applied

sciences
Article
Reactive Powder Concrete: Durability and Applications
Miguel Ángel Sanjuán 1, * and Carmen Andrade 2

1 Civil Engineering School, Technical University of Madrid, C/Profesor Aranguren, 3, Ciudad Universitaria,
28040 Madrid, Spain
2 CIMNE—MADRID (UPC), Pº General Martínez Campos, 41, 9º, 28010 Madrid, Spain;
[email protected]
* Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +34-914-429-166

Featured Application: In this current paper, Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) durability is assessed.
Thanks to the findings made here, optimization of the RPC mix design can be performed.

Abstract: Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is an ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) developed

years ago by Bouygues, with the aim to build strong, durable, and sustainable structures. Some
differences can be underlined between the RPC and high-performance concrete (HPC); that is to say,
RPC exhibits higher compressive and flexural strength, higher toughness, lower porosity, and lower
permeability compared to HPC. Microstructural observations confirm that silica fume enhances the
fiber–matrix interfacial characteristics, particularly in fiber pullout energy. This paper reviews the
reported literature on RPC, and it offers a comparison between RPC and HPC. Therefore, some RPC
potential applications may be inferred. For instance, some examples of footbridges and structural
repair applications are given. Experimental measurements on air permeability, porosity, water
absorption, carbonation rate, corrosion rate, and resistivity are evidence of the better performance
of RPC over HPC. When these ultra-high-performance concretes are reinforced with discontinuous,
short fibers, they exhibit better tensile strain-hardening performance.





 Keywords: reactive powder concrete; durability; silica fume; microstructure; composites; bond
Citation: Sanjuán, M.Á.; Andrade, C.
strength; interfacial transition zone
Reactive Powder Concrete: Durability
and Applications. Appl. Sci. 2021, 11,
5629. https://doi.org/10.3390/
app11125629 1. Introduction
Reactive powder concrete (RPC), otherwise known as ultra-high-performance concrete,
Received: 30 May 2021 was firstly developed by Pierre Richard, and later by Marcel Cheyrezy and Nicolas Roux,
Accepted: 15 June 2021
working for the French construction company Bouygues in 1993 [1,2]. RPC was originally
Published: 18 June 2021
named BPR, which stands for Béton de Poudres Réactives, i.e., reactive powder concrete
in French. The first durability studies of these innovative concretes were performed by
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral
Carmen Andrade and Miguel Angel Sanjuán working for the “Eduardo Torroja” Institute
with regard to jurisdictional claims in
for Construction Sciences, Madrid, Spain [3–9]. Corrosion assessment, mercury intrusion
published maps and institutional affil-
porosimetry and air permeability test results, among others, showed the high durability of
iations.
this building material.
RPC was designed in two grades. The first one was called RPC200, with compressive
strength between 170 and 230 MPa and tensile strength between 20 and 50 MPa. The
second one named RPC800, which presents compressive strength and tensile strength of
Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. 500–800 MPa and 45–140 MPa, respectively [2].
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article 1.1. Basic Design Principles
distributed under the terms and
Reactive powder concrete is composed of very fine powders, i.e., Portland cement,
conditions of the Creative Commons
sand, quartz powder, and silica fume. Sometimes (but not always) steel fibers are used, and
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
superplasticizers are always employed to reduce the water to cement ratio (w/c) to less than
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
4.0/).
0.2, while improving the workability of the RPC. The optimization of the granular packing

