Mockup Test of UHPFRC Prestressed Arch

A two-hinged arch is part of a traditional structural element that can last for thousands of years. This mockup experiment tested two prestressed UHPFRC (Ultra-High-Performance Fibre-Reinforced Concrete) arches with a span of 10.32 m up to failure. Each arch was composed of two semi-arches, which were joined and slightly prestressed to ensure watertightness in the joint. The load acted on one third of the span, inducing eigenshape-like displacements. The first tensile crack appeared under the load at 60 kN, followed by shear cracks and tensile failure in an approximately opposite cross-section. The maximum load reached 170 kN with brittle failure afterwards. The behavior was successfully validated using a 3D finite element analysis and damage-plasticity material model. The mockup experiment proved that upscaling to a real ecoduct arch becomes possible, creating a unique structure with a very long service life.