After a brief reminder of the main characteristics of UHPFRC and of the history of their development, this paper presents the 2013 AFGC recommendations on UHPFRC, with emphasis on developments based on practical experience and on research carried out during the last decade. The paper then presents the progress of French standardization on UHPFRC and a summary of the similarities and main differences between normal fibre-reinforced concrete and UHPFRC. It presents specific topics which have to be examined in order to formulate intermediate fibre-resistant concrete (between HPFRC and UHPFRC) and/or to formulate UHPFRC with a lower fibre content combined with traditional reinforcement. The paper ends with a summary of the technological breakthroughs brought about by UHPFRC with respect to both design methods and implementation processes.

After several decades of research work and some years of pioneer applications, fibrereinforced concrete (FRC) is nowadays a material ready for the world community, also considering that design rules are already available in several countries and the fib Model Code 2010 includes specific sections for design of FRC elements. FRC can be a suitable solution, especially for statically indeterminate structures, where stress redistribution occurs. In addition to the structural bearing capacity, FRC is particularly useful for better controlling crack opening in service conditions, which has a particular influence on structural durability, especially in aggressive environments. Furthermore, structural robustness is nowadays a major concern among structural engineers. Also in this perspective, FRC could improve structural behaviour since it provides structural resistance both in compression and in tension in all the regions of the structural element. In the present paper, the design procedure is applied to some structural elements where FRC may represent a suitable material for structural behaviour. Beside structural strength, crack opening in service conditions is determined and comparison in terms of total amount of reinforcement (fibres + rebars) is presented.

Strain-hardening cement-based composites (SHCC) are a group of high-performance materials which shows a high non-linear deformation capability and experiences strainhardening behaviour under tensile loading. This behaviour is achieved by a specific material design which uses micro-mechanical effects to enhance the bridging properties of the fibres. In the presented research work, a series of large-scale uniaxial tension tests was performed to investigate the influence of the steel reinforcement on the load-bearing capacity as well as on the deformation and cracking behaviour of slabs made of SHCC. Both the global deformations of the test specimens and local deformations of the reinforcement bars were measured. The experiments showed that the load-bearing behaviour of the structural elements is characterized by multiple cracking of SHCC. This results in a quasi-elastic, tensionstiffening behaviour of the tension element after the initial cracking strength was reached. For a realistic description of this load bearing behaviour, a model for concrete stress-strain relationship is proposed.

Research and applications of fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) started in China during the early 1970’s, and have grown substantially over the last few decades. The first design guideline for fibre-reinforced concrete structures was developed in 1992 and subsequently updated in 2004. The design guideline focuses on steel fibre concrete, which is most commonly used in practical applications, but also has provisions for the use of synthetic fibres. In this paper, a general overview of the guideline will be provided. The design concepts for both serviceability and ultimate states are presented first. Various applications covered in the guideline, including fibre-reinforced structural or semi-structural components, pavements, bridges, hydraulic structures, shotcrete (for tunnel and repair) as well as waterproofing will then be described. By providing a concise summary of the guideline, we hope to convey an idea about the current state of fibre-reinforced concrete design in China.

Steel-fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC) has been known since the sixties and has been used for structures for the past 30 years; SFRC has therefore become a subject of intensive research and development. A Danish consortium on sustainable concrete structures was involved in several demonstration projects using steel-fibre-reinforced self-compacting concrete (SFRSCC) to prepare guidelines on design and execution of SFRC and SFRSCC structures. This paper summarizes and presents selected projects with the application of steel-fibrereinforced concrete and self-compacting concrete. The paper describes and discusses the design methodology, relevant aspects and practical experiences from the construction of bridge, tunnel and foundation projects. Special attention is paid to the cost savings, corrosion resistance and durability aspects of the SFRC application, as the demand for efficient and long-term sustainable concrete structures is rapidly growing, with the common expectation of a service life on the order of minimum 100-120 years.