Reactive Powder Concrete

Heat Evolution
Compatibility
Issues
Rheology
Pumping of
Concrete
Multiaxial
Loading
Constitutive
Relationships
Performance
Specs
Special
Concretes
Quality Control
Issues
NDE of Concrete




Introduction
Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) is a developing composite material that
will allow the concrete industry to optimize material use, generate
economic benefits, and build structures that are strong, durable, and
sensitive to environment. A comparison of the physical, mechanical, and
durability properties of RPC and HPC (High Performance Concrete)
shows that RPC possesses better strength (both compressive and
flexural) and lower permeability compared to HPC. This page reviews
the available literature on RPC, and also presents the results of
laboratory investigations comparing RPC with HPC. Specific benefits
and potential applications of RPC have also been described.
High-Performance Concrete (HPC) is not just a simple mixture of
cement, water, and aggregates. It contains mineral components and
chemical admixtures having very specific characteristics, which give
specific properties to the concrete. The development of HPC results from
the materialization of a new science of concrete, a new science of
admixtures and the use of advanced scientific equipments to monitor
concrete microstructure.

HPC has achieved the maximum compressive strength in its existing
form of microstructure. However, at such a level of strength, the coarse
aggregate becomes the weakest link in concrete. In order to increase the
compressive strength of concrete even further, the only way is to remove
the coarse aggregate. This philosophy has been employed in Reactive
Powder Concrete (RPC)
1
.

Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) was developed in France in the early
1990s and the worlds first Reactive Powder Concrete structure, the
Sherbrooke Bridge in Canada, was erected in July 1997. Reactive
Powder Concrete (RPC) is an ultra high-strength and high ductility
cementitious composite with advanced mechanical and physical
properties. It consists of a special concrete where the microstructure is
optimized by precise gradation of all particles in the mix to yield
maximum density. It uses extensively the pozzolanic properties of highly
refined silica fume and optimization of the Portland cement chemistry to
produce the highest strength hydrates
1
.
The concept of reactive powder concrete was first developed by P.
Richard and M. Cheyrezy and RPC was first produced in the early 1990s
by researchers at Bouygues laboratory in France
2
. A field application of
RPC was done on the Pedestrian/Bikeway Bridge in the city of
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
3
. RPC was nominated for the 1999 Nova
Awards from the Construction Innovation Forum. RPC has been used
successfully for isolation and containment of nuclear wastes in Europe
due to its excellent impermeability
4
.
The requirements for HPC used for the nuclear waste containment
structures of Indian Nuclear Power Plants are normal compressive
strength, moderate E value, uniform density, good workability, and high
durability
5
. There is a need to evaluate RPC regarding its strength and
durability to suggest its use for nuclear waste containment structures in
Indian context.
Composition of Reactive Powder Concrete
RPC is composed of very fine powders (cement, sand, quartz powder and
silica fume), steel fibres (optional) and superplasticizer. The
superplasticizer, used at its optimal dosage, decreases the water to
cement ratio (w/c) while improving the workability of the concrete. A
very dense matrix is achieved by optimizing the granular packing of the
dry fine powders. This compactness gives RPC ultra-high strength and
durability
6
. Reactive Powder Concretes have compressive strengths
ranging from 200 MPa to 800 MPa.
Richard and Cheyrezy
1
indicate the following principles for developing
RPC:
1. Elimination of coarse aggregates for enhancement of homogeneity
2. Utilization of the pozzolanic properties of silica fume
3. Optimization of the granular mixture for the enhancement of
compacted density
4. The optimal usage of superplasticizer to reduce w/c and improve
workability
5. Application of pressure (before and during setting) to improve
compaction
6. Post-set heat-treatment for the enhancement of the
microstructure
7. Addition of small-sized steel fibres to improve ductility
Table 1 lists salient properties of RPC, along with suggestions on how to
achieve them. Table 2 describes the different ingredients of RPC and
their selection parameters. The mixture design of RPC primarily
involves the creation of a dense granular skeleton. Optimization of the
granular mixture can be achieved either by the use of packing models
7
or
by particle size distribution software, such as LISA
8
[developed by
Elkem ASA Materials]. For RPC mixture design an experimental
method has been preferred thus far. Table 3 presents various mixture
proportions for RPC obtained from available literature
1,3,9,10
.
Table 1: Properties of RPC enhancing its homogeneity and strength
Property
of
RPC
Description
Recommended
Values
Types of
failure
eliminated

Reduction
in
aggregate
size
Coarse
aggregates
are replaced
by fine sand,
with a
reduction in
the size of
the coarsest
aggregate by
a factor of
about 50.
Maximum size
of fine sand is
600 m

Mechanical,
Chemical &
Thermo-
mechanical
Enhanced
mechanical
properties
Improved
mechanical
properties of
the paste by
the addition
of silica
fume
Youngs
modulus values
in 50 GPa 75
Gpa range
Disturbance
of the
mechanical
stress field.
Reduction
in
aggregate
to matrix
ratio
Limitation
of sand
content
Volume of the
paste is at least
20% greater
than the voids
index of non-
compacted
sand.

