to the compessive and flexuaral strength, it is possible to work with considerably smaller wall thicknesses, which leads to substantial material reductions and costs.
The extremely fast development of strength leads to faster assembly, the overall completion time is significantly reduced, which can also lead to cost reduction.

Precast elements
Prefabricated systems have been used in Europe for more than 50 years. There is a huge amount of standard residential house design variations from small houses, garages, workshops to entire building

complexes. Architects design exceptional prefabricated houses according to customer requirements. The elements are already manufactured and prepared weeks in advance in a precast plant, so that only a few days are needed on the construction site for a complete completion.
The advantage is the very small footprint on site.
The elements come with trucks in the correct assembly order on the construction site. A crane positions the elements and very few fitters are needed for assembly. It can be installed all year round, regardless of the weather contitions.

New world of decorative UHPC concrete

With the new UHPC materials of extremely high, consistent quality, architects and designers have created completely new possibilities for elegant, filigree design. In particular, the new extremely temperature-resistant UHPC material qualities can enable new design and construction techniques.

Kitchen

Countertop
 - with UHPC temperature resistant up to 400°C /
    752°F
 - with high temperature UHPC temperature
    resistant up to 1000°C / 1832°F
 - extremely wear-resistant
 - thin plate thickness = low weight
 - all geometries possible
 - extremely good corrosion resistance
 - elegant plate design with wood, mineral and
   metal inserts
 - thin plate design with LED light design
 - extraordinary sink design
Design of wall coverings
Exceptional floor designs
Elegant lamp design

Living room
Design of wall coverings
Exceptional floor designs in geometries, surface structures, color scheme and high wear resistance
Elegant lamp design
New design options for open fireplaces
Exceptional table top combinations and geometries

Bathroom

Complete seamless shower and bathtub systems made entirely of UHPC or in combination with other materials
Design of wall coverings
Exceptional floor designs in geometries, surface structures and color design
Elegant lamp design


Other areas
Elegant, thin-walled, self-supporting staircase constructions
Elegant design of thin-walled balcony constructions
Terrace construction of extraordinary geometries
Pool area design
Outdoor and indoor pool design

Floor and walkway panel design in geometries, surface structures, color scheme and high wear resistance

New construction and repair of Jetties with UHPC concrete

For modern jetty constructions, UHPC concrete

offers many advantages compared to standard

concrete, steel or wooden constructions.

- All jetty elements can be prefabricated or cast
   on site in a short time.
- UHPC concrete has no or only extremely low
   pore volume and is thus absolutely seawater
   and corrosion resistant.
- UHPC concrete hardens under water. It can
   therefore be processed in and under water.
- UHPC concrete has a standard strength
   between 120 MPa/17400 psi and
   250 MPa/36250 psi.
- UHPC prefabricated elements can be made
   considerably thinner due to the very high
   strength and the absence of porosity, and
   thus with significantly less weight.

Due to the properties of UHPC concrete listed
above, such constructions do not require further
inspection. It can be assumed that the service
life is almost 100+ years.

Since UHPC concrete has very good wear and
impact resistance, harsh harbor conditions and
extreme environmental conditions such as ice
are no problem.

Installation

UHPC concrete can be produced by us as mortar,
casting compound or shotcrete mass. For processing,
a compulsory or pan pot mixer is needed. Our
shotcrete and castable UHPC material can also be
pumped over longer distances.

Repairs of damaged standard concrete, steel or 
wooden constructions

Jetties can be severely damaged by impact, corrosion,
rotting or faulty concrete processing. The repair
with UHPC concrete is simple and requires little
effort.

For preparation, remove any loose particles and
buildup such as clams, algae and the like.
A mold should be installed around the columns.
The water does not have to be removed from the mold.
The UHPC concrete is poured directly in the water.
The concrete displaces the seawater from the mold.
The mold can be removed after less than 48 hours.

This type of repair has been used for more than 20
years as a standard repair method on offshore platforms.

A try to replicate clay with UHPC

We had a lot of fun developing our UHPC binder for historical applications. Of course, we do not just sit in the lab and develop recipes, we try the recipes for the lime plaster and of course stucco practically.

