Ecologically Engineered Marine Infrastructure to Complement and Support the Offshore Wind Industry

Presentation Description: With the expansion of the offshore wind industry there is a growing opportunity to complement offshore wind goals of clean energy with ecologically friendly marine infrastructure from the shore to the farm. ECOncrete has developed concrete technology that not only provides the protection and structural elements necessary for critical infrastructure but also a substrate for marine life to settle and thrive. ECOncrete was designed to encourage the growth of native and diverse marine species while retaining traditional concrete’s structural properties for infrastructure such as ports, cable protection, scour protection, and foundations.
To build resilient infrastructure, the offshore wind industry will require innovative technologies beyond mandatory industry standards. In recent years there has been a growing interest among marine stakeholders and engineers to integrate nature-based structural solutions into the design of marine infrastructure. The offshore wind industry is uniquely positioned to demonstrate innovative approaches to build resilient infrastructure and transform how marine infrastructure looks and functions.
ECOncrete aims to provide examples of nature-inclusive design for the offshore wind industry. These projects are designed to catalyze a fundamental change in best practices for the design and construction of marine infrastructure by moving away from grey infrastructure towards innovative nature-inclusive blue infrastructure with associated benefits.