By any
external
source (e.g.,
formwork).
Table 2: Selection Parameters for RPC components
Components
Selection
Parameters
Function
Particle
Size
Types
Sand
Good
hardness
Readily
available and
low cost.

Give
strength,
Aggregate
150 m
to
600 m
Natural,
Crushed
Cement
C
3
S : 60%;
C
2
S : 22%;
C
3
A : 3.8%;
Binding
material,
Production
1 m
to
100 m
OPC,
Medium
fineness
C
4
AF: 7.4%.
(optimum)
of primary
hydrates
Quartz Powder fineness
Max.
reactivity
during
heat-
treating
5 m
to
25 m
Crystalline
Silica fume
Very less
quantity of
impurities
Filling the
voids,
Enhance
rheology,
Production
of
secondary
hydrates
0.1 m
to
1 m
Procured
from
Ferrosilicon
industry
(highly
refined)
Steel fibres
Good aspect
ratio
Improve
ductility
L : 13
25 mm
:
0.15
0.2 mm
Straight
Superplasticizer
Less
retarding
characteristic
Reduce
w/c
_
Polyacrylate
based
Table 3: RPC mixture designs from literature

P. Richard and M.
Cheyrezy
1

S. A.
Bouygues
3

V.
Matte
9

S.
Staquet
10

[1995] [1997] [1999] [2000]

Non
fibred
12 mm
fibres
25 mm
fibres
Fibred Fibred
Portland
Cement
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Silica fume 0.25 0.23 0.25 0.23 0.324 0.325 0.324
Sand 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.423 1.43 1.43
Quartz Powder -- 0.39 -- 0.39 0.296 0.3 0.3
Superplasticizer 0.016 0.019 0.016 0.019 0.027 0.018 0.021
Steel fibre -- -- 0.175 0.175 0.268 0.275 0.218
Water 0.15 0.17 0.17 0.19 0.282 0.2 0.23
Compacting
pressure
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
Heat treatment
temperature
20C 90C 20C 90C 90C 90C 90C

The major parameter that decides the quality of the mixture is its water
demand (quantity of water for minimum flow of concrete). In fact, the
voids index of the mixture is related to the sum of water demand and
entrapped air. After selecting a mixture design according to minimum
water demand, optimum water content is analyzed using the parameter
relative density (d
0
/d
S
). Here d
0
and d
S
represent the density of the
concrete and the compacted density of the mixture (no water or air)
respectively. Relative density indicates the level of packing of the
concrete and its maximum value is one. For RPC, the mixture design
should be such that the packing density is maximized.
Microstructure enhancement of RPC is done by heat curing. Heat curing
is performed by simply heating (normally at 90C) the concrete at
normal pressure after it has set properly. This considerably accelerates
the pozzolanic reaction, while modifying the microstructure of the
hydrates that have formed
1
. Pre-setting pressurization has also been
suggested as a means of achieving high strength
1
.
The high strength of RPC makes it highly brittle. Steel fibres are
generally added to RPC to enhance its ductility. Straight steel fibres used
typically are about 13 mm long, with a diameter of 0.15 mm. The fibres
are introduced into the mixture at a ratio of between 1.5 and 3% by
volume
1
. The cost-effective optimal dosage is equivalent to a ratio of 2%
by volume, or about 155 kg/m
3
.
Mechanical Performance and Durability of RPC
The RPC family includes two types of concrete, designated RPC 200 and
RPC 800, which offer interesting implicational possibilities in different
areas. Mechanical properties for the two types of RPC are given in Table
4. The high flexural strength of RPC is due to the addition of steel fibres.

