Optimising Precast Bridge Optimising Precast Bridge Girders for SustainabilityGirders for Sustainability

With the use of With the use of High Performance ConcreteHigh Performance Concrete

Doug Jenkins - Interactive Design ServicesJoanne Portella– DMC Advisory, Melbourne.Daksh Baweja – DMC Advisory, Melbourne, The University of Technology, Sydney.

Introduction Introduction Focus of emissions reduction strategies in

Australia has been on cement reduction.– Can significant emissions reductions be made with

the use of high strength concrete?Outline of study:

– Effect of high strength concrete and high supplementary cementitious material (SCM) content on total CO2 emissions.

– Typical 2 Span freeway overbridge

– 5 grades of concrete

– 3 deck types

Alternative Concrete MixesAlternative Concrete Mixes

Mix Designs

Diaphragm Wall Options - Approx Mix Constituents

Mix A, Baseline 50 MPa

Mix B 65 MPa HPC

Current

Mix C 80 MPa HPC

Mix D 100 MPa HPC

Mix E 45 MPa HPC

High SCMGP Cement Content 550 350 500 540 245

Fly Ash 0 70 80 60 85

GGBFS 0 70 0 0 110Silica fume 0 0 60 80 020mm Aggregate 565 0 0 0 65014mm Aggregate 555 1050 1050 1000 450Sand 590 675 630 650 670Water 180 180 180 180 180

Approx Volume Check (m3) 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00

Component Emissions Component Emissions GP Cement 0.820 t CO2-e/tonne

Fly Ash 0.027 t CO2-e/tonne

GGBFS 0.143 t CO2-e/tonne

Silica Fume 0.027 t CO2-e/tonne

Ground Limestone 0.027 t CO2-e/tonne

Mineral Additions - Fly ash and/or Slag and/or Ground Limestone

0.056 t CO2-e/tonne

Minor Additional Constituents - Cement Kiln Dust0.027 t CO2-e/tonne

Basalt Coarse Aggregates 0.036 t CO2-e/tonne

Fine Aggregates 0.014 t CO2-e/tonne

Concrete Batching 0.003 t CO2-e/m3

Concrete Transport 0.009 t CO2-e/m3

Embodied Energy CalculationEmbodied Energy CalculationMix A,

Baseline 50 MPa

Mix B 65 MPa HPC

Current

Mix C 80 MPa HPC

Mix D 100 MPa HPC

Mix E 45 MPa HPC

High SCM

Portland Cement 0.4510 0.2870 0.4100 0.4428 0.2009Flyash 0.0000 0.0019 0.0022 0.0016 0.0023GGBFS 0.0000 0.0100 0.0000 0.0000 0.0157Silica Fume 0.0000 0.0000 0.0016 0.0022 0.0000Mineral Additions 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000Minor Additional Constituents 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.000020mm Aggregate 0.0203 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.023414mm Aggregate 0.0200 0.0378 0.0378 0.0360 0.0162Sand 0.0083 0.0095 0.0088 0.0091 0.0094

Totals tCO2-e/m3 0.51 0.36 0.47 0.50 0.28

% due to Portland Cement 88% 80% 87% 88% 72%

% Portland Cement Reduction 0% 36% 9% 2% 55%

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

Mix A, Baseline 50 MPa

Mix B65 MPa HPC

Current

Mix C80 MPa HPC

Mix D100 MPa HPC

Mix E45 MPa HPC

High SCM

Em

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To

tal t

CO

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/m3

Diaphragm Wall Concrete Options

Emission Totals Based on GP, Fly Ash, GGBFS and Silica Fume Mix Designs

Sand

14mm Aggregate

20mm Aggregate

Minor Additional Constituents

Mineral Additions

GGBFS

Flyash

Portland Cement

Typical Super T Girder SectionTypical Super T Girder Section

Design ConstraintsDesign Constraints• High strength concrete allows increased prestress

force and/or reduced bottom flange depth.• Pretension force limited by concrete strength at

transfer and number of available strand locations.• Provision of post-tensioned cables allows higher

total prestress force.• Reduced girder depth will often provide

additional savings to emissions and cost (not considered in this study).

• Live load deflection may control minimum girder depth.

• Moment connection over pier reduces deflections.

Alternative Girder DimensionsAlternative Girder Dimensions

Design OptionsDesign Options

• Type 1 - Fully Pre-tensioned Design: Typical current practice; Standard Super-T girders with in-situ top slab and link slab.

