In this paper, ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) and its constituents were evaluated by way of instrumented and non-instrumented mechanical-property tests and imaging techniques. Through image analysis, the average size, per cent area, nearest-neighbour distance and relative number density of each inclusion type were determined. Instrumented mechanical-property testing was conducted to obtain estimates for the relative behaviour of UHPC's various constituents. Different combinations of constituents were produced to measure indirect tensile strength, compressive strength, elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio and overall stress–strain behaviour to failure at early and later ages. Stress–strain behaviour and Poisson's ratio of UHPC aligned well with the literature, while constituents of UHPC also showed linear stress–strain relationships and comparable Poisson's ratios. Tensile behaviour at early and late ages was characterised and was found to be driven by inclusion of fibres. Characterisation of UHPC and its constituents is envisioned to be used to further modelling efforts by basing mathematical relationships on physical measurements.

We quantify the chemistry–process–structure–property relationships of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy in which titanium-boron alloy (Ti-B) was added in a functionally graded assembly through a laser-engineered net shaping (LENS) process. The material gradient was made by pre-alloyed powder additions to form an in situ melt of the prescribed alloy concentration. The complex heterogeneous structures arising from the LENS thermal history are completely discussed for the first time, and we introduce a new term called “Borlite”, a eutectic structure containing orthorhombic titanium monoboride (TiB) and titanium. The β-titanium grain size decreased nonlinearly until reaching the minimum when the boron weight fraction reached 0.25%. Similarly, the transformed α-titanium grain size decreased nonlinearly until reaching the minimum level, but the grain size was approximately 2 μm when the boron weight fraction reached 0.6%. Alternatively, the α-titanium grain size increased nonlinearly from 1 to 5 μm as a function of the aluminum concentration increasing from 0% to 6% aluminum by weight and vanadium increasing from 0% to 4% by weight. Finally, the cause–effect relationships related to the creation of unwanted porosity were quantified, which helps in further developing additively manufactured metal alloys.