JCI Award 2008

(Sponsored by Japan Concrete Institute, Japan - for a non-Japanese paper)

Title: The world first portal frame building (Wilson Hall) Constructed using ultra-high performance concrete

(From page 493 to 500 in OW08 Proceedings Vol. XXVII)

(Authors: Y L Voo and W K Poon)

Presented by Y L Voo*,

Dura Technology Sdn Bhd, Malaysia

Abstract

Human's civilisation had seen many glorious constructions over the centuries; and on these constructions where the foundation of human civilisation was built. Constructions had been blooming since the Industrial Revolution. Consequently, these blooming of human's civilisation have turned the Mother-Earth into the sacrificing goat where depletion of resources and effect of global warming are right at the door step of Armageddon. Ironically, this wrong-doing could be the major cause for the wipe-out of human's civilisation as well.

This paper reports the initiative to introduce a new concrete technology with the aim to make building and construction industries more sustainable and greener. This next generation of concrete, which is commonly known as the ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is a new class of cementitious based material that has been developed since the mid 1990's. UHPC is a paradigmatic green material compare to conventional concrete because the technology focus in the optimization of material characteristics, designs and life-cycle performance of the structures. Experimental study on the structural behaviours of four SFR-UHPC prestressed beams with the primary interest focusing on the flexural and shear behaviours was presented. Experimental study shows SFR-UHPC is able to use as structural member for many engineering applications. In addition, it has the potential to replace structural steel beams that are currently escalating in price and depleting in resource.

Keywords: Ultra-high performance concrete, prestressed beams