Project Description:
Ridge to Reefs (RTR) is a local environmental non-profit organization with the mission to create ecological restoration projects to protect coastal and coral reef ecosystems. As such, they create bioreactor gardens that act as a wastewater treatment systems that utilize natural filtration processes, specifically bacterial nitrification and denitrification, to clean and reuse wastewater for agricultural purposes. This project is in partnership with RTR to containerize their bioreactor garden design. We created a modular and scalable container for RTR with mortar panels that interlock horizontally without limit and vertically with a recommended limit of 3 panels using rebar. Rather than using normal-weight concrete, we created two mixes consisting of cement, sand, perlite, pozzolan ash, and basalt fibers to create a lightweight mix with high strength properties. With this design in mind, we performed a destructive test on cylinders and beams to determine the material properties and strength of our mixes, and non-destructive tests on mortar panels for estimated strengths and concrete quality.
