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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Determining the Environmental Benefits of Ultra High Performance Concrete as a Bridge Construction Material
Rein Terje ThorstensenIda Granseth AasbakkenReyn Joseph O'bornIngrid Lande LarsenKatalin Vértessubject
Long lastingCementEngineeringbusiness.industry0211 other engineering and technologies02 engineering and technologyStructural engineering010501 environmental sciences01 natural sciencesCivil engineeringDurabilityBridge (nautical)Construction industry021105 building & constructionEnvironmental impact assessmentUltra high performancebusinessLife-cycle assessment0105 earth and related environmental sciencesdescription
Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) is a material that is attracting attention in the construction industry due to the high mechanical strength and durability, leading to structures having low maintenance requirements. The production of UHPC, however, has generally higher environmental impact than normal strength concrete due to the increased demand of cement required in the concrete mix. What is still not sufficiently investigated, is if the longer lifetime, slimmer construction and lower maintenance requirements lead to a net environmental benefit compared to standard concrete bridge design. This study utilizes life cycle assessment (LCA) to determine the lifetime impacts of two comparable highway crossing footbridges spanning 40 meters, designed respectively with UHPC and normal strength concrete. The results of the study show that UHPC is an effective material for reducing lifetime emissions from construction and maintenance of long lasting infrastructure, as the UHPC design outperforms the normal strength concrete bridge in most impact categories.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-01 | IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering |