The influence of carbonation on the biocolonization of cementitious materials in the marine environment

Abstract

Engineers specializing in civil engineering must integrate into their design measures to protect marine biodiversity, which authorizes the concept of eco-design of marine infrastructure that respects the environment. The cementitious materials are preferred to design marine infrastructure and interact with the marine environment. These structures will be colonized by marine microorganisms and macroorganisms. Initially, the organisms form a biofilm on the concrete surface according to environmental factors and the physicochemical properties of the material. In this study, it was shown that the pre-carbonation of cementitious materials accelerates the growth of microorganisms forming a biofilm by lowering the pH of the surface. It was shown using a laboratory test that colonization of the surface by microorganisms also increases the hydrophobicity of the surface and could thus improve the durability of the material by reducing the absorption of seawater containing aggressive ions.