Đang tải... (xem toàn văn)
Mans activities and natural disasters have led to a reductions in our natural reef systems. Recreationally, growth in sports fishing, scuba diving, and boating has increased the pressures on these systems. Commercially, our seafood industry is dependent on developing the ocean to enable ever larger, yet sustainable, harvests. The loss of our natural systems, coupled with increased use, COMPELS US TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SAVE NATURAL REEFS. Even so, the natural reefs cannot rebuild themselves fast enough to meet human demands. Long lasting artificial reefs are useful tools for restoring our reef systems to a natural and productive balance. The key to making the decision to build a reef is having a properly defined set of project goals. Once these goals are established, it is possible to design a specific artificial reef that will accomplish that particular set of goals. Its not a simple process but the Reef Ball Foundation has completed a Step by Step Guide for Reef Rehabilitation for Grassroots Organization that will help you decide if designed artificial reefs are right for your project.
28/6/2017 Reef Ball Foundation Designed Artificial Reefs Photos | News | Videos Reef Ball Brochure & Key Features Page Products Projects Uses Reef Building Contact Translations Saving Our World's Marine Reef Ecosystems Using Designed Artificial Reefs The Reef Ball Foundation Search Searches all Reef Ball related sites Why Build Reefs Man's activities and natural disasters have led to a reductions in our natural reef systems. Recreationally, growth in sports fishing, scuba diving, and boating has increased the pressures on these systems. Commercially, our seafood industry is dependent on developing the ocean to enable ever larger, yet sustainable, harvests. The loss of our natural systems, coupled with increased use, COMPELS US TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SAVE NATURAL REEFS. Even so, the natural reefs cannot rebuild themselves fast enough to meet human demands. Long lasting artificial reefs are useful tools for restoring our reef systems to a natural and productive balance. The key to making the decision to build a reef is having a properly defined set of project goals. Once these goals are established, it is possible to design a specific artificial reef that will accomplish that particular set of goals. It's not a simple process but the Reef Ball Foundation has completed a "Step by Step Guide for Reef Rehabilitation for Grassroots Organization" that will help you decide if designed artificial reefs are right for your project What's Involved & How Are They Made? Reef Balls are made by pouring concrete into a fiberglass mold (shown) containing a central Polyform buoy surrounded by various sized inflatable balls to make holes There are over a dozen different standard mold sizes and custom sizes are possible Molds obtained from the Reef Ball Foundation are generally supplied with spare parts, tool kits, starting concrete additive supplies, and training. Sometimes, additional items such as coral propagation kits are added. Usually, clients only need to supply some plywood to build the base, a source of compressed air, and a fresh water supply Any type of concrete can generally be used, including endofday waste, but additives such as microsilica and a high range water reducer are needed to give the Reef Balls high strength and to make the concrete suitable for marine life growth Topics Why Build Reefs? What's Involved? How Are They Made? What's so Special? Stability Holes & Voids Surface Texture Coral Planting System Floating Deployment Unique Concrete Anchoring Options Easy Molds Many Styles Many Sizes Specialized Designs Mangrove Planters Submerged Breakwaters Lobsters Antitrawling Memorial Reefs Snorkeling Trails We provides clients with customer concrete specifications for their particular biological use and if admixtures are not available locally then we can supply the additives. Building an artificial reef usually requires artificial reef permits or access to use a permitted area. The Reef Ball Group can help clients get or secure permission to use a permit. A training manual on how to use the molds and how to deploy the modules is also included with the mold systems, but most clients host a couple of certified Reef Ball trainers for about a week to get set up and casting Reef Balls efficiently and safely. We can provide additional specific onsite training such as coral propagation, coral planting, anchoring, bottom surveying, site assessment, monitoring or any other aspect involving artificial reef projects to make sure your project goes smoothly. Special programs are available to subsidize university research projects and other worthy projects through the Reef Ball Foundation. Reef Ball Foundation also encourages participation in projects by private organizations as we match projects needing sponsorship with companies that want to help the environment while gaining excellent press exposure Floating Deployment http://www.reefball.org/brochure.htm Whirlpooling Shape of Side Holes 1/7 28/6/2017 Reef Ball Foundation Designed Artificial Reefs [Wind tunnel tests at FIT showing effect of holes on current flow] Natural reefs are variable in size, shape and hole density. Artificial reefs function better when they mimic nature. The balls which create holes are inflated to different pressures to vary hole sizes Reef Balls are cast around an extremely durable Polyform You can move the hole creating balls bladder which are supplied with molds. This bladder can be around in your mold to create holes left in the unit to provide flotation so the Reef Ball can be exactly where you