French experience of UHPFRC development from 2013: standards, breakthrough, UHPFRC solutions, fashion...

Author(s) : F. Toutlemonde, J. Resplendino, S. Bernardi, Z. Hajar
Paper category : Proceedings
Book title : UHPFRC 2017 Designing and Building with UHPFRC: New large-scale implementations, recent technical advances, experience and standards
Editor(s) : F. Toutlemonde & J. ResplendinoT.Ch.
Print-ISBN : 978-2-35158-166-7
e-ISBN : 978-2-35158-167-4
Publisher : RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year : 2017
Pages: 1047 - 1050
Total Pages : 4
Language : English

Abstract: The year 2013, as a starting point associated to UHPFRC 2013 international symposium in Marseille for detailing further evolutions until now, has constituted a significant milestone for UHPFRC in France. Eighteen years after the presentation of Reactive Powder Concrete at ACI Convention, two major projects associated to urban renovation, the MuCEM in Marseille and the Jean Bouin Stadium in Paris, had been completed, leading to widened awareness of technical and architectural capabilities of these “new concretes” both among professional (architects and engineers) and for the public, including clients of constructions.
Technical acceptance of the design, industrial processes and details associated to these projects, as well as previous satisfactory French 15 years-experience of building components and bridges made of UHPFRC, has made it possible to launch a standardization process that has led to the publication of three complementary standards, related to UHPFRC structural design, material production and control, and execution of structures (the first two documents having being published in French and English in 2016, the latter one being expected for 2017, as well as updating of the standard for precast concrete). Although based on the technical consensus expressed in AFGC recommendations revised in 2013, the standards elaboration has promoted clarification and simplification of the ordering / qualification processes for easier UHPFRC contract implementation.
Since 2013, outstanding projects made of UHPFRC have been rare, however international recognition especially within ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards program has been gained not only for the MuCEM and Jean Bouin Stadium in 2015, but also for the “Ring of Memory” at International Memorial of Notre-Dame de Lorette in 2016. Noticeably enough, UHPFRC has made possible competitive solutions for the Buthaumont Bridge and the footbridge at Le Cannet des Maures. In Switzerland with the iconic example of Chillon viaducts, and progressively also in France, bridge deck repair or protection using UHPFRC has deserved increasing interest. However, the driving field of UHPFRC application in France has concerned cladding and roofing panels for buildings (e.g. “Vente Privée” Headquarters, “La Mantilla” buildings…) and large infrastructure projects (e.g. Montpellier high speed railway station), making ultra-thin, highly transparent and architecturally appealing elements possible in a cost-efficient way due to the lightness of these secondary elements.
Consolidation of engineering and industrial know-how is a key condition for further development of such applications. This has been the case among several architects, designers, checkers, engineering offices, and precasting plants, although quite few. Education associated to the standards dissemination should strengthen these capabilities. Further research and development efforts have addressed advanced UHPFRC modelling, seismic design with UHPFRC, and non-conventional process optimization (sprayed UHPFRC, 3D printing etc.) which could widen the scope of cost-efficient implementation.

Online publication : 2017
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros) : 0.00