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 5629. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125629 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 5629 2 of 12

of these materials was crucial from the beginning, in order to lead into an extremely dense
cementitious matrix. This compact microstructure gives the reactive powder concrete its
ultra-high strength and long-term durability [3–11].
The following basic principles were proposed for developing reactive powder con-
crete [2]:
• Removal of coarse aggregates for homogeneity improvement.
• Granular mix optimization to increase the compacted density.
• Application of pressure before and during setting) to enhance compaction.
• Post-set heat-treatment for the microstructural improvement.
• Incorporation of small-sized steel fibers to improve the ductility.
• Keeping the work procedures similar to that currently used.
In addition, an optimal amount of silica fume was used for its pozzolanic properties
and filler capacity. Moreover, Portland cement chemistry and finesse optimization was nec-
essary to produce hydrates with the highest strength [1,2]. A well-selected superplasticizer
allowed the water/cement reduction with an enhancement of the workability.
Table 1 presents the different reactive powder concrete constituents and their selection
parameters and functions, whereas Table 2 presents various typical mix proportions and
main mechanical properties for RPC200 and RPC800 reactive powder concretes [1,2,11–13].

Table 1. Parameters selection for reactive powder concrete constituents.

Components Selection Parameters Function Particle Size Types

C3 S > 60%; Provides binding
OPC (CEM I 42.5 R-SR
C2 S ∼
= 22%; characteristics.
Cement 1 µm to 100 µm 5–EN 197-1).
C3 A < 5 (∼
=3.8%); Formation of primary
Medium fineness.
C4 AF ∼= 7.4%. hydrates.
Pozzolanic reaction.
Source: ferrosilicon
High SiO2 content. Formation of secondary
industry
Silica fume Low amount of hydrates. Filling the 0.1 µm to 1 µm
(Highly refined). High
impurities. micropores.
fineness.
Improves rheology.
Maximum reactivity Crystalline.
Quartz Powder High fineness. 5 µm to 25 µm
during heat-treating. Medium fineness.
Good hardness. Provides strength.
Natural and
Sand Relatively available Skeleton of the 150 µm to 600 µm
Crushed.
and low cost. concrete.
Length: 13–25 mm.
Steel fibers Optimized aspect ratio. Enhances ductility. Straight shaped.
Ø: 0.15–0.2 mm
Low retarding Reduces the Polyacrylate-based
Superplasticizer -
characteristic. water/cement. additive.

Some industrial by-products, such as fly ash, silica fume, and ground granulated
blast-furnace slag, used in high-performance concrete, provide good resistance to chloride
penetration and sulfate attack [14]. In addition, different binary and ternary-based concrete
mixtures offer a low chloride diffusion coefficient [15].
For instance, Ting et al. studied the effects of adding 10% and 15% ultra-fine slag or
silica fume on the compressive strength and durability of high-strength concrete. Cement
paste with ultra-fine slag showed better fluidity and dispersibility than that containing
silica fume, whereas chloride ion penetration resistance of ultra-fine slag and silica fume
concretes is quite similar [16].
Table 3 describes the reactive powder concrete properties, recommended values, and
types of failure improved. The main objective of this mix design is the setting up of a
compact granular system. Packing models and particle size distribution software are tools
in this “contest” [12].
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 5629 3 of 12

Table 2. Typical composition, kg/m3 , and main mechanical properties, MPa, of reactive powder concretes RPC200 and
RPC 800.

Material Characteristics RPC200 RPC800

Portland cement—type V
Cement 955 1000
(ASTM C150)
Sand Fine sand (150–400 µm) 1050 5000
Silica fume Silica fume (18 m2 /g) 229 390
Precipitated silica Precipitated silica (35 m2 /g) 10 230
Super plasticizer
Super plasticizer 13 18
(polyacrylate)
Steel fibers (length 3 mm and
Steel fibers 191 630
diameter 180 µm)
water Total water 153 180
Typical Mechanical Properties of Reactive Powder Concrete (MPa)
Compressive strength
Compressive strength 170–230 490–680
(cylinder)
Flexural strength Flexural strength 25–30 45–102
Young’s modulus 54–60
1 A cement type V according to the ASTM C150 is a sulfate resistant cement. In Europe, this cement is designated as CEM I 52.5 R-SR 5
according to the EN 197-1.

Table 3. Main properties of reactive powder concrete and recommended values [1,2].

