Seawater-mixed concretes containing natural and sea sand aggregates – A review

In light of global warming and the rising urban population across the world, freshwater is becoming a scarce commodity. Freshwater consumption in the production of concrete makes up a significant (9%) share of total freshwater withdrawal for industrial purposes. Among the alternative sources of water for concrete production, seawater involves minimal processing, besides screening debris with filters. Other options, such as the use of wastewater from industrial effluent or desalination of hard waters, require a significant amount of energy, which add to overall concrete production emissions. Many efforts have been made by researchers in the last decades to understand the behaviour of seawater-mixed and sea sand concretes (SW-SS). The present work evaluates the early-age hydration, fresh, mechanical, and durability performance of SW-SS concretes and the corrosion characteristics of embedded reinforcement in them. The authors also summarize mitigation measures recommended in the literature for improving the anti-corrosion performance of SW-SS concretes, by partial substitution of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), the inclusion of alternative reinforcements (such as stainless steel and fibre reinforced polymer bars), the incorporation of corrosion inhibitors, and the adaptation of cathodic prevention measures. Finally, the article highlights the possible challenges to, opportunities for and potential applications of SW-SS concretes in the near future, so as to combat the freshwater crisis in nations suffering severe water stress.