want them towed behind any size boat. Once at the site, the bladder is deflated and removed. When divers are used, the unit can be Interconnected holes are possible by inflating the balls until they touch. Most placed precisely on the sea floor with a controlled descent, holes are designed so they create making repairs to damaged reefs possible without whirlpools around the Reef Balls endangering natural reefs. Floating deployments are useful helping to nourish marine life that is in small projects when towing distances are less than 510 attached to the reef. The way the balls miles. This is an especially important feature in developing are squeezed against the molds during countries were access to barges and lift equipment can be casting makes the inside and outside of limited or expensive. Multiple units can be towed behind a single boat. Seas should be 34 feet or less. Recommended the holes smaller than the interior cavity created and that creates the whirlpool towing speed is 23 knots, but techniques are available to effect. Every Reef Ball molds comes attain 45 knots for long hauls. For most larger projects, the with a set of attachment adapter plugs units can be deployed by barge without divers and we have that fit the mold shells and create specialized tools available to make this easier such as a specific sized indentions onto the Wanger automatic release hook Divers are required when surfaces of the Reef Balls for purposes deploying on any site that contains live corals within 300 of attaching items once the Reef Ball meters of the intended location has been deployed. The attached items can include standardized coral fragment disks fostering live coral growth, tags for the purposes of scientific research or plaques such as signage for underwater snorkeling trails. Since hole sizes and placement can be modified, every Reef Ball will have a unique look creating the visual diversity commonly associated with reefs. Additional casting techniques are taught by our trainers so users can customize to fit any need such as specific hole shapes for octopus nesting, lobster shelter, blenny hideouts, or long spiny sea urchin day shelter. The void spaces in the interior of the Reef Balls can also be customized, such as filling partially with rocks or conch shells to modify fish populations such as shifting the habitat to favor juvenile fish or to increase biomass production Surface Textures Marine Friendly Concrete The concrete used to make Reef Balls features W.R. Grace's Force 10,000 micro silica to create a super high strength, abrasion resistant, concrete that has a pH similar to natural sea water. This is unlike regular concrete which has a surface pH as high as 12 This high pH (the sea has a natural pH http://www.reefball.org/brochure.htm 2/7 28/6/2017 Reef Ball Foundation Designed Artificial Reefs of 8.3) can inhibit the settlement and growth of many species of marine life including some larval corals. Micro silica gives Reef Balls an expected life of 500 or more years [The Above Close Up Shows Aggregate Exposed By Using Sugar Water On Molds] Other admixrtures include a high range water reducer, and microfibers. Reef Balls are made without using any iron rebar that would cause cement to eventually degrade in sea water A variety of surface textures that enhance the settlement of marine life are available. A popular surface texture is made by spraying sugar water onto the surfaces of the mold before casting. After the cement mixture hardens, the mold panels are removed and the last 1/2 inch of concrete remains unhardened. A rough stony surface is exposed by rinsing the module with a garden hose. All surfaces are enhanced by the use of an air entrainment admixture. This nontoxic, soapylike additive creates tiny pockets in the concrete which pits the surface of the Reef Balls. These pits offer tiny marine organisms (such as larval corals) a place to easily attach themselves [This is a Bay Ball(tm) which weighs 325 pounds and is 3 feet wide and 2 1/2 feet high Three different surface textures were applied (rubber mat, surface retarder, and air entrainment).] Stability & Longevity Simple Easy To Use Portable Molds We provide mold systems that have been used in thousands of work sites and are simple, efficient and easy to use. Molds pack down for shipping on simple pallets and will fit easily into a pickup truck. We've even carried many of the smaller sized molds as checked luggage on an airplane For current mold pricing, go here Reef Balls are designed so that over half of the weight is in the bottom near the sea floor. All sizes of Reef Balls have withstood, without movement, heavy tropical storms in as little as 20 feet of water without anchors. Reef Balls are stable because the opening in the top of the unit breaks up the lifting force of the hydrofoil effect common to dome shapes. Side holes are wider near the center of the walls and narrow near the units surface. This feature creates miniature vortexes which further reduce lifting forces and bring rich nutrients to life on the reef. Reef Balls can be cast up to double the standard weight to accommodate high energy zones, or they can be cast at 75% of the standard weight to http://www.reefball.org/brochure.htm 3/7 28/6/2017 Reef Ball Foundation Designed Artificial Reefs save concrete for bay, deep or protected water locations. Our staff will help you determine the best way to insure stability Check out our Stability Analysis By Florida Institute of Technology Reef Ball Sizes Chart There are 9 different standard sizes ranging from as small as a basketball to as large as a car 8 feet high. Left to Right: Oyster, LoPro, MiniBay, Bay, Pallet, Ultra, Super, Goliath, Goliath w/Booster Ring