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On July 17^th, a public world premiere application of a new generation of Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concretes (UHPFRC) took place on the Log Čezsoški bridge, Slovenia, where rehabilitation works were under way on 16^th and 17^th July.  The new generation of UHPFRC for cast-in-situ application on bridges guarantees faster performance of construction works and longer lasting results with a sustainable use of materials.  

A team of international and domestic experts has developed the new generation of UHPFRC by using materials that are locally available. 

The development of the new generation of UHPFRC yielded a ductile and sustainable material suitable for rehabilitation works on highway structures, such as bridges, viaducts, underpasses and road bridges.  In comparison with the more conventional techniques and materials used for rehabilitation works, UHPFRC reduces the duration of construction works significantly.  Extensive R&D works on UHPFRC were performed within the 6^th FP EU project ARCHES by several partners, comprising the local industry (Salonit Anhovo d. d.) and four European research institutes – the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne - Laboratory for maintenance and safety of structures, Switzerland (EPFL-MCS), IBDiM (Poland), and Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées (Central Road and Bridge Laboratory) - LCPC (France). The works were lead by Dr. E. Denarié from EPFL-MCS, ARCHES Workpackage 5 leader, with the support of Dr. Pierre Rossi from LCPC, pioneer of UHPFRC technology, and inventor of the multiscale fibrous mixes CEMTEC_multiscale® used as a basis in these works.

The development and application of the material was strongly sustained and supported by the local enterprises, such as TKK Srpenica d. d, .Cestno podjetje Nova Gorica d.d., Primorje d. d.  

The world premiere application of the new generation of UHPFRC took place as foreseen on the Log Čezsoški bridge (Slovenia) on 16^th and 17^th July. In the context of the Friday event, the entire course of the construction works performed on the Log Čezsoški bridge and the properties of UHPFRC were presented by Dr Aljoša Šajna (ZAG) and Danijel Krivec, Mayor of Bovec.    

In his speech, the mayor expressed pleasure on behalf of the whole municipality of Bovec at the fact that they can be involved in the premiere application of UHPFRC: »The municipality of Bovec stands for the policy of sustainable development, and today we are witnessing an example of a successful transfer of sustainability in construction into good practice.  We are proud to be able to take part in the world premiere of the new generation of UHPFRC.  We are extremely proud that so much of our local industry has been actively involved into the project - the know-how as well as other types of support has been provided by the following enterprises of the northern Primorska region:  Salonit Anhovo, TKK Srpenica, CPG Nova Gorica, Primorje Ajdovščina.” 

Dr. Aljoša Šajna of the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG), head of the UHPFRC development works at ZAG and in charge of the Log Čezsoški application site , pointed out the crucial role of a good international cooperation which resulted in the significant advancement in the field of reinforced concretes:  “Within the scope of the EU project ARCHES a team of international and domestic experts has developed a new generation of Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concretes, by using materials that are locally available. The new generation of UHPFRC for full-scale application on bridges guarantees faster performance of construction works and longer lasting results. We are pleased that the project has involved so much of the knowledge basis of the northern Primorska region accumulated in enterprises, such as Salonit Anhovo, TKK Srpenica, CPG Nova Gorica and Primorje Ajdovščina.

In bridge rehabilitation, Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete or UHPFRC were developed and successfully used in Switzerland for the first time within the frame of the SAMARIS (Sustainable and Advanced Materials for Road InfraStructure) 5^th FP EU research project. The purpose of its application is enhancement of the durability of reinforced concrete structures and if needed increase in the load-bearing capacity, especially for road structure components, which are subject to high mechanical loads and are permanently exposed to severe environmental conditions. The application of a thin UHPFRC layer to bridge decks helps simplify and accelerate construction and rehabilitation works (no more waterproofing membrane is needed) and provides a more durable solution in comparison to the conventional ones.   Project ARCHES WP 5 has taken UHPFRC a level higher. With the exception of steel micro and macro fibrous reinforcement and micro silica, the new generation of UHPFRC is produced from locally available raw materials. Modifications in the composition have now enabled us to use the material for overlaying of horizontal and vertical surfaces, and surfaces with up to 5 % slope, which is crucial for many bridge decks. Furthermore, the cement (major source of GHGs) dosage used in this UHPFRC, has been reduced dramatically by the use of locally available inert mineral additions, without jeopardizing the durability of the material or harming its rheological properties, at the contrary.