MUMBLES

At CubeX Industries Ltd, we have an exclusive strategic partnership with BlueCube Marine. Manufacturing concrete for the structures in their marine-based projects, we were humbled to be a part of the iconic Mumbles Sea-Hive.

The Mumbles Sea-Hive was designed as part of the research projects SEACAMS2 and ECOSTRUCTURE* for Swansea Bay, Wales, UK. Man-made structures provide little space for nature, and so the purpose of this project was to create an eco-friendlier seawall. Eleven patterns of the former manufacturer Reckli GmbH was chosen from their standard range, based on scientific evidence about the effectiveness of surface textures that attract shore life. Two seaweed and a bespoke oyster shell pattern were designed by CubeX Industries Ltd, acknowledging the natural heritage of Swansea Bay.

Collaborating with coastal infrastructure developers, the Sea-Hive design was based on research needs, aesthetics and Health and Safety considerations. In total, 135 panels were manufactured from UHPC and screwed and chemically bonded to the seawall by Knights Brown Construction Limited. After three months, colonisation occurred, with up to 260 barnacles settling on the panels. It was also a pleasure to collude with Swansea University, which will continue to monitor the colonisation of the tiles and the results of the project will inform restoration work of the Mumbles coastal protectio