Every draw request comes with a guarantee that the project meets spec, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, tests fail. Sometimes, work needs to be redone, or extra costs can’t be covered by a change order. Contingency may help, but ultimately, projects need to be done right. They need quality assurance. 

The stakes can be high. If concrete construction needs remediation, the project might run into financial losses, big delays, or, at worst, litigation. We’ve heard customers’ stories, and we’ve learned from our own experiences. QA/QC managers can often recall a job that seemed to be going smoothly and then took a downward turn. 

For concrete and ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), consistency is key. It’s the basis of any concrete QA/QC Plan because it maintains conformance and prevents projects from going wrong. Cor-Tuf ready-mix UHPC is known for its consistency because it works the same way as standard ready-mix concrete without sacrificing quality.

How Cor-Tuf Promotes Quality While Reducing Overhead

Many UHPC vendors require special procedures and custom field mixing that compromise consistency. Even with the best plans in place, there will always be variables beyond your control. Extra steps introduce deviations between batches and inconsistent pours. 

Cor-Tuf promotes quality by removing as much variability as possible through proven processes in the concrete industry. In particular, our products can be batched in a fully automated ready-mix plant. This is important because consistency is more easily achieved when it’s centrally controlled instead of being mixed in a laydown yard. 

Cor-Tuf UHPC is compatible with industry-preferred batching software, such as Command, Marlottee, and Sysdyne systems, which promote quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) from the start. These programs remove batch-to-batch flaws and allow your focus to be on delivery and placement, all of which can be performed with familiar methods, well-known QA/QC procedures, and less labor. Let the plant do the batching while your team takes care of installation.

With Cor-Tuf UHPC, there is no need to introduce special combinations of hand-measured materials that need to be mixed onsite. There is no need for ice, new equipment, or long procedures in the field that all add a margin for error. Even with locally sourced materials from different contractors in different locations, Cor-Tuf can be centrally batched and delivered with standard ready-mix trucks. 

Our product has been used successfully in 37 different ready-mix plants across North America using either dry-batch or central-mixed plants. The batches are fed from a silo instead of from laborers and operators in the yard. It’s quicker and more precise, ensuring the job is done right the first time. 

Testing & Standards

For UHPC, test results are important. Did all of the batching and field control meet specifications? Was it done right or not?

Federal and state standards drive most project specifications and testing requirements, so it’s important to use them to inform your quality planning. Design guidelines and specifications that prefer UHPC to traditional concrete continue to emerge, primarily for projects involving bridge components and structural repairs. 

UHPC is not just defined by higher compressive strength but also by superior tensile, flexural, bonding, and impermeable properties. It resists degradation, and test results are used to prove it.

Both the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have recently come out with new standards. State-level authorities are also standardizing guidance and issuing more project requests for UHPC, particularly in the Northeast, where cold weather and continuous salting have traditionally degraded bridges and other infrastructure.

There is strength testing, of course, but tests to be aware of include ASTM 1583 (Tensile/Bonding Strength) and ASTM 1202 (Chloride Penetrability Resistance). These are used to demonstrate reliable performance throughout the service life of a bridge. Central batching and ready-mix compatibility are key to getting consistent results for these tests because they eliminate the batching inconsistencies that lead to imperfections in the UHPC matrix. 

UHPC vendors who cannot comply with field-performed batching, specialty installation methods, and specialty project specifications that not all UHPC vendors can comply with will cause QC problems. Combining field risk with product risk is a recipe for problems.

Cor-Tuf knows how to pass these tests consistently because we not only promote simple ready-mix installation, but we design our products to meet specifications for various circumstances and project-specific needs. Our products meet federal and state demands, and our team will support your QA process without requiring an overhaul of your crew. 

Why Cor-Tuf UHPC Works for Contractors

Ultimately, any concrete product needs to be efficient and workable. We can’t have concrete firms return to the drawing board whenever they bid on UHPC contracts or write up brand-new quality procedures. We’ve been in the field, and we understand the pressure to close out projects. That’s why we’ve designed Cor-Tuf to be the most contractor-friendly material we can.

You already have reliable sources for sand, cement, and admixtures. You already have tools and a team that rolls Ready-Mix trucks year-round. So why would you want a UHPC vendor controlling how you run your shop? QA/QC is about confirming project performance, not micromanaging every aspect of the job beyond reason.

Cor-Tuf UHPC has been successfully batched with contractors’ sand and cement for ready-mix implementation over and over. Take a look at some of our signature projects, and you’ll see what quality looks like:

• George Washington Memorial Parkway
  
  
• New York Viaduct and RailWorks Project
  
  
• Long Island Expressway
  
  
• Canadian County Bridge, Oklahoma

These projects met spec and didn’t reinvent concrete construction. The UHPC was mixed, delivered, and poured the same way as typical concrete. Get the same ready-mix trucks together, and let us reinforce your quality assurance. Avoid non-conformance reports through simplicity and experience.

In addition to typical bridge and repair jobs, we’re seeing other uses for Cor-Tuf UHPC. We can use it as fly-ash, we can use it for road maintenance, and we’re staying steps ahead of the agencies asking for more UHPC. 

On your next UHPC project, work with a partner that guarantees quality assurance. Your sand, your cement, our Cor-Tuf UHPC.