Table 5 shows typical mechanical properties of RPC compared to a
conventional HPC of compressive strength 80 MPa
11
. As fracture
toughness, which is a measure of energy absorbed per unit volume of
material to fracture, is higher for RPC, it exhibits high ductility. Apart
from their exceptional mechanical properties, RPCs have an ultra-dense
microstructure, giving advantageous waterproofing and durability
characteristics. These materials can therefore be used for industrial and
nuclear waste storage facilities
1
.
RPC has ultra-high durability characteristics resulting from its
extremely low porosity, low permeability, limited shrinkage and
increased corrosion resistance. In comparison to HPC, there is no
penetration of liquid and/or gas through RPC
4
. The characteristics of
RPC given in Table 6, enable its use in chemically aggressive
environments and where physical wear greatly limits the life of other
concretes
12
.
Table 4: Comparison of RPC 200 and RPC 800
RPC 200 RPC 800
Pre-setting pressurization None 50 MPa
Heat-treating 20 to 90C
250 to
400C
Compressive strength (using
quartz sand)
170 to 230
MPa
490 to 680
MPa
Compressive strength (using
steel aggregate)
--
650 to 810
MPa
Flexural strength
30 to 60
MPa
45 to 141
MPa
Table 5: Comparison of HPC (80 MPa) and RPC 200
9

Property HPC (80 MPa)

RPC 200
Compressive strength 80 MPa 200 MPa
Flexural strength 7 MPa 40 MPa
Modulus of Elasticity 40 GPa 60 GPa
Fracture Toughness <10 J/m 30*10 J/m
Table 6: Durability of RPC Compared to HPC
10

Abrasive Wear 2.5 times lower
Water Absorption 7 times lower
Rate of Corrosion 8 times lower
Chloride ions diffusion 25 times lower
Limitations of RPC
In a typical RPC mixture design, the least costly components of
conventional concrete are basically eliminated or replaced by more
expensive elements. The fine sand used in RPC becomes equivalent to the
coarse aggregate of conventional concrete, the Portland cement plays the
role of the fine aggregate and the silica fume that of the cement. The
mineral component optimization alone results in a substantial increase in
cost over and above that of conventional concrete (5 to 10 times higher
than HPC). RPC should be used in areas where substantial weight
savings can be realized and where some of the remarkable
characteristics of the material can be fully utilized2. Owing to its high
durability, RPC can even replace steel in compression members where
durability issues are at stake (e.g. in marine condition). Since RPC is in
its developing stage, the long-term properties are not known.
Experimental study at IIT Madras
Materials Used
The materials used for the study, their IS specifications and properties
have been presented in Table 7.
Mixture Design of RPC and HPC
Considerable numbers of trial mixtures were prepared to obtain
good RPC and HPC mixture proportions.
Particle size optimization software, LISA
8
[developed by Elkem
ASA Materials] was used for the preparation of RPC and HPC
trial mixtures.
Various mixture proportions obtained from the available
literature were also studied.
The selection of best mixture proportions was on the basis of good
workability and ideal mixing time.
Finalized mixture proportions of RPC and HPC are shown in
Table 8.
Table 7: Materials used in the study and their properties
Sl.
No.
Sample
Specific
Gravity
Particle size range
1
Cement, OPC,
53-grade
[IS. 12269
1987]
3.15 31 m 7.5 m
2
Micro Silica
[ASTM C1240
97b]
2.2 5.3 m 1.8 m
3 Quartz Powder 2.7 5.3 m 1.3 m
4
Standard sand,
grade-1
[IS. 650 1991]
2.65 2.36 mm 0.6 mm
5 Standard sand, 2.65 0.6 mm 0.3 mm
grade-2
[IS. 650 1991]
6
Standard sand,
grade-3
[IS. 650 1991]
2.65 0.5 mm 0.15 mm
7
Steel fibres (30
mm)
[ASTM A 820
96]
7.1
length: 30 mm &
dia: 0.4 mm
8
Steel fibres (36
mm)
[ASTM A 820
96]
7.1
length: 36 mm &
dia: 0.5 mm
9
20 mm
Aggregate
[IS. 383 1970]
2.78 25 mm 10 mm
10
10 mm
Aggregate
[IS. 383 1970]
2.78
12.5 mm 4.75
mm
11
River Sand
[IS. 383 1970]
2.61
2.36 mm 0.15
mm
Table 8: Mixture Proportions of RPC and HPC
Materials Mixture Proportions
RPC
RPC-
F*
HPC
HPC-
F**
Cement 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Silica fume 0.25 0.25 0.12 0.12
Quartz powder 0.31 0.31 - -
Standard sand grade 2 1.09 1.09 - -
Standard sand grade 3 0.58 0.58 - -
River Sand - - 2.40 2.40
20 mm aggregate - - 1.40 1.40
10 mm aggregate - - 1.50 1.50
30 mm steel fibres - 0.20 - -
36 mm steel fibres - - - 0.20
Admixture (Polyacrylate
based)
0.03 0.03 0.023 0.023
Water 0.25 0.25 0.4 0.4
* Fibre RPC ** Fibre HPC
Workability and density were recorded for the fresh concrete mixtures.
Some RPC specimens were heat cured by heating in a water bath at 90C
after setting until the time of testing. Specimens of RPC and HPC were
also cured in water at room temperature.
The performance of RPC and HPC was monitored over time with
respect to the following parameters:
Compressive Strength (as per IS 516
13
on 5 cm cubes for RPC, 10 cm
cubes for HPC), Flexural Strength (as per IS 516 on 4 x 4 x 16 cm prisms
for RPC, 10 x 10 x 50 cm beams for HPC),
Water Absorption (on 15 cm cubes for both RPC and HPC),
Non destructive water permeability test using Germann Instruments (on
15 cm cubes for both RPC and HPC),
Resistance to Chloride ions Penetration test (on discs of diameter 10 cm
and length 5 cm as per ASTM C 1202
14
).
Results
Fresh concrete properties
The workability of RPC mixtures (with and without fibres), measured
using the mortar flow table test as per ASTM C109
15
, was in the range of
120 140%. On the other hand, the workability of HPC mixtures (with
and without fibres), measured using the slump test as per ASTM C231
16
,
was in the range of 120 150 mm. The density of fresh RPC and HPC
mixtures was found to be in the range of 2500 2650 kg/m
3
.
Compressive strength
The compressive strength analysis throughout the study shows that RPC
has higher compressive strength than HPC, as shown in Fig. 1.
Compressive strength at early ages is also very high for RPC.
Compressive strength is one of the factors linked with the durability of a
material. In the context of nuclear waste containment materials, the
compressive strength of RPC is higher than required.

