ABSTRACT

Bamboo reinforcement is emerging as a viable alternative to steel in marine concrete structures, particularly for secondary elements where structural integrity is crucial. Bamboo offers similar mechanical properties to steel with added benefits of cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and ductility. Challenges such as bonding and durability persist, but ongoing research and case studies, including the Ahmednagar BRC compound wall, highlight its practical applications and potential for significant cost savings. This study underscores the need for systematic guidelines and treatments to enhance bamboo's performance and longevity in marine environments, promoting sustainable construction practices.

INTRODUCTION

The marine environment adds to the durability of concrete structures, deteriorating them through the effects of various components. Exposure conditions in multiple zones of concrete structures are as follows: Atmospheric zone, Splash zone, Tidal zone, and Submerged zone, and are thus of paramount importance in exerting influences on the extent of damage. One of the predominant problems is the corrosion of reinforcement in atmospheric and splash zones, which results in cracks and spalling. In addition, the contribution of other chemical attacks such as chloride, sulfate, carbonation, and magnesium ions to the degradation of concrete results in severe challenges to the service life of marine structures. These construction errors, such as inferior-quality concrete, low coverage to reinforcement, cracks, and lack of curing, exacerbate the durability issues mentioned above (Al-Rabiah et al., 1990). An understanding of materials and properties that lead to long-term durability is required to address the challenges experienced in the marine environment. Developing a high-strength, low-permeability concrete mix is therefore important to prevent the entry of chloride and Sulfate ions, which can cause concrete deterioration. Concrete durability is further improved through the addition of supplementary cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag, increasing its resistance to chemical attack by binding to the pore solution of the mix (Thomas, 2016). Proper design and construction practices, together with the use of corrosion-resistant reinforcing materials, are essential to ensure the structural integrity and durability of marine concrete structures.

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