A Game Changer for the Built Environment
Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) is high-strength concrete with small, high-strength steel fibers mixed in, which replaces the need for rebar as a structural steel element. This combination of materials allows for extended span lengths and the use of less reinforcement, offering builders a precast concrete option featuring extreme strength, toughness and a possible life expectancy of 100 years and beyond.
Benefits of Ultra High Performance Concrete:
- Enlarged clear span capabilities
- Reduced construction time with less material
- Better interior design flexibility
- Increased durability and building strength
- More sustainability with less ecological impact
Create a sustainable and timeless building that can reinvent itself to suit new tenants for centuries.
- Optimize your building’s complete framing system with UHPC to reduce the number of pieces and columns in interior spaces.
- Building owners will enjoy the flexibility of renting to a larger customer base with the increased space design options.
- Create open floor layouts that eliminate the need to design around beams that disrupt team collaboration.
- With fewer precast pieces, enjoy faster building erection timelines with fewer crane and workforce demands.
In The News:
- AWARD WINNER: Recognized by the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, The Steel District Office wins the prestigious 2024 Harry H. Edwards Industry Advancement Award
- AWARD WINNER: Third International Interactive Symposium on Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) “Best Innovation in Buildings” Award
- First commercial use of UHPC debuts in office building – Ascent
- UHPC used in first-in-nation application in SD – PCI Journal
- How Sioux Falls’ Steel District leveraged UHPC for a completely custom design – MN Business Journal
- Steel District Office is a game changer for the construction landscape – Des Moines Register
- The future of office design is here – ENTER, AIA Minnesota
- Midwest collaborators build a case for ultra-high performance concrete – MSPBJ
- Sioux Falls office building using Ultra-High Performance Concrete is a ‘game changer’ – StarTribune
UHPC Applications:
- High-Rise Office & Multi-Use Buildings
Redesign spaces for a variety of tenants. - Parking Ramps & Fire Separations
Remove hazards and increase parking spaces. - Larger Gymnasiums & Sports Arenas
Better sightlines and seating arrangements. - Conference Centers & Exhibition Halls
Open, flexible spaces for tradeshows and events. - Warehouse, Distribution Centers, Manufacturing Facilities, & Data Centers
Efficient operation layout and adaptable storage arrangements.
Talk with Joe Bunkers, President of Gage Brothers, about your next project.
Call 605.336.1180 or
Case Study: Trading Traditional Design for 70′ Clear-Span Spaces
The Steel District Office – Sioux Falls, SD
Situated on a historic riverfront campus, The Steel District Office project has emerged as a beacon of innovation and sustainability in the realm of mixed-use office buildings. A defining feature is its utilization of UHPC beams to eliminate interior columns, enabling unparalleled design customization and flexibility.
In conventional high-rise construction, 36-foot-long beams are supported by vertical columns. However, UHPC revolutionizes this process, enabling the creation of structures with double the span lengths with zero interior supports.
This total precast project encompasses 2908 precast concrete elements, including 86 UHPC beams that support the entire 175,000-square-foot structure. This innovative structural system, combined with expansive windows and open floor plans, ensures an unparalleled user experience characterized by abundant natural light, panoramic views, and adaptable spaces conducive to modern work environments.
“If you’re a tenant divided between a building that gives you complete layout flexibility and one that doesn’t — isn’t your choice intuitive? The value to the developer and the tenants speaks for itself.”
Keith Thompson, Principal Architect, Koch Hazard Architects
UHPC Is Put To The Test
Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln conducted an experimental investigation to evaluate the flexural and shear capacities of a new precast/prestressed ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) box beam with cast-in-place (CIP) concrete topping. Two separate tests were conducted on a beam with five 2 ft x 1 ft voids through the webs at the middle third for utilities.
Shear Strength Results
The UHPC box beam tested in shear had a measured maximum load that is 267% higher than the design-factored interface shear load.
The applied load corresponding to the interface shear factored demand is 89.4 kip. The maximum applied load in the shear test is 328 kip which is 267% higher than the demand.
Design Service Load
The measured cracking load is 137% higher than the design service load. The shear strength of the UHPC beam was 112% higher than that of the design factored load.
It was concluded that the UHPC test beam had a significantly higher flexure capacity than what was required.
UHPC is ideal for extreme environments, such as areas that experience very low temperature or wet areas and high stress locations like bridges, tunnels and towers. It also allows for the use of thinner panels and support structures while providing superior strength and reliability. UHPC is the next generation of concrete enabling engineers to use smaller sections for longer spans and greater load resistance with less reinforcement.