RPC Property Description Recommended Values Types of Failure Improved

Coarse aggregates are
replaced by fine sand, with a Mechanical,
Reduction in Maximum size of fine sand is
reduction in the size of the Chemical and
aggregate size 600 µm
coarsest aggregate by a factor Thermo-mechanical
of about 50
Improved mechanical
Enhanced mechanical Young’s modulus values in Disturbance of the mechanical
properties of the paste by the
properties 50–75 GPa range stress field
addition of silica fume
Volume of the paste is at least
Reduction in aggregate to By any external source (e.g.,
Limitation of sand content 20% greater than the voids
matrix ratio formwork)
index of non-compacted sand

1.2. Main Properties of Reactive Powder Concrete

High strength concrete (HPC) provides a high compressive strength with its typical
microstructure. Nevertheless, the weakest point in this kind of concrete is the coarse
aggregate. Reactive powder concrete removes such coarse aggregates and optimizes the
microstructure by packing with particle gradation of all the concrete constituents to reach
the highest density [17].
The lack of coarse aggregate minimizes the concrete’s internal defects, i.e., microcracks
and pore spaces. The resulting main mechanical property is the achievement of higher com-
pressive strengths than the high strength concrete (HPC) [1,2]. This compact microstructure
is also the responsible of the low permeability and, thereafter, high durability [4–9]. A
weak point of the first generation of the reactive powder concrete is the relatively low
tensile strength of about 8 MPa in some cases. Thus, it can only be used in reinforced or
prestressed concrete structural elements, substituting partially transverse reinforcement.
New RPC derivatives achieve tensile strength of 25–150 MPa and their fracture energy
ranges over 1200–40,000 J/m2 .
Currently, ultra-high-performance concretes (UHPC) have a high bond strength in
addition to an ultra-high compressive strength. When UHPC is reinforced with discon-
tinuous, short fibers, it exhibits a tensile strain-hardening performance of short distance
cracks [18]. Non-linear models are used to predict the response and highlight the beneficial
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 5629 4 of 12

effect of the added fibers in this type of concrete, namely the load-bearing capacity, energy
dissipation, deformation, enhanced cyclic behavior in respect of residual stiffness, and
cracking performance [19].
To summarize, reactive powder concrete is a type of ultra-high-performance concrete
with high mechanical strength and high toughness due to the very low porosity. In
addition, increasing the fineness and chemical activity of the components a long durability
is achieved.

1.3. Early Works

Reactive powder concrete was successfully applied in several civil engineering projects
due to its excellent mechanical and durable properties. For instance, in Sherbrooke, Canada,
the first footbridge made of RPC200 was built in the world [20]. The lower chord was
formed with prefabricated twin beams made with RPC200 (10 m × 3 m). The use of RPC200
reduced the size and then the weight, increased the mechanical strength, and improved the
durability. Consequently, it can resist the deicing salt effect in cold environments.
The background of producing very high-performance concrete goes back to the
availability of silica fume that was pioneered by Elkem (Norway) and Norwegian re-
searchers. This availability moved [21] H. Bache from Aalborg Cement, in 1986, to develop
a very dense material named compact reinforced composite, CRC, which was a very high-
performance steel fiber-reinforced concrete. The fiber content was in the range of 2–6% by
volume with a strength ranging between 120 and 160 MPa. This material was developed
further [22] and its durability was studied by researchers from the Institute of Construction
Sciences of Spain [23].
The original reactive powder concrete was developed a bit further under the use of
silica fume as a novel mineral addition, first without fibers, and after adding them due to
a Bouygues and Aalborg cement collaboration [1]. This set of BPR concretes provided a
basis for the development of several derivative ultra-high-performance fiber reinforced
concretes (UHPFRC), e.g., Ductal® . This is a range of materials developed by BOUYGUES,
Lafarge (currently LafargeHolcim) and Rhodia, with new properties [24], and furthered by
other companies. The following is worth noting:
• New, hard, and very fine fillers were used to enhance the compactness. This fact
improved both the mechanical strength and durability.
• Fibers were treated chemically to enhance the matrix-fiber bonding.
• Replacement of part of the sand, by mineral microfibers (e.g., wollastonite) to increase
the homogeneity.
More than 200 engineering projects were carried out with this type of concrete. A
selection of such projects can be found in reference [25]. One good example is the Mars
Hill Bridge, which was built in Iowa, USA, by Lafarge Corporation. This project won
the Bridge Competition Award held by the Portland Cement Association (PCA) in 2006.
Another example of this ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is the rehabilitation of
The Pulaski Skyway, which is a steel bridge, built in 1930s between Newark and Jersey
City, USA [26]. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) used this bridge to assess
the technical benefits offered by this concrete. It should not be forgotten that infrastructure
rehabilitation in the USA is a major political issue, since it is currently estimated that more
than 70,000 bridges are structurally obsolete. The new Nipigon River Bridge in Ontario
is a cable-stayed structure that commenced in 2013 (full completion was in 2019). This
type of concrete was used for the junction of the longitudinal and transverse joints to the
steel girders and beams, and the junction of the precast tower segments [27]. Finally, the
Saint-Pierre-la-Cour was the first bridge in France made with this type of concrete. It was
built with 10 precast girders, and they were pre-stressed with pre-tensioned strands. All
of these elements proved to be very durable with low maintenance requirements [28]. In
addition, Liu et al. reported several applications of reactive powder concrete in the bridge
engineering [29], and they suggested that it could replace reinforcement steel bars [30].
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 5629 5 of 12

