Renewal of reinforced concrete bridges by means of UHPFRC

Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious composite building material UHPFRC is a novel building material that is characterized by high mechanical strength and durability. UHPFRC is suitable for the renewal of existing reinforced concrete bridges. Based on the experience with numerous applications, the basic design concepts for the protection, rehabilitation and strengthening of reinforced concrete bridges are developed in this paper. These relate to the improvement of durability as well as the strengthening of bridge deck slabs and girders. The implementation in practice of the design concepts is illustrated by three recently completed projects, It is shown that the renewal of reinforced concrete bridges with the help of UHFB is also important with regard to the sustainability, since the material resources already installed in the reinforced concrete structure are reused.