Concrete in Canada: 50 years of progress — present concerns

Abstract

Over the past 50 years, concrete in Canada has evolved from a simple robust material to a complex composite with impressive improvements in the material properties. Due to the development of water reducers and silica fume, the performance of concrete has improved from the conventional 30 MPa concrete before the CN Tower (1973) to the ultra-high strength 200 MPa concrete used in the Passerelle de Sherbrooke (1998). This paper retraces this evolution of concrete with a focus on both the technical improvements and the important structures built with these technologies. Recent progress in blended cements and poly-carboxylate ether superplasticizers is also presented, along with the concerns and current challenges to ensure an optimized and safe use of these new concrete admixtures.