Xialouzi Bridge is a bridge totally built of reactive powder concrete; the reinforcement steel
bars were replaced by RPC [30].
Regarding the use of this ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) in architectural
applications, a selection of roofing and facades examples built with this type of concrete
can be found in reference [31]. The Great Mosque of Algeria, in Djamaa el Djazaïr, has more
than 23,000 m2 of facades made of this type of concrete [32]. Particularly, the Mashrabiya,
i.e., a type of projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticework, which is
characteristic of the Arabic architecture, could weigh no more than 65 kg/m2 . The lightness
of the material is well suited for this application.

2. Experimental
Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) was utilized to analyze the total accessible
porosity. This technique relies on employing high pressure to force mercury into capillary
pore spaces to measure its porosity. Air permeability testing was performed by the method
described in [33]. The experimental device used to measure air is composed of two
metallic cells placed at each side of the specimen. In the first one, inlet air was held at
287,658 N × m−2 by means of a compressor and a precision pressure regulator. In the
second one, the passing air was measured at atmospheric pressure in a cylinder with a
piston in which the outflow was collected. Finally, the airflow rate was measured, and the
air permeability coefficient was calculated according to the Hagen–Poiseuille equation,
for laminar flow under steady state conditions of a compressible fluid, through a porous
material composed of a network of small capillary pores.
In addition, to assess the chloride penetration resistance, the apparent chloride diffu-
sion coefficient was determined by a migration method consisting of applying a potential
difference of 12 V between the two faces of a concrete disc of 5 mm [4]. Natural carbon-
ation testing was performed in samples exposed to lab conditions, sheltered from rain
at 20 ± 2 ◦ C and 50% RH for two years. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)
measurements were carried out to assess the corrosion kinetic of the electrolyte (concrete),
which addresses the rate of electrode reactions, by using potential control and measuring
the corresponding current response. The equipment used was a Solartron type 1250 digital
frequency response analyzer and Solartron type 1286 electrochemical interface with a
three-electrode arrangement. A Faraday cage and a frequency analog filter KEMO type
VBF 8 were utilized to keep the concrete specimens free from noise [5].
Tests were performed on the reactive powder concrete RPC200 provided by Bouygues
and defined in Table 3. For comparison purposes, a conventional concrete, C30, and a high
strength concrete, C80, were tested.

