The Corrosion Resistance of Reinforced Lightweight Aggregate Concrete in Strong Brine Environments

Taiwan has used technology in reservoir sediments and industrial waste to produce high-performance lightweight aggregate (LWA). LWA can be used to manufacture lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) with structural strength ratings. At present, Taiwan’s offshore wind turbines are gradually developing and are moving from coastal areas to deep-sea areas. With this in mind, this study aimed to investigate the feasibility of applying LWAC with synthetic LWA from reservoir sediments to floating offshore wind turbine foundations. LWAC and normal-weight concretes (NWC) of different strengths were prepared, and their fresh, hardened, and durability properties were tested. In addition, reinforced concrete and steel sheets were immersed in a tank of high salinity seawater to examine their resistance to seawater-accelerated corrosion. The test results showed that the total passing charge of the two groups of concrete within six hours was less than 1000 coulombs. Both groups of concrete were classified as having “Very Low” chloride permeability. The average corrosion potential of most reinforced concrete specimens was found to be greater than −200 mV, which means that the corrosion probability of the steel bars was less than 10%. Furthermore, the use of coatings for seawater corrosion protection on steel sheets was not found to be as effective as reinforced concrete. This shows that the use of LWAC with synthetic LWA from reservoir sediments for the floating foundations of offshore wind turbines is feasible and has design flexibility.