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Marine Water Effect on Compressive Strength of Concrete: A Case Study of Escravos Area of Nigerian Delta
Abstract
This paper examines the effect of seawater found the Excravos area of the Nigerian delta in concrete production. It is well-known that the use of seawater for mixing concrete does not appreciably reduce the strength and other properties of concrete but may lead to corrosion of reinforcement in some certain cases. Seawater obtained from Excravos area of the Niger Delta was analysed and the compressive strength of concrete produced and cured with it was obtained from the laboratory. Concrete cubes cast and cured with seawater were observed to have a higher strength at 28 days i.e. about 115% when compared with concrete cast with fresh water. Increase in concentration of seawater used in preparation of cement paste lowers the setting time: initial and final setting time. It is subsequently recommended that the use of seawater for concrete casting and curing should not be rejected or turned down. However, in the case of reinforced concrete, it is recommended that reinforcement be prevented from corrosion by using stainless steels where available and corrosion inhibitors. However, long-term effect of seawater concentration on properties of concrete such as creep and durability were not investigated in this work.