3. Results and Discussion

Figure 1 compares the mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) results of a normal con-
crete, C30, a high strength concrete, C80, with the reactive powder concrete [4–8]. These
results confirm and emphasize the extremely low porosity of RPC200 with absence of
capillary pores. The mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) results are in agreement with the
microstructural study performed by Cheyrezy et al. [13]. They found that the microstruc-
ture depends on the heat treatment and applied pressure, which was applied before and
during the setting time. The pozzolanic reaction was enhanced by the temperature.
Determination and evaluation of the air permeability coefficient was performed by
using the permeability method described in [33]. Concretes were conditioned by heating for
5 days at 50 ◦ C or 30 days at 80 ◦ C. Table 4 shows that RPC200 presents an air permeability
coefficient 48 times lower than that of C80 when the treatment was curing at 80 ◦ C for
30 days. However, the air did not flow through the RPC200 when the curing was at 50 ◦ C
for 5 days.
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 5629 6 of 12

Figure 1. MIP cumulative porosity curves showing the curve corresponding to the reactive powder
concrete in comparison with two curves for the C30 and C80 concretes.

Table 4. Durability of the reactive powder concrete compared with normal and high strength concrete [3–9].

Concrete Type
Property
C30 C80 RPC200
Air permeability coefficient (×10−18 m2 ):
5 days curing at 50 ◦ C 30 0.3 -
30 days curing at 80 ◦ C - 120 2.5
Porosity (%vol) 15 10 1
Water absorption (kg/m2 ) 2.7 0.3 <0.2
Carbonation rate (mm/y0.5 ) 1.7 0.4 <0.1
Carbonation diffusion coefficient (×108 m2 /s) 1.26 0.09 <0.007
Electrical impedance results:
Corrosion potential (Ecorr , mV <SCE>) −0.82 +0.28 +0.90
Ohmic resistance (kOhm·cm2 ) 0.37 12 3022
Capacity (CHF , pF/cm2 ) 10,793 145 14
Corrosion rate (µm/year) 1.2 0.25 <0.01
Resistivity (kOhm·cm) 16 96 1133

In addition to these tests, resistance to chloride ingress was studied. In Figure 2, the
chloride profiles from a natural diffusion test using a NaCl solution of 0.5% in chloride
ion (around 30 g/L NaCl) are given. The values of the apparent diffusion coefficient (Dap )
calculated from them, are given in Table 5.

Figure 2. Chloride penetration profile in C30, C80, and RPC200 concrete.

The results for the RPC were not conclusive (or were misleading) due to the small
chloride entrance (concentration between 0.1% and 0.03% by sample weight, which are in
the range of the chloride concentration in the raw materials).
Consequently, accelerated tests were used by the application of an electrical field,
and were made in order to have results in a reasonable short time. Table 5 shows the
effective chloride diffusion coefficient (Def) (not considering binding) obtained by applying
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 5629 7 of 12

a potential difference of 12 V between the two parallel faces of a concrete disc of 5 mm [4]
in thickness. In both cases, the diffusion velocity is two orders of magnitude smaller in the
case of BPR concretes.

Table 5. Chloride diffusion coefficients, effective and apparent, of the reactive powder concrete, C30,
and C80.

Concrete Type
Property
C30 C80 RPC200
(×10−12
Effective chloride diffusion coefficient m2 /s) 1.1 0.6 0.02
Apparent chloride diffusion coefficient (×10−12 m2 /s) 12.4 1.11 0.8

For the calculation, the measured effective chloride diffusion coefficient was taken
into account, which was higher than the apparent chloride diffusion coefficient. This is a
conservative way of estimating the service life. Consequently, a reinforcement cover of
10 mm of RPC200 is enough to ensure a service life longer than 80 years in comparison to
the five years for C80 with the same cover [4–8].
The carbonation rate of RPC was also calculated from accelerated tests. It was more
than four times less in the RCP than in the C80 concrete (Figure 3). Therefore, a natural
carbonation lower than 2 mm after 500 years in reactive powder concrete is expected.