Since most of us are not talented, we invited an expert. After about a day our workshop looked like we were renovating it and just like the workshop some of the team members had to undergo general cleaning.

The final goal was to recreate clay with UHPC. Clay is a fantastic natural material. Actually, UHPC does not copy it, but it was a lot of fun for everyone to try.

Here is a general short form of what we have achieved and what not:

• We have developed a UHPC binder that can be mixed with extremely fine sand to a clay-like consistency
• We need only a few water for all processing steps
• We do not need a furnace for strength development
• We can set the processing time and hardening time during the production of the binder as desired.
• The UHPC binder must be mixed with water in a compulsory mixer.
• The UHPC binder can be mixed as casting compound or clay-like solid.
• The UHPC binder can be made in different colors.

We had the material processed by a potter. His verdict was that if we worked on some set screws in the recipe, we would produce an interesting material. We did not expect a better judgment. Our goal was to get the sound as close as possible in consistency and workmanship. I would say we are not that bad.

 

 

WPE DK International

Phone: 0049 176 601 73146
E-mail: info@wpe-dk.dk
Homepage: www.wpe-dk.com

Rehabilitation and restoration of historic constructions with UHPC - part 1

Obtaining historical constructions is an 

important task. Much has already been 
lost through time and war, few of which 
are important to obtain.

we could not produce original materials 
from different time periods, so we can 
not fulfill this part of the restoration of 
historical constructions.

But with UHPC Ultra High Performance 
Concrete, we are able to offer solutions 
to a wide range of problems in conserving, 
reconstructing and restoring historical 
constructions.

UHPC has many advantages for use

• It can look exactly like limestone, 
  sandstone or granite
• it can be just as hard as limestone, 
  sandstone or granite
• It can be made as stones in any 
  measure like limestone, sandstone or 
  granite
• It can take over any stone surface of 
  limestone, sandstone or granite
• It can copy extremely accurate copies 
  including traces of use in all the finer 
  points of limestone, sandstone or granite
• It can be made as a casting material or 
  as a mortar and processed as traditional 
  casting and mortar mass for limestone, 
  sandstone or granite
• It can be machined with traditional tools 
  depending on the desired hardness.
• It can have almost the same consistency 
  as plaster and can be processed as well. 
  For extremely high whiteness we added 
  Aalborg White cement to our UHPC binder, 
  the cement grade with the highest degree 
  of whiteness.
• UHPC can add ductility to modern plastic 
  or ceramic fibers, so the great strength 
  of the material movements of old buildings 
  can certainly go along without the cracks 
  becoming visible.
• UHPC is impermeable to water from an 
  average layer thickness of 10 mm.
• UHPC can also be processed under water 
  as cast or mortar
• However, it is extremely resistant to all 
  types of environmental influences
• It is extremely resistant to frost and de-icing 
  salt
• Wood and steel can be cast in UHPC, 
  re-stabilized, restored to their original 
  carrying capacity, and given very high 
  corrosion resistance for many decades

UHPC is not magic material it is based on a 
particular nanotechnology and the right recipe 
for the right mix, for the right aggregates, for the 
right material quality.

With UHPC we can mix almost anything, old 
minerals, old textiles, old wood, old hemp, old 
pigments, old ground rock meal - just about 
everything.


www.hhbc-consulting.de
info@hhbc-consulting.de

Aggregate, fibers and reinforcements for UHPC

Over the course of more than 25 years, we have combined and applied a large number of materials with our UHPC materials. The material combination was used as wear protection material, offshore material, floor material, building material (for buildings, bridges, halls, etc.), safety technology, shipbuilding, tunnel construction, etc.

We would like to show a small selection of aggregates, fibers and reinforcements, which we have used. The aim of our development work in the combination of UHPC with other materials is the possibility to create country-specific materials with UHPC.

For each of these aggregates, fibers and reinforcements, there is a little story why we chose the combination, how we processed it and the results. if you are interested write us and we will send you this collection of little stories.

