Jose Patino and Byron Velasquez, R&D and Technical Services Engineers, have been working to promote Argos Ultra-High-Performance Concrete in the USA. For the past year, they have performed testing and given presentations to pre-casters, specifiers, and the US Department of transportation.

Not only are Jose and Byron helping Argos provide customers with outstanding solutions and services, but they are also helping to fulfill Argos’ promise as a member of the GCCA (Global Cement and Concrete Association).

Last month they performed a demonstration at a pre-caster where they mixed and poured UHPC for a 6 ft x 6 ft architectural panel and a 6 ft x 4 ft outdoor countertop, both with just 1-inch thickness. The demo went so well that the pre-caster wants to develop other architectural elements and furniture with Argos UHPC.

To continue providing their customer with outstanding service, Jose and Byron made sure that everything was to the customer’s satisfaction and were able to provide us with these wonderful pictures of Argos’ outstanding solutions at work.

What is Ultra-high-Performance Concrete or UHPC?

Ultra-high Performance Concrete, also known as UHPC, is an emerging class of concrete material that has the potential to change the way we design and consider the durability of concrete structures like bridges and buildings. Right now is an exciting time to be working with UHPC because there is a lot of momentum towards implementing this technology in the USA. That momentum comes from the ACI, PCI, and FHWA research programs and works done at the departments of transportation.

This cutting-edge material has outstanding mechanical properties such as compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths. It also offers unmatched durability and excellent workability allowing architects and engineers to explore different structural and aesthetic alternatives. All of this can be achieved through an optimized gradation of specific granular constituents, a meager water-to-cementitious materials ratio, and a high percentage of internal fiber reinforcement.

Some of Argos UHPC technical specs are:

– Self-compacting consistency: 200 to 260 mm (8 to 10 in) ASTM C1437

– Compressive strength @ 28 days: 150 MPa (21.7 ksi) ASTM C39

– Flexural strength @ 28 days: 18 MPa (2600 psi) ASTM C1609

– Modulus of elasticity: 40 GPa (5800 ksi) ASTM C469

– Exceptional durability: Very low water and chloride ion penetration.