Figure 3. Two years natural carbonation depth results of concretes: (a) C30 and C80; (b) RPC200.

Four high strength concretes named A, B, C, and D, with 28-day compressive strengths
of 192 MPa, 138 MPa, 127 MPa, and 123 MPa, and made with the same constituents (CEM
I 52.5 R, siliceous aggregates, and a high range water reducer) were tested for natural
carbonation.
Figure 4 shows the carbonation rate results of these four high strength concretes,
which were cured at four different conditions as follows:
1. Twenty-eight days of curing under water;
2. Air-curing (50% RH, 20 ◦ C);
3. Air-curing (50% RH, 50 ◦ C);
4. Carbon dioxide pre-curing (5% CO2 , 60% RH, 20 ◦ C).
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 5629 8 of 12

Figure 4. Carbonation rate of four high strength concretes cured at four different conditions: (a) car-
bonation rate; (b) Carbonation rate versus compressive strength relationship.

Then, they were submitted to indoor natural carbonation conditions (50% RH and
20 ± 2 ◦ C) for 10 years. Carbonation rate, Vco2 , is calculated from Equation (1).
√
x = Vco2 t, (1)

where: x = average carbonation front, mm. t = time, years.

The main findings are: (i) concrete A is the most resistant against carbonation, with
expected carbonation depths at 50 years around 25 mm; (ii) concrete D is the least resistant,
of the four mixes tested, with expected carbonation depths at 50 years of between 50–70 mm;
(iii) concretes B and C behave similar, in regards to their carbonation resistance; then,
carbonation depths lesser than 50 mm are expected at 50 years; (iv) 28-day wet curing does
not contribute significantly to the carbonation resistance of high strength concretes.
In regards to the risk of reinforcement corrosion—its resistivity is so high (Table 4)
that corrosion is excluded as there is no capillary porosity. This is confirmed by means of
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The response of the system (concrete cured
at 100% RH and 25 ◦ C for 230 days) is displayed in Nyquist format in Figure 5, as this
system is inherently capacitive.

Figure 5. Nyquist diagram of the reactive powder concrete (RPC200).

With respect to the metallic fibers, when they were added, only corrosion was detected
in the zones of the fibers not covered by the paste in the concrete surface.

4. Discussion
Ultra-high-performance material reactive powder concrete origins, durable perfor-
mance, and the main applications are presented and analyzed in this paper. Incorporation of
very fine materials, such as silica fume or quartz powder into the concrete matrix to achieve
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 5629 9 of 12