Further information on the aggregates, fibers and reinforcements


www.hhbc-consulting.de
info@hhbc-consulting.de

Brighter and cooler city centers and brighter in tunnels with UHPC

An article reported on the increasing warming of

inner cities and possible future measures to reduce
heating.

City roads

In a test, some asphalt road with a specially
developed soil color was colored white as much
as possible and the temperature differences in
this road were measured over a summer period.
It turned out that the light road surfaces reflect
significantly more solar radiation and were
therefore "cooler" than the traditional asphalt
pavements.

Of course the pavement painting, the traffic and
thus exposed to wear and it would be necessary
to renew the floor paint at regular intervals.

A simpler and much more durable method is
the combination of asphalt and UHPC Ultra
High Performance Concrete binder. This
combination is used in many areas such as
industrial flooring, aircraft hangars, runways
and roads. This combination has a variety of
technical and cost advantages over standard
asphalt. Its main advantages are its extreme

resilience at any temperature and the much

higher compressive strength than Asphalt

alone.

The lifetime of this material combination is
several times higher than standard asphalt.
Likewise, this coating can easily withstand
the future traffic through its significantly
higher pressure resistance

The UHPC binder content can also be produced
on a white cement base. As you can see in the
photo, the binder would stain over the entire
layer thickness without the need for special
"coloring" measures.

Tunnel

In addition to reflecting solar radiation, very

light asphalt / UHPC surface has many other

advantages over traditional asphalt surfaces.
When used in tunnels, the light-colored road

surface reduces the energy costs for lighting,

the floor areas are evenly light, which increases

safety, and the surface is considerably less

flammable than standard asphalt surface. The

surface has a much longer service life with high

traffic loads than standard asphalt, which

drastically reduces repair times and repair costs

and increases traffic safety.

It can become very bright on the streets

www.hhbc-consulting.de
info@hhbc-consulting.de

UHPC 3D printing

It is interesting to see today what printing results universities and printer manufacturers achieve.

The results are an interplay between printer technology and material technology. In my opinion today, very good results are achieved in the design areas with the printers, but many problems still have to be solved in professional architectural building construction.

There are

Compressive strength

The standard concrete reaches its maximum compressive strength after 28 days. For the printing technology unacceptable, here must be helped with accelerator. Printing speed and strength development must be matched and optimized without loss of strength.
UHPC Ultra High Performance Concrete can be a solution. Strengths of over 200 MPa can be achieved here. Already during the UHPC binder production, we can adjust the strength development, as well as the flow characteristic. The addition of commercially available additives is no longer necessary.

Print speed

Of course you want an optimum speed, you want to process a large amount / weight of concrete in a very short time. The concrete should be able to support itself after a very short time and be load-bearing for ceiling elements.
With UHPC materials, large amounts of material are already processed in a short time using the wet and dry spraying process. The consistency of the UHPC print material can be adapted to the printer characteristic. UHPC materials already develop high strength values in short time in the standard qualities. However, this time can be extremely reduced by changing material production.

Statics

The print heads are usually small in diameter and the applied wall thicknesses compared to a masonry or a finished concrete wall are very thin. Static load-bearing walls can be printed for several floors, or double-skin walls must be printed in order to achieve a structurally stable construction. Do I have to print double-shelled?

Heat / cold insulation

If I print with a standard concrete I do not achieve any insulating properties. So I have to print double-shelled and fill the cavity with insulation material or retrofit an insulating layer from the inside.
At the moment we are the only ones who are able to combine a high pressure resistant material with an insulating material. This combination material is also pumpable.

Steel girders, reinforcements

Even with 3D printing, you can not ignore reinforcements and support structures, or you can remain eternally restricted to small, simple and low-rise building constructions. How can I optimally combine carrier structures, steel reinforcements with a single printing process?

Last but not least interesting design

So far I have seen the obligatory pressure bulges on all prints. For the beginning, this may be fine but soon you should have printing technologies that ensures a sharp-edged pressure even on the wall corners. A rework of the walls in the flat areas to get is cost and time consuming. Of course, when I use the printing technology, I also want to print exceptional geometry and thin-walled constructions.

