Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is an advanced composite material with ultra-high strength and durability. It removes coarse aggregates to increase compressive strength beyond high-performance concrete. RPC consists of sand, cement, quartz powder, silica fumes, superplasticizer, and steel fibers. Its optimal composition and heat curing yield compressive strengths up to 800 MPa. RPC exhibits high flexural strength, very low water absorption and permeability, and excellent resistance to chloride ion penetration, making it suitable for demanding applications like nuclear waste containment. However, RPC is more expensive than high-performance concrete.

1. REACTIVE POWDER CONCRETE
Presentation by:Alok Ranjan
Roll No. : 13CE01013
School of Infrastructure

2. Introduction
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Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) is a developing
composite material that will allow the concrete
industry to optimize material use, and build structures
that are strong, durable, and sensitive to
environment.
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RPC is better known for its ultra-high strength and
durability.
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RPC possesses better strength (both compressive and

3. ●
HPC has achieved the maximum compressive strength
in its existing form of microstructure.
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However, at such a level of strength, the coarse
aggregate becomes the weakest link in concrete.
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In order to increase the compressive strength of
concrete even further, the only way is to remove the
coarse aggregate. This philosophy has been employed
in Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC).

4. ●
The concept of reactive powder concrete was first
developed by P. Richard and M. Cheyrezy and RPC
was first produced in the early 1990s by researchers at
Bouygues’ laboratory in France.
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A field application of RPC was done in canada and
the world’s first Reactive Powder Concrete structure,
the Sherbrooke Bridge in Canada, was erected in July
1997.
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6. COMPOSITION OF REACTIVE
POWDER CONCRETE
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RPC is composed of :
➢
Sand(100 to 600mm diameter)
➢
Cement
➢
Quartz powder
➢
Silica fumes(25% of volume of concrete)
➢
Superplasticizer
➢
Steel fibres(upto 0.2mm dia. And 12mm length)

7. ●
Superplasticizers: It is used at its optimal dosage.
➢
Decreases the water to cement(w/c) ratio.
➢
Increases the workability of the concrete.
➢
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Steel fibres: Improve ductility.
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Sand:Provides strength.
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Silica fumes:Filling the voids.
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Cement:Binding material.
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8. ●
Quartz powder:Maximum reactivity during heat treating.It
fills grade between sand and cement particles making the
matrix denser.
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The water to cement ratio used in RPC ranges from 0.15 to
0.25.
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The material having the largest particle size in RPC is the
sand.
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A very dense matrix is achieved by optimizing the
granular packing of the dry fine powders. This compactness
gives RPC ultra-high strength and durability.

9. PROPERTIES OF RPC
1. COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
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Normal RPC provides compressive strength upto
200Mpa.
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But by the optimum use of quartz sand ,steel
agreegate and heat treatment ,a compressive strength of
600-800Mpa can be obtained.
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The RPC family includes two types of concrete,
designated as RPC 200 and RPC 800.

10. Comparison of RPC 200 and RPC 800
RPC 200 RPC 800
Pre-setting pressurization None 50Mpa
Heat treating 20 to 90°C 250 to 400°C
Compressive
strength(using quartz
sand)
170 to 230 MPa 490 to 680 MPa
Compressive
strength(using steel
agreegates)
-----------
650 to 810 Mpa
Flexural strength 30 to 60 MPa 45-141 Mpa

11. 2.FLEXURAL STRENGTH:
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Due to the presence of steel fibres RPC possesses higher flexural
strength.
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It may range from 30-141 Mpa.
3.Water Absorption:
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The percentage of water absorption of RPC is very
low .It is one of its property which encourages its use
as a nuclear waste containment material.
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The incorporation of fibres and the use of heat curing
is seen to marginally increase the water absorption.

12. Water absorption of RPC and HPC

13. 4.WATER PERMEABILITY:

14. 5.RESISTANCE TO CHLORIDE ION
PENETRATION
RPC (NC) RPC(HWC) RPC with
fibres(NC)
RPC with
fibres(HWC)
Cumulative
Charge
passed in
Coulombs
4 94 140 400
ASTM C1202
classification
Negligible Negligible Very Low Very Low
●High chlorine ion penetration property of RPC makes
it suitable for use in nuclear waste containment
structures.

15. 6. DURABILITY
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Long life:
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Abrasion wear : 2.5 times lower.
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Water absorpton : 7 times lower.
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Rate of Corrosion : 8 times lower.
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Chlorine ion diffusibility : 25 times lower.
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7.Compactness:Application of pressure before andApplication of pressure before and
during the setting period of concrete to obtainduring the setting period of concrete to obtain
maximum density.maximum density.

16. APPLICATIONS
1. RPC is light-weight material.So it can be used to
decrease the overall dead load of the struture.
2. Containment of Nuclear wastes:
➢
Used for isolation and containment of nuclear wastes
➢
It has been used for blocking & stabilization of
containment waste.
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Owing to its high durability, RPC can even replace
steel in compression members.

17. LIMITATIONS
➢
It is expensive as compared to high performance
concretes.
➢
Least costly components of conventional concrete is
basically replaced by expensive ones.
➢
RPC is still under developing phase .So,some of its
long term properties are still not well-known.

18. CONCLUSION
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It has immense potential in construction due to
its mechanical strength and durability aspects.
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RPC has ultra dense microstructure giving
advantages of water proofing and durability
characteristics.

19. THANK YOU