Construction in progress of a mass rapid transit line. Construction of a mass transit train line in progress with heavy infrastructure. This photo shows the progress in joining the various blocks/modules of the line with heavy equipment.

Projects

Sustainability Benefits of Ultra High-Performance Concrete in Transport Infrastructure


1 Jul 2024 - 30 Jun 2027
University of Technology Sydney
$808,121 (Cash + In kind)
Sustainable Concrete

Challenge and proposed solution

Manufacturing traditional concrete generates a large amount of carbon emissions.

To reduce demand for traditional concrete, infrastructure owners like Transport for NSW need to source sustainable alternatives for their new construction projects. One alternative material is ultra high performance concrete (UHPC). While UHPC is more emissions-intensive and expensive to produce, it’s also stronger and longer lasting. This means less of the material is needed to build transport infrastructure like bridges and tunnels. Despite these potential benefits, the true impact of replacing traditional concrete with UHPC is not well understood.

In this project, researchers from the University of Technology Sydney will demonstrate UHPC as a viable low-carbon construction material compared to traditional concrete. They will create UHPC design guidelines for optimal cost and performance, and recommend changes to Australian Standards. They will also produce models and data to help designers use this material and predict its behaviour under different structural loads and climate conditions. They will then quantify the emissions reductions and cost-savings compared to traditional concrete to support the industry in adopting this new material.

Construction in progress of a mass rapid transit line. Construction of a mass transit train line in progress with heavy infrastructure. This photo shows the progress in joining the various blocks/modules of the line with heavy equipment.


PROJECT PARTNERS

  • University of Technology Sydney
  • Transport for NSW