Underwater construction is essential for relevant infrastructure projects, including bridges, dams, ports, and offshore platforms. It supports marine structures, power generation (e.g., off-shore wind power), and transportation networks, contributing to economic development and environmental protection. For example, ports and offshore oil rigs rely on underwater foundations, while tunnels and pipelines enable water distribution and transportation. Additionally, coastal defense systems protect against erosion and flooding, making underwater construction crucial for both infrastructure and environmental sustainability.
Anti-washout concrete can play a vital role in underwater construction by preventing material loss in turbulent water. It contains admixtures that increase viscosity, allowing it to resist washout while maintaining workability for accurate placement. This type of concrete enhances durability, ensuring structural integrity and reducing the risk of pollution to aquatic environments. By preventing material waste and rework, anti-washout concrete helps lower costs and ensures long-term safety in underwater projects.
FuCCI has developed a series of anti-washout concrete products that can meet various technical requirements in underwater construction and repair, based on a thorough review of the state of the arts. An example is shown below, where the first GIF image shows the situation when normal concrete is poured into water and the second shows that the elaborately designed anti-washout concrete can be successfully placed underwater while maintaining a quasi-self-consolidating capacity.
GIF 1: Casting of conventional concrete (portland cement-based mortar) underwater
GIF 2: Casting of anti-washout SCC (portland cement-based composite mortar) underwater
Meanwhile, FuCCI has been working on AI-guided development of 3D printable concrete using “indigenous” raw materials, funded by ERDC. This toolbox, when integrated with anti-washout concrete principles, will enable the development of underwater 3D concrete printing, even using raw materials dominantly from riverbeds or seafloors. In future underwater projects, the anti-washout concrete/SCC can be used for the construction of a platform on any soft sediments, above which a structure can be 3D printed using the underwater 3DP concrete.
GIF 3: GPT 4o generated illustration of underwater 3D printing using seafloor sediments as dominant feedstock