01657875

Component

Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) is a material that exhibits improved compressive strength, tensile strength, and durability properties, which anticipate to increase the life of a structure. However, these improved properties come with a high initial cost. Mixture proportions using materials readily available in the state of New Mexico were developed to improve the economics and sustainability of UHPC. This paper focuses on the economics aspect of introducing UHPC developed with local materials into bridge design by conducting a life cycle cost analysis. Bridge life cycle cost analysis (BLCCA) is an economic tool used to compare initial and future costs for different bridge design alternatives. The analysis determines the most cost effective design by looking at agency and user costs over the lifespan of the bridge. This research conducted a BLCCA to compare high performance concrete (HPC) with UHPC for the I-25/Doña Ana Interchange Bridge near Las Cruces, New Mexico for an analysis period of 150 years. Analyses varied parameters including the construction time and maintenance costs to account for the uncertainty with the use of UHPC. The results demonstrate that UHPC exhibits higher initial agency costs than HPC, but over the life span of the structure, UHPC is more cost effective.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFF30 Standing Committee on Concrete Bridges.

18-03524

English

13p

2018

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; Photos; References; Tables

Bridge design; Concrete bridges; Cost effectiveness; High performance concrete; Life cycle costing; Ultra high performance concrete

Doña Ana Interchange Bridge (Las Cruces, New Mexico)

New Mexico

Bridges and other structures; Design; Economics; Highways; Materials

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-03524

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 8 2018 10:52AM