• Type 2 - Post-tensioned Design: As Type 1 but post-tensioned after casting top slab.

• Type 3 - Post-tensioned Continuous Design: As Type 2, but with full structural continuity over the central support.

Typical Grillage LayoutTypical Grillage Layout

Beam / Slab DetailBeam / Slab Detail

Live Load (Max Moment)Live Load (Max Moment)

Girder Bending MomentsGirder Bending Moments

Live Load DeflectionsLive Load Deflections

Live Load DeflectionsLive Load Deflections

Maximum allowable deflection (AS 5100) = 47.5 mm.

Decks Type 2-E and 2-D exceeded this limit by 3% and 11% respectively.

Deflections may be reduced by:– Using the next deeper girder

– Using a higher strength concrete

– Providing momemt continuity over the pier

Deck/Mix

Type MomentAxial load Shear Moment

Axial load Shear

kNm kN kN kNm kN kN1-A/B 8,930 -1,339 1,355 45 651 292

1-C 10,080 -825 1,481 99 -1,080 3531-D 10,080 -825 1,481 99 -1,080 3531-E 9,459 -693 1,371 40 -569 263

2-A/B 10,148 -737 1,573 10 -797 392-C 10,080 -737 1,573 10 -797 392-D 10,125 -885 1,427 10 -1,271 392-E 10,148 -737 1,573 10 -797 39

3-A/B 6,730 -580 1,854 4,874 -536 2,4833-C 6,399 494 1,847 4,878 -529 2,4993-D 6,331 636 1,847 4,943 -1,532 3,2173-E 6,730 -580 1,854 4,874 -536 2,483

Mid-Span Link/Continuity SlabComposite ULS Design Actions

Deck /Mix In-situ Precast Reo.Type Type Num. Pretens Posttens m3 t t CO2-e %Type 1A1A T4 6 40 0 147 224 65.06 376.9 100.0%1-B T4 6 40 0 147 224 65.06 320.1 84.9%1-C T4 5 42 0 147 186 59.58 312.3 82.8%1-D T4 5 46 0 147 186 58.62 315.3 83.6%1-E T5 6 28 0 151 243 67.26 304.2 80.7%2-B T3A 5 22 30 142 153 58.43 274.1 72.7%2-C T3B 5 20 30 142 146 57.76 286.1 75.9%2-D T2B 5 24 34 139 133 58.98 286.6 76.0%2-E T3 5 22 30 142 170 58.43 255.6 67.8%3-B T3B 5 22 10 159 146 54.25 265.5 70.4%3-C T2B 5 24 14 154 133 54.42 274.5 72.8%3-D T2B 5 24 14 154 133 53.15 275.0 73.0%3-E T3B 5 22 10 159 146 54.25 241.6 64.1%

Total Emmissionsmm dia. Strands

Super-T Girders Prestress; No. 15.2 Total Quantities

Emissions Analysis ResultsEmissions Analysis Results

Emissions Analysis ResultsEmissions Analysis Results

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Base 65 MPa 80 MPa 100 MPa High SCM

% o

f Bas

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otal

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Mix TypePretensioned Pretens + Posttens Continuous

Research and DevelopmentResearch and Development Optimise SCM content for in-situ slab Optimise design procedures for high strength

concrete– Shear strength

– Creep and shrinkage losses

– Deflection limits

– ULS design factors

R&D – Optimise ULS DesignR&D – Optimise ULS Design

Rectangular Section; 90 MPa

Research and DevelopmentResearch and Development Post-tensioning at the precast yard Use of ultra high strength concrete Geopolymer concrete

– For precast work

– In-situ top slab

ConclusionsConclusions SCM’s allowed significant reductions in CO2

emissions in all cases, compared with the standard “reference case” concrete.

High SCM concrete showed greatest reduction, but reduced compressive strength at transfer, and increased curing period.

Emissions from the 80 MPa and 100 MPa concretes were about equal to the 65 MPa concrete.

Higher strengths allowed the use of a reduced depth of girder, with associated savings in other works.

ConclusionsConclusions Precast post-tensioned girders allowed

significantly higher levels of prestress, and reduction in concrete volumes and emissions.

Structural continuity over the central support allowed an additional small saving in emissions.

The overall reduction of CO2 emissions was not a simple function of the reduction of Portland cement in the concrete, but was also based on how the material properties of the concretes used influenced the structural efficiency of the design.

ConclusionsConclusions Engineering is the art of directing the great

sources of power in nature for the use and convenience of man.

- Thomas Tredgold, 1828 .