Review of ultra-high performance concrete and its application in bridge engineering

•The properties of UHPC and applications in various bridge components are reviewed.•The superior mechanical behaviors of the UHPC as well as durability are summarized.•The applications of UHPC in piers, girders, decks, and link slabs are discussed.•Future studies regarding benefits of using UHPC in bridge engineering are proposed. Due to the superior mechanical properties and durability, the ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) has been widely used for the design of various types of structures, while research on its performance has been rapidly growing in the last five years. While the application of UHPC in bridge engineering is limited due to its higher cost, relatively little is known about the mechanical behavior of UHPC in different bridge components. In order to inform future research needs, this paper provides a comprehensive review of the properties of UHPC and its application in bridge engineering. Applications in various bridge components, such as the piers, girders, decks, and link slabs used for jointless bridges have been summarized. This review also discusses future research on optimized UHPC mix designs considering economic cost and its applications in both jointed and jointless bridges.