I have a note at the end

If all my misgivings can be wiped out the question remains if I want to print a large building, I need a fairly large printer technology which is not even built and dismantled and I need a very fast continuous flow of material to the printer when the printer should work quickly.

I do not want to know misunderstood. I think 3D printer technology is very interesting for the future and I know that some engineering companies are working on technical solutions. As part of our material development, we also work on a flexible, extreme fast-curing, high-compressive strength material for the printer producer. In close technical agreement with the respective printer manufacturer, we can adapt our UHPC materials to the requirements and provide test material to the printer manufacturer.

UHPC - Facades and Balconies

Many facades of public buildings such as
train stations, airports, banks, administrations,
etc. have almost incredible design in addition
to the necessary thermal function.
Then there are the steel and glass facades,
admittedly they fulfill their function perfectly,
but that's pretty much all that can be said
about them. And there are the old facades
that have aged with pride, which are made of
stones with some figures that bear history.

Each of these facades can tell a story, which
one can certainly not say of glass and steel
facades.
UHPC concrete can perfectly combine the
modern with the proud old design. UHPC
concrete is a modern material for the future
with incredible properties. It offers flexibility
in design, security in temperature and wear
resistance, durability in extreme strength and
very high resistance to almost all environmental
influences, detail in design, easy to use
compared to other materials, it can be processed
on site worldwide.

Facades of houses and balconies were almost
always characterized by their marked simplicity.
For some years now, more and more architects
and designers have been dealing with this area
and also because of the climate discussion.
Today you can see more and more interesting
solutions for facades and balconies of residential
buildings. Simple smaller and larger rectangular
balconies are disappearing more and more and
are being replaced by new balcony geometries.
The old idea of ​​greening facades is increasing
in urban centers. Today it is called the vertical
garden. In the course of this development, the
balconies also became gardens and, for some
architects, veritable forests.

Here too, UHPC concrete offer architects and
designers a variety of new technical and design
options. Due to the extremely high strength
values, balcony slabs can be made much thinner
than with a standard concrete or the balcony area
can be increased significantly with the same slab
thickness as with a standard concrete. As with
the facades, in addition to the strength, the

extremely high resistance to environmental
influences and the resistance to fire is a factor
of great interest.

UHPC/Asphalt system versus concrete for pavement, industrial flooring and roads

What is UHPC Phalt?

UHPC Phalt is a grouted macadam comprising 
an open graded asphalt that is flooded with high 
strength microsilica based mortars. The open 
graded asphalt is mixed to a design mix at a 
local asphalt plant and delivered to site in tipper 
trucks. It is placed via traditional paving techniques.

The UHPC Phalt mortars are delivered in 
1 tonne bags and mixed via a continuous flow 
pump machine. The mortar is mixed for a certain 
amount of time to achieve correct viscosity then 
flooded via a large hose onto the asphalt matrix.

How does the whole construction 
thickness fit together?

UHPC Phalt can be laid at depths of 30 mm / 
1,18 in upwards (typically maximum depth used 
is 40 mm / 1,57 in). UHPC Phalt is the top layer 
of the pavement that is supported by a basecourse 
layer. The basecourse layer can vary dependent 
on environment and loadings, internal or external 
applications. Preferred basecourse materials to 
support the UHPC Phalt topping are high modulus 
macadam basecourse or Foamix recycled binder 
course. CBM bases are ideal for use for large 
internal areas. 
The UHPC Phalt pavement structure (DPH + 
Basecourse) is laid onto varying depths of Type 1 stone/capping dependent on the CBR value of 
the sub-grade. 

Advantages of UHPC  Phalt

• Very high load carrying capacity

• Frost and rew resistant

• Jointless laying

• Quick installation

• High early strength

• Temperature resistant from - 60°C/-76°F - 90°C/194°F

Where is UHPC Phalt used?

• Airports
• Ports
• Lorry marshalling areas
• Service yards
• Acces roads
• Bus stations / depots
• Waste management facilities
• Car parks
• Indoors for warehouse floors
• Anywhere that concrete is conventionally used 
  
  
  www.hhbc-consulting.de
  info@hhbc-consulting.de