Fig 1: Compressive strength of RPC and HPC
he maximum compressive strength of RPC obtained from this study is as
high as 200 MPa, while the maximum strength obtained for HPC is 75
MPa. The incorporation of fibres and use of heat curing was seen to
enhance the compressive strength of RPC by 30 50%. The
incorporation of fibres did not affect the compressive strength of HPC
significantly.
Flexural strength
Plain RPC was found to possess marginally higher flexural strength than
HPC. Table 9 clearly explains the variation in flexural strength of RPC
and HPC with the addition of steel fibres. Here the increase of flexural
strength of RPC with the addition of fibres is higher than that of HPC.
Table 9: Flexural strength (as per IS 516) at 28 days (MPa)
RPC RPC-F HPC HPC-F
NC* HWC** NC* HWC** NC* NC*
11 12 18 22 8 10
*Normal Curing **Hot Water Curing
As per literature
3
, RPC 200 should have an approximate flexural
strength of 40 MPa. The reason for low flexural strength obtained in this
study could be that the fibres used (30 mm) were long. Fibre reinforced
RPC (with appropriate fibres) has the potential to be used in structures
without any additional steel reinforcement. This cost reduction in
reinforcement can compensate the increase in the cost by the elimination
of coarse aggregates in RPC to a little extent.

Water absorption
Fig. 2 presents a comparison of water absorption of RPC and HPC. A
common trend of decrease in the water absorption with age is seen here
both for RPC and HPC. The percentage of water absorption of RPC,
however, is very low compared to that of HPC. This quality of RPC is
one among the desired properties of nuclear waste containment
materials.

Fig. 2: Water absorption of RPC and HPC

The incorporation of fibres and the use of heat curing is seen to
marginally increase the water absorption. The presence of fibres possibly
leads to the creation of channels at the interface between the fibre and
paste that promote the uptake of water. Heat curing , on the other hand,
leads to the development of a more open microstructure (compared to
normal curing) that could result in an increased absorption.
Water permeability
The non-destructive assessment of water permeability using the
Germann Instruments equipment actually only measures the surface
permeability, and not the bulk permeability like in conventional test
methods. A comparison of the surface water permeability of RPC and
HPC is shown in Fig. 3.
It can be seen from the data that water permeability decreases with age
for all mixtures. 28
th
day water permeability of RPC is negligible when
compared to that of HPC (almost 7 times lower). As in the case of water
absorption, the use of fibres increases the surface permeability of both
types of concrete.

