Feasibility of using Waste Brine/Seawater and Sea Sand for the Production of Concrete: An Experimental Investigation from Mechanical Properties and Durability Perspectives

The anti-corrosion property of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) makes the concrete produced with marine wastes (waste brine after desalination) and resources (seawater and sea sand) a promising green structural material which can be a sustainable solution to fresh water and river sand scarcity in marine and offshore construction. To evaluate the feasibility of using waste and marine resources in concrete, this study investigated the mechanical properties and durability of brine-sea sand concrete (BSC) and seawater-sea sand concrete (SSC) with three different water-to-cement ratios and compared them to the corresponding ordinary concrete (OC). The results demonstrated that the increased salinity had a minor effect on the 28-day compressive strength, but a significant effect on the large-size capillary pore structure. The semi-quantitative analysis of the concrete phase based on the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that BSC and SSC had larger mass fractions of the amorphous phase (mainly C-S-H), ettringite and gypsum during hydration. At last, the comprehensive performance of three different concrete mixtures was evaluated by five indexes (workability, alkali environment, compressive strength, carbonization resistance, and sulfate resistance). The results show that it is feasible to use brine/seawater and sea sand to replace freshwater and river sand for marine structural concrete reinforced with FRP.

[1]  F. Abed,et al.  A Comprehensive Review of the Effects of Different Simulated Environmental Conditions and Hybridization Processes on the Mechanical Behavior of Different FRP Bars , 2022, Sustainability.

[2]  T. Laoui,et al.  Review: Brine Solution: Current Status, Future Management and Technology Development , 2022, Sustainability.

[3]  U. Ebead,et al.  A review of recent advances in the science and technology of seawater-mixed concrete , 2022, Cement and Concrete Research.

[4]  Hongfa Yu,et al.  Preparation technology, mechanical properties and durability of coral aggregate seawater concrete in the island-reef environment , 2022, Journal of Cleaner Production.

[5]  Kejin Wang,et al.  Effects of seawater and undesalted sea sand on the hydration products, mechanical properties and microstructures of cement mortar , 2021, Construction and Building Materials.

[6]  C. Leung,et al.  Study of the influence of seawater and sea sand on the mechanical and microstructural properties of concrete , 2021 .

[7]  Deju Zhu,et al.  A review on seawater sea-sand concrete: Mixture proportion, hydration, microstructure and properties , 2021 .

[8]  A. Yusuf,et al.  The global status of desalination: An assessment of current desalination technologies, plants and capacity , 2020, Desalination.

[9]  A. Nanni,et al.  Durability of GFRP reinforcing bars in seawater concrete , 2020 .

[10]  Gang Wu,et al.  A novel seawater and sea sand concrete filled FRP-carbon steel composite tube column: Concept and behaviour , 2020 .

[11]  Vivian W. Y. Tam,et al.  Investigation on early-age hydration, mechanical properties and microstructure of seawater sea sand cement mortar , 2020 .

[12]  S. Kersten,et al.  Analysis of the energy consumption of supercritical water desalination (SCWD) , 2020, Desalination.

[13]  Jianzhuang Xiao,et al.  Mechanical behaviour of seawater sea-sand recycled coarse aggregate concrete columns under axial compressive loading , 2019 .

[14]  M. Loizidou,et al.  Desalination brine disposal methods and treatment technologies - A review. , 2019, The Science of the total environment.

[15]  J. Weiss,et al.  Hydration, Pore Solution, and Porosity of Cementitious Pastes Made with Seawater , 2019, Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering.

[16]  Tai Ikumi,et al.  Numerical assessment of external sulfate attack in concrete structures. A review , 2019, Cement and Concrete Research.

[17]  A. Altaee,et al.  Evaluation of forward osmosis as a pretreatment process for multi stage flash seawater desalination , 2019, Desalination.

[18]  Zhengxian Yang,et al.  Preliminary investigation of artificial reef concrete with sulphoaluminate cement, marine sand and sea water , 2019, Construction and Building Materials.

[19]  Jingzheng Ren,et al.  Industrial wastewater desalination under uncertainty in coal-chemical eco-industrial parks , 2019, Resources, Conservation and Recycling.

[20]  E. Jones,et al.  The state of desalination and brine production: A global outlook. , 2019, The Science of the total environment.

[21]  Junjie Wang,et al.  Multiscale investigations on hydration mechanisms in seawater OPC paste , 2018, Construction and Building Materials.

