Porous Concrete for Underwater Organisms in a River

Abstract

Concrete is an essential material for creating infrastructures. However, with the growing awareness of environmental problems in recent years, concrete is now required to function in harmony with nature and help preserve ecosystems. Porous concrete has received a great deal of recent attention. It is believed that porous concrete has water purification functions in flowing water through organism membranes created in a series of inner voids, and that it also creates a new environment for organisms because aquatic organisms and algae adhere to the insides and surface of porous concrete. This paper describes changes over time in the type and number of organisms adhering to porous concrete placed in streams of a river. In addition, the physical properties of porous concrete exposed in a river are discussed. It was concluded that porous concrete can be used as an environmentally-friendly concrete.