Title:
Applications of Architectural UHPC in USA Building Façades
Author(s):
George Quercia
Publication:
Web Session
Volume:
ws_S24_GeorgeQuercia.pdf
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
3/24/2024
Abstract:
Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) offers new capabilities for structural and aesthetic concrete for architectural applications in building design. Composite architectural UHPC is over four times as strong as traditional pre-cast concrete and performs exceptionally well in demanding environmental conditions. Its strength is attributed to the carefully calibrated ratio of engineered ingredients and a mixing sequence that packs molecules together closely and creates very tight bonds. The material’s high packing density combined with fiber reinforcement (both discrete fibers and mesh) yields excellent flexural and compressive strength and virtually eliminates the capillary pores that cause freeze-thaw degradation in other cement-based products. Its distinct material properties provide opportunities for greater spans, thinner profiles, more complex geometries, and higher performance in extreme climates than other glass fiber reinforced concretes (GFRC), terracotta, and metal-reinforced precast concrete products, while maintaining competitive installation costs. This presentation will cover composite Architectural UHPC (A|UHPC) panels and component material properties, ongoing code developments, and a summary of the most important projects of more than 400 completed in USA since 2012.