Zachodniopomorski Uniwersytet Technologiczny w Szczecinie

About the Project

One estimate of global water distribution says that the sum of total freshwater resources, including glaciers, is only 3% of the total available water. World Wildlife Organization highlighted the possibility of two-thirds of the world population facing a severe freshwater shortage by 2025. Agricultural, industrial, and domestic consumptions of water contribute to the total freshwater withdrawals worldwide.  Concrete is the second largest consumed material on Earth after water.  Among the industrial water withdrawals, almost 10% of the water is being used for concrete production.  Unfortunately, the water-stressed nations are mostly developing countries that need significant improvement in their infrastructure to be achieved through concrete production.  Therefore, research on developing concretes with alternate water sources is needed for the day during this climate action decade proposed by United Nations.


Some alternate sources of water that could be used for concrete production are treated industrial wastewater, groundwater, and seawater. Inconsistent groundwater quality and the cost involved in treating wastewater offer challenges in the broader acceptability as alternate sources for larger-scale concrete production. In ancient times, Romans used seawater and pozzolanic materials to produce concrete for seawalls standing stronger for more than 2000 years, resisting the aggressive marine environment. However, seawater usage in concrete is restricted by several national standards for producing reinforced concrete due to the higher concentration of chlorides in seawater. The chances of pitting corrosion on steel embedded in concrete limited the application of seawater as an alternate source to produce concrete.


The arrival of types of cement with high volume pozzolanic materials and improvement in adapting nanoparticles in concrete in recent times provide an opportunity for exploring the idea of producing reinforced concrete with seawater.  This project aims to develop durable seawater concrete (SWC) with enhanced service life. The synergy between reactive SCMs and nanoparticles can improve the microstructure of the developed concrete by enhancing its impermeability.  A holistic assessment of the nano-modified SWC will be carried out by evaluating the fresh, mechanical, and durability properties.  Also, the electrochemical assessment on embedded steel in nano-modified SWC will be performed to understand the role of SCMs and nanoparticles in mitigating corrosion initiation. The success of NanoSeaCon can instill confidence in the industry to produce reinforced concrete with seawater, thus, helping to develop a sustainable built environment.  Hence, this work could contribute to one of the many efforts taken across the world to tackle the global freshwater shortage and caters to the UN Sustainable development goals.


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