Timber, steel, masonry, and concrete are traditional marine construction materials in marinas, harbours, and ports. There are growing environment and sustainability concerns about these materials on an international level. The use of timber is controversial due to the supply-need of depleting that natural resource, as well as the use of wood treatment chemicals leaching into the water. Masonry materials are being less frequently used due to the demanding extraction and transportation efforts required in addition to the extensive labour involvement. While steel and concrete are still readily produced, there are concerns about the relatively fast deterioration mechanisms of these materials in conjunction with the environmental impact of creating the components for construction. A significant amount of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere during he development of traditional materials, which often need to be replaced within 25 to 100 years depending on the specific situation.
Growing concern about the environment and the need to extend the life of materials in construction has resulted in the research and implementation of new construction materials such as recycled plastics, fiber reinforced polymers, and hybrid systems. These alternative materials produce less greenhouse gases and are estimated to last significantly longer than traditional materials due to superior durability.
However, there is a need to publish information on such materials, their characteristics, advantages/limitations, and appropriate application methods.
Therefore, WG 105 has published this document for the international marine community.
This publication of PIANC WG 105 (ex RecCom Working Group 15) is titled “The Use of Alternative Materials in Marine Structure Construction.” However, several other titles have been used since the starting-up: “The Use of Alternative Materials in Marina Construction”, “New Materials for Marine Facilities”, and “Emerging Structural Materials”, and “Emerging Advances in Composite Materials for Waterfront Construction”. The topic of alternative materials is dynamic and advances globally as technology changes. Therefore, this publication is meant to be a snapshot picture of this topic at this particular time and solely deals with materials that have actually already been implemented in projects and are available in the construction market.
The contents of this publication are not confined only to infrastructure in the recreational navigation community, but are equally relevant to commercial shipping, inland navigable waters, and nearly every civil engineering works located in or out of the water. The selected photographs and case studies herein have been provided to provide a brief demonstration of the versatility and geographic utilization of alternative materials.
