The History of Ultra High Performance Concrete(UHPC)

The Danish Hans Henrik Bache developed in 1981 the named as Densified Small Particle (DSP), a fine powder with plasticizer to achieve a high particle packing density. Five years later (1986), the addition of dispersed fibers to give ductility to this brittle material generated what is considered nowadays the first Ultra High Performance Concrete(UHPC). Combined with a dense steel reinforcement, The base is in removing the coarse aggregates, optimizing the granular mixture, and applying pressure before and during setting.

In 1994, De Larrard and Sedran used for first time the term Ultra High Performance Concrete(UHPC), referring it as a cementitious material with ultra-high performance thanks to the design of its mix using a high packing density model and the application of a moderate thermal curing.

In the late nineties, several companies launched to the market their Ultra High Performance Concrete(UHPC) mixtures (Ductal® from Lafarge, BSI/Ceracem® from Sika and Eiffage, BCV® from Vicat, CEMTEC Multiscale®), trying to promote the use of commercial premixes in new demanding applications.

Progressively, some of these products were no longer available in the market, being replaced by Ultra High Performance Concrete(UHPC) mixtures tailored locally for each application due to the gradual democratization of the technology.

In 2016  These uses were favored by the adoption in France of the first world norm for Ultra High Performance Concrete(UHPC) (NF P 18-710: Complement for the Eurocode 2 with Specific Rules for Ultra-High-Performance Concretes; and NF P 18 470: Ultra-High Performance Concretes: Specifications, performance, production and conformity), which is still considered a relevant reference at international level.

The first world application of UHPC in civil engineering was the Sherbrooke footbridge (1997, Canada), followed by an increasing number of applications in the field of civil engineering, architecture, and industry. The most active countries in this field are Germany, France, United States, Switzerland, Japan, and Spain. In the last, the first structure of UHPC was the Oveja’s Ravine Footbridge (44 m of span, 2012), which became also the first world truss footbridge made only with UHPC.

Then also designed the first UHPC bridge in Spain (2017), the first world UHPC floating farm (2016, having nowadays more than 15.000 m2 installed), and the first world use of UHPC in floating solar energy, installed in a 5 MW plant in the largest EU dam (2021, Alqueva, Portugal).

Ultra High Performance Concrete(UHPC) is a material with a promising future. The universalization of its use passes through understanding the specific applications where it provides the best possible solution. Contrary to what might be assumed, many of these uses are not to replace traditional concrete and are not even in the construction sector. The path to discover them is to cooperate with different industries, to avoid preconceived ideas and to be openminded.