NSW Ports has partnered with The Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living (CRCLCL) on a world first project that incorporates waste from coal-fired power stations into low carbon Geopolymer concrete barricades to protect the coastline at Port Kembla from extreme weather events.
The project aims to validate the use of a special high-density Geopolymer concrete in marine environments such as Port Kembla.
This includes 17-tonne Hanbar Geopolymer units used to monitor stability and integrity, providing a valuable benchmark for the future use of this unique material. Eleven geopolymer concrete blocks were placed on the Port Kembla breakwater in 2017 and are being routinely tested by researchers for durability and stability.
The use of alternative concrete compositions will reduce energy consumption during the concrete making process, and utilise more environmentally friendly materials and waste products.
Learn more about this project here
(Pictured: L-R: Peter Engelen, General Manager Planning and Infrastructure, NSW Ports; Ben Modra, UNSW Water Research Laboratory and CRCLCL Project Leader UNSW Professor Stephen Foster at Port Botany NSW)
Photo: MediaKoo