Sensicrete
marine
Inspired by nature.
Our eco-friendly products copy the look of their surroundings to make it easier for marine life to settle in and keep shorelines safe from erosion and floods.
Why do we need marine-friendly concrete?
Seawalls and breakwaters are used for waterfronts, harbours, and foreshores as coastal and flood defences, protecting shorelines and low-lying areas of land against erosion.
With a different pH to natural saltwater, concrete and marine infrastructures have radically altered marine habitats.
To make these structures less intrusive, we need to look for alternative materials that have a lower impact within this environment.
Our marine concrete mix strengthens structures by delaying the onset of corrosion, which increases their lifespan and reduces maintenance costs.
Marine concrete can be grouped into three exposure zones
Concrete structures in all three areas will be exposed to chloride and therefore are at higher risk of degrading and corrosion to steel, which will result in a reduced lifespan. Structures that are behind sea defences but still exposed to airborne salt have an exposure classification of XS1.
Submerged
The submerged zone is continuously covered by seawater and permanently wet
Exposure classification XS2
Intertidal
The intertidal zone is subject to a continuous cycle of wet and dry in the intertidal zone
Exposure classification XS3
Splash
The splash zone is above the intertidal zone and subject to occasional sea spray
Exposure classification XS3
What are the benefits of Sensicon marine?
More durable
GGBS makes concrete more sulphate and chloride resistant, resulting in greater durability underwater and delaying the onset of corrosion to reinforcement
Less intrusive to marine organisms
GGBS alters the alkalinity of concrete, making it more chemically balanced for use in marine environments
Longer Life Span
self-healing additive maintains the integrity of structures, increasing their design life by up to 30%
Less carbon
Replacing Portland cement with GGBS (in a retaining structure), can half the amount of embedded carbon in concrete
Design code-compliant
Compliant with design standards exposure classes in accordance with BS 8500 and BS EN 206
Sensicrete® Marine is only part of the story.
Sensicrete® marine concrete, combined with eco-designs, mimic nature to provide artificial habitats. This includes biomimicry structures for underwater and marine structures such as seawalls and rock armour for breakwaters.
Sensicrete® marine concrete is compatible with existing precast concrete products or can be retrofitted onto existing structures.
Our designs are tested and proven and combine research from ecologists and marine biologists.
Sensicrete®
Low carbon
Low Carbon Solutions for sustainable construction. Reduce Carbon & Increase Durability – a less is more approach.
Sensicrete®
Self healing
Reduce the amount of steel reinforcement, increase the lifespan of structures, and reduce maintenance of concrete structures.
Sensicrete®
Marine
Eco-engineering combines biomimicry with self-healing concrete to create nature inclusive structures and coastal defences.
Sensicrete®
Ultra
Ultra-durable concrete structures by combining low-carbon concrete with self-healing additive + additional protection to structural steel in with a corrosion inhibitor.
Frequently asked questions
Biomimicry involves trying to create shapes and patterns that mimic nature’s designs in order to develop artificial solutions which enhance biodiversity. If a design problem we face has already been solved by nature, why not copy it?
By using these unique designs, we can replicate marine habitats and enhance the growth of diverse species within these ecosystems.
Increasingly, precast concrete is used in marine environments because off-site construction can better control the concrete design and site decisions which is not normally possible at site conditions offshore.
Standard concrete is produced from the mixture of cement, aggregates, sand and water. When standard concrete is submerged in saltwater, it eventually breaks down to initiate corrosion. Marine concrete on the other hand offers lower heat evolution, greater salt water resistance and greater sulphate and chloride.
We use a cement replacement along with suitable additives to balance the chemical composition of concrete. This makes it suitable for marine environments and increases its durability underwater, ensuring that the steel reinforcement doesn’t corrode. In some cases, we add our self-healing additive to increase densification so as to make the concrete less permeable.
Green concrete is a type of eco-friendly concrete that is made from waste or residual materials and requires less amount of energy to be produced. It produces less carbon dioxide than traditional concrete and is more durable.