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IntroductionShellfish create their shells mainly out of Calcium carbonate, which like salt is suspended or dissolved in sea water. In addition to salt there are at least 56 other minerals available from sea water. In the mid 1970's Professor Hilbertz from a Texas (USA) university was looking for methods to prevent metal from rusting and discovered a way to produce material very similar to shell fish shells. Which has been called by a variety of names, but we will stick with seacrete. He discovered that if you run a small electrical current through a wire mesh immersed in the ocean, the material, mainly calcium carbonate, accretiate or is formed on the wire. The greater the current the more the minerals accretiated. Using a small electrical current in a few months it had become over an inch thick. It was both lighter and stronger than reinforced concrete. He went on to create some large structures by this process. The technical article (tab above left) explains how it works and the formula for making it work, plus more information.
We have not yet looked at applications for this, although within visions, from the home page you will find some ideas as to how this might be able to be used. In our opinion, in the longer term, this will form a major way for quality structures to be created, as very low cost. Clearly at this point it is less well understood than Ferrocement, and offers the opportunity for great developments. It should be remembered that sub assemblies as well as complete structures can be made with this method. Shells are often patterned, and very decorative, and we would see in the future the scope to grow whole structures or sub assemblies with colored patterned built in.
Very much of what has been said about Ferrocement from strength in box structures to the effective use with pods can also be said about seacrete. We have however not duplicated all the information within this section. |
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