HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE FOR NORTH SEA PLATFORMS

High-strength concrete has been utilized for offshore exploitation of petroleum resources in the North Sea since 1973. The Norwegian concrete industry is preparing for the use of even higher concrete strengths in both onshore and off-shore work in the near future. The critical demands due to high strength, durability, and constructibility requirements, the magnitude of the structures, and the rate of construction have enforced the development of special cements and the use of pozzolans, hydraulically processed sand, and refined super-plasticizers and other chemical admixtures to achieve satisfactory concrete mix designs. The basic demands on the concrete for the platforms can be divided into three categories: Strength, Durability, Constructibility.