Even if all you took was rocks for jocks you should know that certain types pumice float on water. With the need for stable, ocean sensor platforms man made pumice could fill that need. By injecting scrubbed flue gas into molten coal slag in a standard size mold, modular synthetic pumice blocks could be made with little additional expanded energy. If the mold includes protrusions that allow the blocks to be interlocked, large stable platforms can be built while the blocks could remain easy to transport. The pumice blocks can be epoxied together in a dry dock to produce the platforms, which can be floated and towed to the station.
By coating the exterior with a mix of epoxy and ground tires the effects of sea action and impacts could mitigated on long term sensor platforms. For a more environmental contentious application the pumice rafts could be anchored off shore at a depth where they would induce the formation of sand bars or provide artificial reefs. By creating barrier islands out of industrial wastes and sequestered CO2 we could solve a number of problems and the environment could benefit. By planting tidal trees and grasses in rock wool on top, nutrients could be removed from the water by the roots, avian and aquatic habitats created and soil formation encouraged. The hope is that eventually the blocks will be buried taking the CO2 and ash waste with them while renewing the world’s barrier islands without massive dredging.
