Can you use sea water for mixing concrete?

It is advisable to use clean water fit for drinking purposes for making cement concrete. However, at places where sea water is available in abundance and potable water is costly, the sea water can be used for making cement concrete.

Why sea water is not recommended in construction?

In sea water, chloride is present which will cause corrosion of steel and iron which ultimately leads to reducing carrying capacity of steel and iron, so that the structure built using this may not be sustainable..

Does salt water affect concrete?

The answer is yes, salt does indirectly damage your concrete driveways, patios and sidewalks. Bumps and potholes don’t just appear due to regular wear and tear – salt damages concrete over time by causing corrosion to occur under the surface, leading to discolored, cracked and crumbling concrete.

How does sea water affect the properties of concrete?

The deterioration of concrete structures by seawater is more due to leaching rather than expansion of concrete. Sulfates attack the concrete and cause expansion but due to the presence chlorides in seawater the swelling of concrete retards. Hence, erosion and loss of concrete takes place without showing much Expansion.

What happens if you add salt to concrete?

* Salt is a mild acid and lowers the pH in the concrete. The acidic reaction attacks the concrete paste and aggregate, weakening the structure and strength of the concrete. It also increases the pore size, allowing additional water and chemicals into the concrete, which can exacerbate freeze/thaw cycle damage.

How do concrete react under sea water?

According to Gani (1997), the presence of sodium chloride in sea water accelerates the attack on other compounds on the concrete. The chemical action of seawater on concrete is mainly due to attack by Magnesium sulphate (MgSO4). This attack is by crystallization.

Is it OK to put salt on concrete?

Salt does not damage concrete, but the effects of salt can. Salt does not chemically react with hardened concrete. Salt does however lower the freezing point of water, attract moisture, and increase pressure of frozen water.

What does adding sugar to concrete do?

Sugar increases the setting time of cement up to 1.33 hrs at dosage level of 0.06\% by wt of cement. There will be no effect on workability, compaction by the use of sugar as admixture in concrete. Higher long-term compressive strength is achieved in concrete by the use of sugar as admixture.

Is water softener salt safe for concrete?

Do not use on porous or improperly cured concrete, concrete less than one year old, wood or other porous materials. As with any ice melting agent, particular care should be used when grass and vegetation are adjacent to the deicing surface as excess application may cause damage. Use this product at your own risk.

Which concrete is used in sea water?

Thus, concrete exposed to seawater should be made with cement of controlled aluminate content and with nonreactive aggregate, embedded steel should be well covered by concrete of low permeability, and good construction practices should be followed.

What kind of salt does not harm concrete?

Magnesium chloride is a great choice! While magnesium chloride is more expensive than sodium chloride and calcium chloride, it is less likely to damage your concrete or your lawn. This type of salt only works in temperatures down to 0° F, which is better than sodium chloride but not quite as good as calcium chloride.

What type of salt should be used on concrete?

Sodium chloride (commonly known as rock salt or table salt) is the safest de-icer for use on concrete.

What is the effect of seawater on concrete mixing?

Divergent opinions exist on the effect of seawater as mixing water in concrete. As sea water contains various types/amounts of dissolved salts that can react with reactive aggregates, sea water should not be used even for plain concrete if the aggregates are known to be potentially alkali reactive.

Is it safe to use sea water in concrete?

There is also the possibility of sulfate attack and consequent deterioration by the use of sea water if the cement used has a high tricalcium aluminate (C3A) content. Many codes do not allow the use of sea water in concrete, though some do.

How can we prevent concrete from expanding in the sea?

Prepare rich concrete with low water cement ratio which makes the concrete impervious. Then the pores in concrete are very small and they cannot hold seawater results in the prevention of expansion by freezing of water and crystallization of salt in the pores.

How long does it take for sea water cement to cure?

The crystals binds the concrete together giving strength to the concrete. But directly making concrete using sea water cement and curing with the same has shown increase in compressive strength of the concrete and other related at the early ages upto 14 days but a abrupt decrease in strength is seen for ages 28 days to 90 days.