Fig. 3: Surface Water Permeability of RPC and HPC
Resistance to chloride ion penetration
Results of rapid chloride permeability test conducted after 28 days of
curing are presented in Table 10. Data indicate that penetration of
chloride increases when heat curing is done in concrete. Total charge
passed for normal-cured RPC is negligible compared to the other
mixtures. Even though heat-cured RPC shows a higher value than
normal-cured RPC, in absolute terms, it is still extremely low or even
negligible (<100 Coulombs). This property of RPC enhances its
suitability for use in nuclear waste containment structures.
The data also indicate that addition of steel fibres leads to an increase in
the permeability, possibly due to increase in conductance of the concrete.
The HPC mixtures also showed very low permeability, although higher
compared to RPC.
Table 10: Rapid Chloride Permeability Test (as per ASTM C 1202)

RPC
RPC with
fibres
HPC
NC* HWC** NC* HWC** NC* HWC*
Cumulative
Charge
passed in
Coulombs
4
(less than
10)
94 140 400 250 850
ASTM
C1202
classification
Negligible Negligible
Very
low
Very
low
Very
low
Very
low
*Normal Curing **Hot Water Curing
Summary
Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) is an emerging technology that lends a
new dimension to the term high performance concrete. It has immense
potential in construction due to its superior mechanical and durability
properties compared to conventional high performance concrete, and
could even replace steel in some applications.
The development of RPC is based on the application of some basic
principles to achieve enhanced homogeneity, very good workability, high
compaction, improved microstructure, and high ductility. RPC has an
ultra-dense microstructure, giving advantageous waterproofing and
durability characteristics. It could, therefore, be a suitable choice for
industrial and nuclear waste storage facilities.
A laboratory investigation comparing RPC and HPC led to the following
conclusions:
A maximum compressive strength of 198 MPa was obtained. This
is in the RPC 200 range (175 MPa 225 MPa).
The maximum flexural strength of RPC obtained was 22 MPa,
lower than the values quoted in literature (~ 40 MPa). A possible
reason for this could be the higher length of fibres used in this
study.
A comparison of the measurements of the physical, mechanical,
and durability properties of RPC and HPC shows that RPC
possesses better strength (both compressive and flexural) and
lower permeability compared to HPC.
The extremely low levels of water and chloride ion permeability
indicate the potential of RPC as a good material for storage of
nuclear waste. However, RPC needs to be studied with respect to
its resistance to the penetration of heavy metals and other toxic
wastes emanating from nuclear plants (such as Cesium 137 ion in
alkaline medium) to qualify for use in nuclear waste containment
structures.
References
1. Richard P, and Cheyrezy M, Composition of Reactive Powder
Concrete, Cement and Concrete Research, Vol. 25, No.7, (1995),
pp. 1501 1511.
2. Aitcin P.C, Cements of yesterday and today Concrete of
tomorrow, Cement and Concrete Research, Vol. 30, (2000), pp
1349 - 1359.
3. Blais P. Y, and Couture M, Precast, Prestressed Pedestrian
Bridge - Worlds first reactive powder concrete structure, PCI
Journal, Vol. 44, (1999), pp. 60 - 71.
4. Dauriac C, Special Concrete may give steel stiff competition,
Building with Cincrete, The Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce,
May 9, 1997.
5. Basu P.C, Performance Requirements of HPC for Indian NPP
Structures, The Indian Concrete Journal, Sep. 1999, pp. 539
546.
6. Bonneau O, Vernet C, Moranville M, and Aitcin P. C,
Characterization of the granular packing and percolation
threshold of reactive powder concrete, Cement and Concrete
Research, Vol. 30 (2000) pp. 1861 1867.
7. Goltermann P, Johansen V, and Palbol L, Packing of
Aggregates: An Alternative Tool to Determine the Optimal
Aggregate Mix, ACI Materials Journal, Sep-Oct. 1997, pp. 435
443.
8. Elkem AS website http://www.silicafume.net/
9. Matte V and Moranville M, Durability of Reactive Powder
Composites: Influence of Silica Fume on the leaching properties
of very low water/binder pastes, Cement and Concrete
Composites, 21 (1999) pp. 1 - 9.
10. Staquet S, and Espion B, Influence of Cement and Silica Fume
Type on Compressive Strength of Reactive Powder Concrete,
6
th
International Symposium on HPC, University of Brussels,
Belgium, (2000), pp. 1 14.
11. Bickley J. A, and Mitchell D, A State-of-the-Art Review of High
Performance Concrete Structures Built in Canada: 1990-2000,
(2001), pp. 96 102.
12. HDR Engineering Website on Reactive Powder Concrete, Last
modified Nov. 1999,
http://www.hdrinc.com/engineering/engres.htm
13. Indian Standard Designation IS 516-1959, Methods of Test for
Strength of Concrete, BIS, New Delhi, 2002.
14. ASTM Standard Designation C1202-97, Standard Test Method
for Electrical Indication of Concretes Ability to Resist Chloride
Ion Penetration, ASTM, Pennsylvania, 2001.
15. ASTM Standard Designation C109-99, Standard Test Method
for Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars, ASTM,
Pennsylvania, 2001.
16. ASTM Standard Designation C143-00, Standard Test Method
for Slump of Hydraulic Cement Concrete, ASTM, Pennsylvania,
2001.