Concrete made of steel
The HIPER project addresses the development of high-performing and long-lasting reinforced concrete. This is achieved through the use of concrete optimised for service application and low cost high-performing stainless steel reinforcing bars. Using the most appropriate local materials, concrete mixes of both normal and high strength were designed and tested. The selection of the best concrete mixes was based on the results of characterisation tests in fresh and hardened states, in addition to more specific tests. The optimisation of the concrete mix and, as a consequence, of the concrete properties has been seen as a means for the provision of a well-tailored reinforced concrete composite. In this direction the concrete components and mixture proportions were used for tests on plain or stainless steel reinforced concrete. The tests were carried out on small specimens in laboratory or on large specimens during field tests. The resulting data gives an insight on the impact of concrete mixture proportions on the behaviour of stainless reinforced concrete exposed to aggressive environments, fire or seismic loading. With this data in hand, the optimisation of concrete mixes in compliance to the EN 206-1 standard for aggressive environments, such as corrosion, seismic load or fire, is assisted. Furthermore, the users of this high performance reinforced concrete obtain some potential references, before they really use it.
