Ultra-high-strength concrete (UHSC)
Ultra-high-strength concrete (UHSC) structures call for cutting-edge design. As a material, UHSC is nothing like traditional concrete and even very different from high-strength or very-high-strength concrete. This innovative material offers several advantages, but the ability to create slender structures thanks to its high strength is perhaps its most striking feature. The material also offers great potential in terms of durability, detailing and practical application.
You can only use UHSC if you have an adequate knowledge of the material, building regulations and the underlying mechanics. Continuous research is also required. We at Pieters have been a frontrunner in designing and engineering projects that include (fibre-reinforced) UHSC since 2008. The knowledge and expertise we had already acquired through our own research has been enhanced and accelerated by our intensive collaboration with Hi-Con. This Danish company has researched fibre-reinforced UHSC for decades and now offers its own patented formula, called Compact Reinforced Composite (CRC), which is the most fully documented UHSC on the market.
In the early years, our projects mainly involved balconies and stairs for new buildings such as Huize het Oosten. More recently, we have increasingly applied UHSC in renovation projects, e.g. for transforming former offices into homes by adding balconies. In 2012, we introduced the material to the infrastructure market in the form of the Delft Bridge System, an innovative product that we developed in collaboration with ipv Delft, Hi-Con and Griekspoor.
Other high-profile solutions that use UHSC include the Catharina bridge (the longest and most minimalistic UHSC bridge in the Netherlands), the patented rigid connection used for the Beach villas in Almere, spiral stairs and floating staircase designs with 40 mm thick treads in collaboration with Intermontage and Amvest, and, last but not least, our pioneering Hi-Con Cold Bending method. In future years, we will continue to explore and push the boundaries of this material.
Pieters’ projects in UHSC include the Catharina bridge in Leiden, Huize het Oosten in Bilthoven, De Verkenner in Utrecht, Strandvillas in Almere, Rokin 17 in Amsterdam, Nachtegaalflat in Katwijk, Langetaambrug in Maasland, Amber-Poptahof in Delft and Heiligharn and Baljuwstraat in Den Helder.