High Performance Concrete is defined differently by numerous organizations and experts. The American Concrete Institute describes High Performance Concrete as “Concrete that satisfies unique criteria for performance and uniformity that cannot always be achieved by using traditional materials, standard blending method and typical curing methods”.
HPC is a concrete, in simpler words, with at least one outstanding property viz. In contrast to standard concrete, compressive strength, high workability, increased resistance to chemical or mechanical pressures, lower permeability, longevity etc. Self-compacting Concrete, for instance, is a particular part of High-Performance Concrete, which distinguishes itself with high flowability-coupled self-consolidation properties.
Advantages of High-Performance Concrete
- Utilize ball bearing effect by using Fly ash in concrete for better workability and pumping at high levels
- permits design flexibility accommodating curves, arches and other pleasing architectural effects
- lower early-age temperature rise, reducing the risk of thermal cracking in large pours
- Low water demand
- Higher ultimate strength
- Durable
- Good sulphate resistance
- considerable sustainability benefits
- Savings on admixture cost
- Fly ash improves the flowability of the concrete, which translates into less wear and tear on all the producer’s equipment, from batching facilities to trucks.
- Need less man power
- Higher installation performance since no compaction work is necessary which leads to reduced construction times, especially at large construction sites
- Reduced noise pollution since vibrators are not necessary
- Higher and more homogenous concrete quality across the entire concrete cross-section, especially around the reinforcement
- Improved concrete surfaces (visible concrete quality)
- Typically higher early strength of the concrete so that formwork removal can be performed more quickly
- Can be used regardless of cement combinations
- The uses of pozzolanic materials, such as slag, fly ash, silica fume, etc., will help SCC more durable
- is ideal for concrete parts with complicated shapes and elements with high quality visible concrete.
Common Usage
- Where steel reinforcement are congested
- Foundations
- Pre-cast panels
- Pre-cast bridge component
- Columns
- Under water concrete
- Stream protection
- Virtually any structure
- High rise towers
- Industrial flooring
- Pre-cast and pre-stressed concrete
- Shot-crete
- Gunite
- High strength grout