Lightweight concrete using polymer filled aggregate for ocean applications

A lightweight concrete for ocean structures and applications, comprising:

• a. a binder material;
• b. a specially prepared aggregate admixed with said binder material;
• c. said specially prepared aggregate comprising:
• a lightweight aggregate the individual particles of which have a porous internal cellular structure providing a 30 to 60 percent void volume therein;
• said individual aggregate particles having the void volume of their porous internal cellular structure substantially filled with a solid material;
• said void volume of the lightweight aggregate porous internal cellular structure being filled under pressure with a polymer material which is cured to a solid hardened state to provide strength to the individual aggregate particles prior to admixing with the binder material;
• said aggregate filled with polymer material having approximately the same unit weight as seawater saturated regular lightweight aggregate;
• said polymer material filling only the void volume of the aggregate porous internal cellular structure and not voids in the lightweight concrete binder material;
• d. said polymer material which fills the voids in said lightweight aggregate particles being formed from a liquid monomer comprising, by weight, 83 percent methyl methacrylate, 5 percent trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, and 12 percent polymethyl methacrylate, impregnated into said voids, and polymerized by heat into a solid;
• e. said specially prepared aggregate having greater strength and minimizing the absorption of seawater by the aggregate and imparting higher compressive strengths to the resultant lightweight concrete over regular lightweight concretes of equal unit weight while maintaining a desirable relatively low elastic modulus;
• f. said lightweight concrete using polymer filled aggregate being operable in use to substantially function as a waterproof barrier.