LIGHTER HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE BEAM

Abstract

High strength concrete (HSC) has been used extensively in civil construction projects worldwide because it reduces the cross section and the weight of long construction members. In recent years a marked increase in the use of High Strength Concrete (HSC) has been evident in Australian building construction despite the fact that the current Australian design standard provides no design rules for such a material. Very limited information on the properties of HSC and its design and construction processes are available in Australia, although in recent times many studies have been undertaken to produce material and, more importantly, to determine its characteristic. In the last 20 years there has been extensive research to economically utilize new components to improve the quality of HSC. HSC produces smaller but stronger structural elements with large spaces available. It has been studied that the cost of using HSC instead of Normal Strength Concerete (NSC) in different types of constructions. This proved that structures constructed with HSC are lighter and economical compared with those constructed with NSC. In the long term durability significantly affects project costs. In other words after several years a concrete structure needs rehabilitation or in critical cases must be demolished, therefore the price of a project consists of initial costs plus those covering any rehabilitation. A huge amount of money could be saved by utilizing the durability characteristics of high strength concrete. This study presents recent information and the benefits of high strength concrete. Also, provides in brief an experimental proof that installing a helix with a suitable pitch and diameter in the compression zone of beams significantly enhances their strength and ductility. Therefore, designers could confidently use high-strength concrete and helical confinement to design long and light reinforced concrete beams.