[22]  Antonio Nanni,et al.  Fresh and hardened properties of seawater-mixed concrete , 2018, Construction and Building Materials.

[23]  Usama Ebead,et al.  Life cycle cost analysis of structural concrete using seawater, recycled concrete aggregate, and GFRP reinforcement , 2018, Construction and Building Materials.

[24]  David Kim,et al.  Quantitative sustainability analysis of water desalination – A didactic example for reverse osmosis , 2018 .

[25]  C. Fu,et al.  Effect of pore structures on gas permeability and chloride diffusivity of concrete , 2018 .

[26]  S. Sagadevan,et al.  Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Desalination Handbook , 2018 .

[27]  Arpad Horvath,et al.  Impacts of booming concrete production on water resources worldwide , 2018, Nature Sustainability.

[28]  Antonio Nanni,et al.  Use of sea-sand and seawater in concrete construction: Current status and future opportunities , 2017 .

[29]  Mohamed Khayet,et al.  Treatment of reverse osmosis brine by direct contact membrane distillation: Chemical pretreatment approach , 2017 .

[30]  Feng Xing,et al.  Carbonation of concrete made with dredged marine sand and its effect on chloride binding , 2016 .

[31]  Gang Wu,et al.  Experimental study on the bond durability between steel-FRP composite bars (SFCBs) and sea sand concrete in ocean environment , 2016 .

[32]  Miren Etxeberria,et al.  Secondary aggregates and seawater employment for sustainable concrete dyke blocks production: Case study , 2016 .

[33]  Long-yuan Li,et al.  Effect of carbonation on release of bound chlorides in chloride-contaminated concrete , 2016 .

[34]  N. Hilal,et al.  Reducing flux decline and fouling of direct contact membrane distillation by utilizing thermal brine from MSF desalination plant , 2016 .

[35]  Qiu Li,et al.  Effect of metakaolin addition and seawater mixing on the properties and hydration of concrete , 2015 .

[36]  B. Safi,et al.  The use of seashells as a fine aggregate (by sand substitution) in self-compacting mortar (SCM) , 2015 .

[37]  W. Müllauer,et al.  Sulfate attack expansion mechanisms , 2013 .

[38]  Marie D. Jackson,et al.  Unlocking the secrets of Al-tobermorite in Roman seawater concrete , 2013 .

[39]  E. Kishar,et al.  Effect of calcium chloride on the hydration characteristics of ground clay bricks cement pastes , 2013 .

[40]  N. Melián-Martel,et al.  Reuse and management of brine in sustainable SWRO desalination plants , 2013 .

[41]  Tzahi Y Cath,et al.  A comparative life cycle assessment of hybrid osmotic dilution desalination and established seawater desalination and wastewater reclamation processes. , 2012, Water research.

[42]  Wang Jing,et al.  Technical Characteristics of "Technical Code for Application of Sea Sand Concrete" , 2011 .

[43]  Enrico Drioli,et al.  Membrane distillation-crystallization of seawater reverse osmosis brines , 2010 .

[44]  G. Vera,et al.  Microstructural modifications in Portland cement concrete due to forced ionic migration tests. Study by impedance spectroscopy , 2008 .

[45]  Javier Romero,et al.  Salinity tolerance of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica: recommendations to minimize the impact of brine discharges from desalination plants , 2008 .

[46]  Young-Moon Leem,et al.  Effect of oyster shell substituted for fine aggregate on concrete characteristics: Part I. Fundamental properties , 2005 .

[47]  J. J. Sadhwani,et al.  Case studies on environmental impact of seawater desalination , 2005 .

[48]  P. K. Mehta,et al.  Concrete: Microstructure, Properties, and Materials , 2005 .

[49]  Walid H. Shayya,et al.  Brine disposal from reverse osmosis desalination plants in Oman and the United Arab Emirates , 2001 .

[50]  George W. Scherer,et al.  Crystallization in pores , 1999 .

[51]  A. Bautista,et al.  Protection of Steel Embedded in Chloride-Containing Concrete by means of Inhibitors , 1998 .

[52]  Karen Scrivener,et al.  Delayed ettringite formation , 2001 .

[53]  I. S. Al Mutaz,et al.  Production of magnesium from desalination brines , 1990 .

[54]  P. K. Mehta.  Mechanism of sulfate attack on portland cement concrete — Another look , 1983 .

[55]  M. Aziz,et al.  Sea Dredged Sand for Concrete , 1982 .

[56]  H. Klug.  THE X-RAY DIFFRACTION TECHNIQUE , 1954 .