a high level of compactness, combined with the utilization of additives to reduce the wa-
ter/binder ratio, led to the development of a new generation of high strength/performance
concretes. However, not all show the same durability. Pore volume measured by means
of mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) was much lower in reactive powder concrete
(RPC200) than in high-performance concrete, C80, and normal concrete, C30. The porosity
of RPC200 was concentrated around 0.01 µm, which is four times lower than the concentra-
tion of the pores in the high-performance concrete, C80. A similar trend was also observed
in normal concrete, C30. In this case, porosity around 0.01 µm was seven times higher than
that of RPC200. These findings show the great compactness of RPC200. Because mercury
intrusion porosimetry (MIP) measures the connection from the concrete surface to the pore,
this technique fails to measure the internal pore size. Accordingly, the air permeability
coefficient was about 50 times lower in RPC200 than in C80, and the effective chloride
coefficient was about 30 times lower. In addition, the carbonation depth in RPC200 after
two years of natural exposure was almost nil. Regarding the corrosion parameters, similar
results were found, i.e., the corrosion rate was much lower (25 times) in RPC200 than in
C80. Furthermore, its resistivity was about half of the value found in C80.
The excellent mechanical and durable properties of this material makes it a good
option for special civil works and buildings because it prolongs their service life in ag-
gressive environments. In addition, it was shown that by optimizing the procedure to
reinforce the matrix with fibers, it is possible to achieve an adequate tensile performance to
manufacture structural members without reinforcement. Consequently, in some cases, the
use of RPC could replace steel reinforcement, leading to a simpler construction procedure.
Furthermore, the steel reinforcement corrosion is avoided. Therefore, reactive powder
concrete derivative concretes are promising cement-based materials for high durability
concrete structures, such as ultra-high-performance fiber reinforced concretes (UHPFRC).
In addition, the peculiar properties of reactive powder concrete makes it a suitable material
for use in pre-stressed and precast concrete elements. To summarize, experimental mea-
surements of air permeability, porosity, water absorption, carbonation rate, corrosion rate,
and resistivity are evidence of the better performance of UHPFRC over HPC.
The main barrier for UHPC is its cost—a life cycle cost analysis is seldom made for the
selection of the structural material and, consequently, the initial cost. On the other hand,
although these materials are now being included in codes for structural calculations, some
of the highest strengths are still not well known by numerous designers, meaning these
“high strengths” are not used in all structural possibilities. However, the durability of these
materials is a strong reason for the designer to consider them, particularly when taking
into account the whole life cycle.
For UHPCs of the future, new mixes are being developed that will improve their
characteristics. Different mix designs were reported in the literature [34–37]. For instance,
Wang et al. [38] mixed Portland cement with silica fume, ground granulated blast-furnace
slag, and limestone, with a water/binder ratio of 0.16, and steam curing. They reached
a compressive strength of 176 MPa. Similar results were also found by using coal fly
ash instead of limestone [39,40]. Yunsheng et al. [41] mixed Portland cement with silica
fume, ground granulated blast-furnace slag and fly ash. Their concrete with microfibers
achieved a compressive strength of over 200 MPa. Mostofinejad et al. [42] found an
enhancement of 174% by applying an optimized mix design and curing treatment from
85 to 233 MPa. The effect of the heat and pressure conditions to achieve a microstructural
refinement and mechanical property improvement was reported in several papers [43–45].
Some researchers proposed decreasing the Portland cement or silica fume content via the
use of other mineral admixtures in order to reduce the hydration heat, such as ground
phosphorous slag [46], glass powder [47], etc. To summarize, the superior performance,
and durable and mechanical properties of these concretes provide several advantages over
high strength concretes.
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 5629 10 of 12

5. Conclusions
After studying several types of UHPCs, the following conclusions can be made:
1. UHPC can be considered a material, usually with several types of small size fibers
in the mix. All of the components are densely packed, and contain relatively large
amounts of anhydrous cement particles due to the low water/binder ratios, which
are below 0.35.
2. UHPCs have porosities lower than 5% by volume, in the range of 0.01 µm.
3. Not all UHPCs possess the same durability. Those tested here presented an air per-
meability coefficient about 50 times lower in RPC200 than in C80, and the effective
chloride coefficient was about 30 times lower. In addition, the carbonation depth
in RPC200 after two years of natural exposure was almost nil. Regarding the corro-
sion parameters, similar results were found, i.e., the corrosion rate was much lower
(25 times) in RPC200 than in C80. Furthermore, its resistivity was about half of the
value found in C80.
4. It was shown that by optimizing the procedure to reinforce the matrix with fibers,
it is possible to achieve an adequate tensile performance to manufacture structural
members without reinforcement. This leads to UHPFRC.
5. This material has high potential of application, in terms of sustainability, but also
when considering the lifecycle cost analysis. Although the initial price is higher than
other concretes, its greater durability makes its application cost-effective for special
structures.
One drawback with the reactive powder concrete is the absence of a robust standard-
ization system and regulatory framework.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, M.Á.S. and C.A.; methodology, M.Á.S. and C.A.; investi-
gation, M.Á.S.; resources, C.A.; writing—original draft preparation, M.Á.S.; writing—review and edit-
ing, M.Á.S. and C.A. Both authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: Not applicable.
Acknowledgments: The authors gratefully acknowledge the valuable contributions of Marcel
Cheyrezy and Nicolas Roux (Bouygues).
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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