![\"\"](\"http:\/\/d45h139.public.uconn.edu\/sites\/news\/media\/2010\/06\/buildinginfra-2.jpg.jpg\" "\\"buildinginfra-2.jpg\\"")
<\/a>characterization of infrastructure materials, modeling and construction, Drs. Adam Zofka and Michael Accorsi (Civil & Environmental Engineering) and James Mahoney, Executive Director of the Connecticut Transportation Institute, have teamed up to study a material that is one of the primary building blocks of American infrastructure \u2013 concrete. \u201cThere has been a lot of work done recently that is completely changing the chemistry of concrete to make it radically different, which will have a big impact on structures,\u201d Dr. Accorsi said.<\/p>\nThe focus of this research is on characterization of ultra-high performance concretes (UHPC) and the development of predictive tools to enable the design of next generation transportation infrastructure. This work is prerequisite and complementary to other integrative technologies aimed at protecting our nation\u2019s infrastructure. \u201cUltra-high performance concretes are a revolutionary class of cementitious materials that provide superior strength, ductility, blast and fire resistance, as well as durability and resistance to environmental degradation as compared to conventional concretes,\u201d explained Dr. Zofka. UHPC has been completely redesigned at the micro-structural level. \u201cInstead of using standard materials, UHPCs are very fine particles that include no coarse aggregates and are a much denser and stronger concrete,\u201d explained Dr. Accorsi.<\/p>\n
To date, the use of UHPC in structures has been limited, and basic research is needed to accelerate its widespread usage. Because of this, there are many questions about its performance. One specific question posed by DHS is how this new UHPC will stand up to extreme temperatures, such as may occur with an explosion or a fire. Because the microstructure of UHPC is so dense, when you heat it up the moisture cannot escape, allowing steam to build up and leading to potential disintegration and eventually structural failure. An example application is a tunnel fire. Dr. Accorsi explains, \u201cMost tunnels are built of concrete. So if a vehicle full of gasoline explodes in a tunnel, temperatures of 1000\u00baC can result.\u201d Under those conditions, he said, any concrete would lose its bearing capacity and integrity.<\/p>\n