Recommendations for the design of ultra-high performance concrete structures

New materials frequently require modifications or rewrites of existing construction codes. They may also need new methods for their manufacture and installation. DUCTAL, a new ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) with enhanced tensile, compressive, and deflective behavior offered by LaFarge, is one such material, and current guidelines for concrete do not sufficiently account for these improved properties. Research by other universities and professional institutions has produced sequential recommendations, beginning with the experiment-based set from the Association Francaise de Genie Civil (AFGC) through the analytically-based set from MIT. In this thesis, the MIT approach is further developed into a coherent method for hardened UHPC design. The first two sections familiarize the reader with the analytical model for UHPC and the evolution in design codes and their philosophical bases. Essential concepts, such as the two-phase matrix-fiber behavior of the material and the use of a maximum crack width criterion to govern design, are explained. Next, the most current design guidelines are presented in full, with attention paid to bending and shear resistance. Comparisons with previous codes demonstrate the ability of these guidelines to produce more structurally efficient sections which consume less material.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• Davila, Ricardo S

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Franz-Josef Ulm.

• Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/38939

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/38939