Application of Bay of Bengal seawater in concrete production

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Abstract

In this study, the feasibility of using seawater from the Bay of Bengal in concrete production was investigated, comparing it with the conventional method of using freshwater. A critical literature review was conducted alongside the experimental study. Two water sources (seawater and freshwater) were used during different phases of concrete production (casting-curing, only casting, and only curing). In addition, two types of coarse aggregates (brick chips and stone chips) were used. Consequently, experiments were conducted under eight different conditions. The results revealed that in freshwater, compressive strength increased with longer curing periods; however, for seawater, the strength initially increased but decreased upon prolonged curing. The highest reduction in compressive strength (12,7-23,5 %) occurred when seawater was used in the casting-curing phase. Using stone chips with seawater was more effective than using brick chips. Higher densities were observed with stone chips; however, the use of seawater caused negligible changes in concrete densities. Seawater can be used for concrete production in certain specified structures, potentially conserving freshwater resources and promoting environmental and economic sustainability.