Masashi Michino1, Kaneyuki Fukuda2, Hiroyuki Kawamura3, Tetsuya Hiraishi4
1JFE Steel Corporation Slag Business Promotion Center Slag Planning Department, 2Nikken Engineering Co., Ltd. Wave-absorbent Foot Protection Division, 3Sansho Suiko Co., Ltd. Technical Department, 4Coastal Technology Research Center Kansai Branch.
Journal of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers
Published: 30 October 2025
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-30205-z
Abstract
Counterweight blocks (CWBs) have been proposed as a type of breakwater reinforcement structure for protecting against waves and tsunamis. CWBs are constructed by filling vertical through-holes in the center of the block with filler stones. Traditionally, natural hard stone has been used for CWB filler stones. From the perspective of conserving natural resources and effectively utilizing by-products, as well as the increasing difficulty of procuring high-quality natural stone, this study investigated the application of artificial stone (artificial stone) made from hydrated iron and steel slag as CWB filler stones. Specifically, the friction coefficient of CWBs using artificial stone filler stones was evaluated through onshore model tensile tests. The results showed that the artificial stone filler stones did not crack or chip, and the friction coefficient was similar to that of natural stone, confirming that they can be used as CWB filler stones just like natural stone.