Mechanical Properties and Performance under Laboratory and Field Conditions of a Lightweight Fluorogypsum-Based Blend for Economic Artificial-Reef Construction
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 32, Issue 7
Abstract
This paper investigates the mechanical properties under laboratory and field conditions of a concretelike blend made of fluorogypsum (FG), fly ash, and portland cement for artificial-reef construction, which is referred to as a FG-based blend. The 28-day compressive strength and relative volumetric expansion of the FG-based blend were statistically characterized. After 1 year of immersion in brackish water under field conditions, the compressive strength of the FG-based blend experienced a moderate reduction when compared with material under laboratory conditions but did not degrade below its 28-day value. Visual examination of the immersed specimens indicated that aquatic organisms are attracted to the proposed material. Field investigation of a small artificial-reef structure made of a FG-based blend indicated that sea floor settlement due to the weight of the structure was small. A preliminary cost analysis comparing the cost of artificial reefs constructed with different materials suggests that the proposed FG-based blend is a promising environment-friendly economic material for artificial-reef construction.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. The available data consist of the experimental results relative to the individual specimens used to develop Tables 2 and 3 of the paper.
Acknowledgments
Support of this research by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries through Award No. 724534 is gratefully acknowledged. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring agencies.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 32 • Issue 7 • July 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 8, 2019
Accepted: Dec 18, 2019
Published online: Apr 24, 2020
Published in print: Jul 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Sep 24, 2020
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