Pedestrian Bridge over Las Vegas Avenue in Medellín. First Latin American Infrastructure in UHPFRC

Abstract

To introduce a new product into a new consolidated market is always a challenge, even for those products like ultra-high-performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) which have proven their value, and it is even harder if this product does not count with local regulation that supports it, like the case of UHPFRC in Colombia. This is the reason that made local developments, both dosages and applications, of vital importance for UHPFRC wider use. That is why is important to emphasize the construction of the pedestrian bridge over Las Vegas Avenue in Medellin, the first infrastructure built in UHPC in Latin America, using a dosage with local materials developed by the company Argos SA. The new pedestrian bridge that connects the campus of the EAFIT University in Medellin with its language building is the first infrastructure work in Latin America in which UHPFRC was used. Initially the design included a metallic structure, however, Argos proposed to the University to change the steel for an UHPFRC dosage developed by Argos SA. The decision to opt for this material represented a saving of 34% in the total cost of the pedestrian bridge construction.