DUCTAL - Iowa State University

Wapello County, Iowa UHPC
“DUCTAL” Bridge
2005 Better Concrete Conference
November 3 rd , 2005
Iowa State University
Presented by:
Brian P. Moore, PE - Wapello County Engineer

What is DUCTAL?
• High performance cement based material with metallic or
organic fibers.
• Made of silica fumes (glass), cement, fine sand, water,
superplasticizer, and fibers.
• Fluid and self-placing.
• Compressive strength = 23-33 ksi.
• Flexural strength = 4-7 ksi.
• Highly ductile with low (zero) permeability.
• No need for reinforcing steel.

Normal Concrete
DUCTAL

Project Development
• Spring 2003 – Wapello County is awarded $300,000 through the TEA-21
Innovative Bridge Construction Program (IBRC) to demonstrate the use of
UHPC (DUCTAL).
• 8/12/03 – UHPC Design Seminar held in Ames, Iowa.
• 4/12/04 – DUCTAL test batches completed at local precast plants interested
in becoming “prequalified”.
• 8/03/04 – Proposals sent to fabricate 1-71’ long prestressed test beam,
several small shear test beams and 3-110’ long prestressed beams made of
DUCTAL.
• 10/26/04 – Wapello County accepts proposal from Lafarge, Winnipeg and
enters into 2 phase contract to construct test beams and bridge beams.
• 2/23/05 – Casting of 71’ long test beam completed.

Project Development
• 5/12/05 – Flexure testing of 71’ test beam completed at ISU.
• 6/9/05 – Ultimate Shear Capacity of 71’ test beam completed at ISU.
• 6/21/05 – Public letting for construction of bridge in Wapello County.
Contract awarded to Bloomfield Bridge and Culvert of Bloomfield, Iowa who
was the low bidder.
• 6/25/05, 7/9/05, 7/16/05 – Casting of 110’ bridge beams completed at
Lafarge, Winnipeg.
• 8/17/05 - Construction begins on the first DUCTAL bridge in North America.
• 9/30/05 – 110’ DUCTAL beams arrive to job site from Winnipeg.
• Two year evaluation of finished bridge after construction.

DUCTAL Beam Design
Modified Iowa 45-inch Bulb Tee Section
1” from top flange
2” from bottom flange
2” from web
49 – 0.6” Dia. strands

DUCTAL Beam Design

Bridge Location

Bridge Site

Bridge Design
• 24’-6” roadway width.
• 110 foot simple span.
• 3 beam cross section. Modified Iowa 45-inch
Bulb Tee pre-stressed beams made of DUCTAL.
• Integral abutments and a conventional 8” castin-place
concrete deck.
• Open style concrete rail.

Research Objectives
• Advance concrete bridge construction technology.
• Develop experience in Iowa in the design and
construction of bridges using UHPC.
• Evaluate the long-term performance of the nation’s first
UHPC bridge.
• Develop recommended design procedures for shear
design of UHPC beams with potential adoption by
AASHTO.
• Examine the potential use of UHPC.

Flexure Test

Flexure Test

Flexure Test Results
• First cracks expected in range of 240-280
kips.
• First cracks appear @ 256 kips.
• Total load of 264 kips applied with 3.25
inch of deflection.

Shear Test

Shear Test

Shear Test Results
• Estimated Failure @ 750 Kips
• Failed @ 640 Kips with 5 inch deflection

110’ DUCTAL Beam

110’ DUCTAL Beam

Construction

Construction

Questions?
PROJECT PICTURES AND INFORMATION
www.wapellocounty.org/roads/marshill.htm
• Brian P. Moore, PE
Wapello County Engineer
bmoore@pcsia.net
• Dean Bierwagen, PE
Methods Engineer, IDOT
Dean.Bierwagen@dot.state.ia.us
• Brent Phares, PE
Associate Director, Bridge Engineering Center
Iowa State University
bphares@iastate.edu