The durability characteristics of high performance concrete: a review

Durability problems of ordinary concrete can be associated with the severity of the environment and the use of inappropriate high water/binder ratios. High-performance concrete that have a water/binder ratio between 0.30 and 0.40 are usually more durable than ordinary concrete not only because they are less porous, but also because their capillary and pore networks are somewhat disconnected due to the development of self-desiccation. In high-performance concrete (HPC), the penetration of aggressive agents is quite difficult and only superficial. However, self-desiccation can be very harmful if it is not controlled during the early phase of the development of hydration reaction, therefore, HPC must be cured quite differently from ordinary concrete. Field experience in the North Sea and in Canada has shown that HPCs, when they are properly designed and cured, perform satisfactorily in very harsh environments. However, the fire resistance of HPC is not as good as that of ordinary concrete but not as bad as is sometimes written in a few pessimistic reports. Concrete, whatever its type, remains a safe material, from a fire resistance point of view, when compared to other building materials.