Smectites: The key to the cost overruns in the construction of the third set of locks of the Panama Canal

The third set of locks the Panama Canal is one most impressive civil infrastructures in world. Its construction, however, was delayed by two years incurring cost overruns billions that were mainly related to use local basalt as raw material for concrete production. rapid degradation during construction an apparent sound resulted huge loss fines manufacturing concrete. In rock, olivine and glass are, respectively, altered iddingsite palagonite are composed smectites. Smectites also found around plagioclase pyroxene crystals filling dense network micro- nano-cracks. Moreover, these smectites spatially interconnected, which key explaining unexpected behavior basalt. Such a basic igneous rocks – exposed weather then utilized not frequent, yet it significant enough call development new standard materials construction.