08.02.2010
Bonded Concrete
Even the Romans valued the properties of concrete. The popular building material has improved over time and continues to develop further. Into UHPC—ultra-high-performance concrete—which is characterised by its extremely high density and compression strength. Its special strength, however, has not yet been sufficiently studied in practical applications. It's time for science to put the pressure on: in two projects, researchers at the Institut für Massivbau (Institute for Solid Construction) at RWTH Aachen are testing the load-bearing performance of the ultra-high-performance concrete in composite girders and in prestressed concrete girders. Does the UHPC deliver what it promises? To project page
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Bonded Concrete: Episode 12, 08/02/2010
Summit Meeting
Guido is off to attend a conference in Baden near Vienna. Even the journey there by motorway turns out to be an illustration of the last few weeks at the institute. Be it a tunnel or any one of the various types of bridge, whether curved or straight with a framework – here we see all manner of different construction methods that would be impossible without concrete and steel, some of them also prestressed. Once he has arrived in Vienna, Guido takes a break from UHPC for a change, before presenting the results of the experiments on the ultra-high performance building material in the conference hall at the casino in Baden…
01.02.2010
Between Pressure and Tension
It all depends on the timing! What happens during the test before the beam fails? An analysis of the data gathered during the experiment will hopefully answer this question...
25.01.2010
A New Failure Pressure?
Today it’s the composite beam’s turn – will the steel and concrete hold together?
18.01.2010
Destructive Testing - Part Two
Another exciting moment for the researchers from Aachen has arrived – the other end of the concrete beam is ready to be subjected to a load of several tons.
11.01.2010
There’s a Crackling in the Concrete!
Destructive testing: The going gets tough for UHPC – how much weight can it withstand? Will the beam break?
14.12.2009
Prestressed
Will the UHPC beam be able to stand the transfer of the prestressing force? The tension in the lab is rising!
23.10.2009
Tension Guaranteed
Strands, formwork and concrete – you need just the right tension to make a UHPC beam!
23.09.2009
Loading Is Measurable
Concrete and steel under the magnifying glass: Experiments with deformation and crack behaviour—how do you see cracks that are less than a thousandth of a millimetre wide?
07.09.2009
High-strength Ingredients
What is made of basalt, sand, cement, microsilica, quartz powder and steel fibres? I’ll give you a clue: It goes on to have a very dense microstructure…
06.08.2009
A Dream Team
Steel and concrete meet. The question is: How will they actually hold together? The search for the right combination of materials begins…
13.07.2009
Failure Welcome
Ceilings, buttresses and beams – you need to withstand considerable burdens if you want to be strong in real life in the future. UHPC also needs to be crash tested – will it display tensile-compressive failure as hoped?
30.06.2009
The Mixture Makes It!
All concrete is not created equally: UHPC can withstand much more than normal concrete. Above all, this saves resources. With ultra-high-performance concrete, it's possible to create modern filigree structures.
The Projects
Everything about wave hunters, discrete optimisers and love à la Darwin—here, you'll experience what lies behind the individual projects as you follow the research diaries and get to know the scientists.
Function through Diversity
Pioneering work in China: The largest ever forest experiment on biodiversity
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