Evaluation of Lighweight Concrete
Performance in 55 to 80 Year Old Ships
By R.D. Sturm, N. McAskill, R.G. Burg and D.R. Morgan
Ten concrete ships currently being used as a floating
breakwater around the log pond at the Pacific Paper Powell
River plant in British Columbia, Canada, are after
approximately 55 to 80 years of marine exposure, showing
varying degrees of deterioration. The ships were constructed
with a double mat of reinforcing steel and expanded
lightweight shale aggregate concrete. Two separate
inspections were conducted over the last seven years to
evaluate the conditions of the hulls, decks, and other
components of five of the ships. Cores taken from various
portions of the ships with different exposure conditions
were subjected to laboratory analysis and testing, including
testing for compressive strength and petrographic
examination. Results of these tests indicate that the
lightweight aggregate concrete that the ships are
constructed of has performed well, considering the harsh
marine environment to which they are exposed.
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