Design of high performance concrete: high compressive strength, adequate workability and high resistance to erosion - abrasion for hydraulic works

• Main Authors: Fabricio Yépez, Francisco X. Calderón
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad San Francisco de Quito 2014-06-01
• Series: ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías
• Subjects: Hormigón alto desempeño; Microsílice; Diseño volumétrico de mezcla; Resistencia a la compresión; Resistencia a la erosión-abrasión; Aditivos reductores de agua de alto rango
• Online Access: http://revistas.usfq.edu.ec/index.php/avances/article/view/162

<p>Development and production of High Performance Concrete -HPC- have shown slow progress in Ecuador. This study is focused on the definition of a volumetric design of a concrete mixt fulfilling the following performance objectives: to have very high compression strength (over 90 MPa) without losing adequate workability and to get high abrasion erosion resistance of concrete. All those objectives are required for the construction of the spillways in some hydropower projects in Ecuador. At the same time, a guideline to develop the design of a HPC concrete mix using materials available locally is presented. Economic considerations, materials availability in the local market and a cost/resistance ratio of the final product are discussed. For this purpose, several concrete mixtures were produced using ASTM C1240 silica fume and a full range water reducer admixture complying ASTM C494 (polycarboxilate based). The final result was a high workability concrete mixture with 98 MPa compression resistance at 7 days and a maximum compression resistance of 138 MPa at 28 days, being the mixture with the highest strength ever produced in Ecuador, and presenting less than 0.8% abrasion erosion losses, according to ASTC C1138 test procedure.</p>