This book contains the proceedings of the international workshop “Designing and Building with Ultra-High Performance Fibre-Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC): State of the Art and Development”, organized by AFGC, the French Association for Civil Engineering and French branch of fib, in Marseille (France), November 17-18, 2009. This workshop was focused on the experience of a lot of recent UHPFRC realizations. Through more than 50 papers, this book details the experience of many countries in UHPFRC construction and design, including projects from Japan, Germany, Australia, Austria, USA, Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada... and France. The projects are categorized as novel architectural solutions, new frontiers for bridges, new equipments and structural components, and extending the service life of structures. The last part presents major research results, durability and sustainability aspects, and the updated AFGC Recommendations on UHPFRC.

Selected chapters from the German concrete yearbook are now being published in the new English "Beton-Kalender Series" for the benefit of an international audience. Since it was founded in 1906, the Ernst & Sohn "Beton-Kalender" has been supporting developments in reinforced and prestressed concrete. The aim was to publish a yearbook to reflect progress in "ferro-concrete" structures until - as the book's first editor, Fritz von Emperger (1862-1942), expressed it - the "tempestuous development" in this form of construction came to an end. However, the "Beton-Kalender" quickly became the chosen work of reference for civil and structural engineers, and apart from the years 1945-1950 has been published annually ever since. Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) is a milestone in concrete technology and application. It permits the construction of both more slender and more durable concrete structures with a prolonged service life and thus improved sustainability. This book is a comprehensive overview of UHPC - from the principles behind its production and its mechanical properties to design and detailing aspects. The focus is on the material behaviour of steel fibre-reinforced UHPC. Numerical modelling and detailing of the connections with reinforced concrete elements are featured as well. Numerous examples worldwide - bridges, columns, facades and roofs - are the basis for additional explanations about the benefits of UHPC and how it helps to realise several architectural requirements. The authors are extensively involved in the testing, design, construction and monitoring of UHPC structures. What they provide here is therefore a unique synopsis of the state of the art with a view to practical applications.

Fibre Reinforced Concrete (FRC) is a composite material characterized by an enhanced post-cracking tensile residual strength, due to the capacity of fibres to bridge the crack faces by means of pull-out mechanism. Due to a better knowledge of FRC and the recent developments worldwide of guidelines for structural design, the fib Special Activity Group 5, who prepared the new fib Model Code, decided to introduce some sections on new materials and in particular on FRC structural design. At that time, working Groups TG 8.3 (“Fibre reinforced concrete”) and TG 8.6 (“Ultra high performance fibre reinforced concrete”) of fib prepared these sections of the new fib Model Code concerning FRC design rules for providing a guidance to engineers to properly and safely design FRC structural elements, both at serviceability and at ultimate limit states, based on the state-of-the-art knowledge. This bulletin was written with the aim to share the main framework used by the two groups to introduce these two sections and to describe the many aspects already known, but not yet introduced in the Model Code. Even though the basic principles introduced in the two sections are mainly obtained from research on steel fibre reinforced concrete, the Model Code is open to every type of fibres, following a performance-based design approach. The bulletin represents a wide effort made by the people of the Task Group 4.1 and 4.2 to trace the knowledge on FRC and aims to be helpful for structural designers when using this new material in the practice.

Hardly any other material unites such contradictory associations, stigmatized on the one hand, celebrated on the other - concrete is still in the spotlight. Its almost inexhaustible potential and ever new applications and possibilities make it a most valuable building material. Especially in combination with other building ware it displays an astonishing flexibility of utilization. Recent developments leading to new possibilities have inspired architects and designers to innovative and exciting solutions. The contemporary projects presented in this volume provide impressive testimony to the many faces of concrete and how much design potential it possesses. The publication shows with impressive images and distinct texts the ongoing relevance and inimitable fascination of concrete.