Guide for Design and Construction of Waterfront and Coastal Concrete Marine Structures

Description

The use of properly designed, durable, and sustainable concrete is an economical approach to the design of marine structures. Except for some criteria in ACI 357R and special-ized criteria in other ACI guides on durability, there are no comprehensive guidelines or standards that cover the appli-cation of concrete in the marine environment for coastal marine structures.

Current building codes and ACI standards do not address the requirements unique to the design of these structures, with the exception of special applications or requirements for piles and concrete durability. This guide provides design guidance for the use of concrete for coastal marine structures, and is intended to complement other design manuals and guides used for this purpose.

This guide primarily covers marine structures used for berthing marine vessels in protected harbors, and for supporting the associated loads. Structures covered by this guide include pile-supported platforms, bulkheads, and gravity structures. It is not intended to cover marine struc-tures such as gravity block walls, tunnels, breakwaters, floating structures, or offshore platforms. Emphasis is placed on special considerations for marine concrete and guid-ance for the design and construction of marine structures. Because of the severe nature of the marine environment and associated loading conditions, certain recommendations in this report are intended to complement the requirements of ACI 318.