Given the increasing global concern of freshwater scarcity, the use of seawater in concrete mixtures appears to be a way forward towards achieving sustainable concrete, especially in the case of non-reinforced concrete applications or with the use of non-corrosive reinforcement. This paper reports on the results of an experimental study to compare the freshwater-and seawater-mixed concretes in terms of their strength, shrinkage and permeability performance. The experimental program included the following: (i) compressive strength test (at 3, 7, 28, and 56-day ages); (ii) concrete shrinkage test (at Days 4, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 56 following mixing); and (iii) permeability tests (rapid chloride permeability and water absorption at Days 28 and 56 following mixing). As for the study results, seawater concrete showed a slightly higher early-age (i.e., till Day 7) strength performance than that of freshwater-mixed counterpart, followed by a strength performance that is 7–10% inferior to the freshwater concrete after 28 days or later. Also, the shrinkage of seawater concrete was slightly higher than that of freshwater concrete, with a difference of 5% reported after 56 days following mixing. Finally, the permeability performance of hardened concrete in seawater and freshwater mixtures was similar.
Role of binary cement including Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM), in production of environmentally sustainable concrete: A critical review
