Climate change and rising sea levels, which threaten many Asian and other coastal cities, have returned the question of adaptation to unstable marine surfaces to the global discussions about urbanization, as was illustrated by a recent United Nations (UN) roundtable. As de facto counterproposals to hydroelectric dams and similar regional development projects, floating or elevated structures reject land reclamation and terrestrialization processes. Consequently, the rapidly growing number of offshore structures, which often constitute unconventional settlements, have contributed to an amphibious transformation of Earth's surface in the course of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. This amphibious transformation meant that both …
Coastal cities have for decades been finding ways to cope with floods, storm surges, subsidence and other disasters, which are worsening with climate change. As Stefan Huebner of the Asia Research Institute at National University of Singapore writes, instead of focusing only on how to control the movement of water, cities should also embrace the ongoing “amphibious transformation” by adapting to life on water.
This book surveys key projects that have seen the construction of large floating structures or have attained detailed conceptual designs. This compilation of key floating structures in a single volume captures the innovative features that mark the technological advances made in this field of engineering and will provide a useful reference for ideas, analysis, design and construction of these unique and emerging urban projects to offshore and marine engineers, urban planners, architects and students.
The recent announcement by Keppel Corp chief executive Loh Chin Hua that it is exploring how to develop a floating city for Singapore is heartening. Speaking about how the private sector can work with governments to address issues like climate change, Mr Loh told the World Cities Summit on June 22: "We have the technology and capabilities to build floating cities, which can address both land scarcity as well as the threat of rising sea levels in coastal areas."
A presentation at the Institute of Marine Engineering Science Annual Conference on July 1, 2021 by Lim Soon Heng, Senior Advisor and Founding President of the Society of Floating Solutions (Singapore)
Wave attenuation performance is the prime consideration when designing any floating breakwater. For a 2D hydrodynamic analysis of a floating breakwater, the wave attenuation performance is evaluated by the transmission coefficient, which is defined as the ratio between the transmitted wave height and the incident wave height. For a 3D breakwater, some researchers still adopted this evaluation approach with the transmitted wave height taken at a surface point, while others used the mean transmission coefficient within a surface area. This paper aims to first examine the rationality of these two evaluation approaches via verified numerical simulations of 3D heaveonly floating …
Engineers, in the ultimate analysis, are the culprits of climate change. The industrial revolution of the last 200 years has had the unintended consequences of polluting the world with greenhouse gas. True, engineers deserve credit for inventing the steam/gas turbine and the internal combustion engine but unwittingly they also have let the genie out of the bottle: the dire consequence of global warming. The evidence of a hotter planet is clear: raging fires, melting polar ice caps and permafrost, exceptional floods, droughts, and hurricanes. Life on land and in the ocean has been decimated, biodiversity compromised, and food security endangered. …
Over the past decade, experts have discussed the offshore technologies so closely associated with accelerating climate change—namely, offshore oil and gas drilling—as tools for climate action, as was the case at a United Nations roundtable in April 2019. Such experts have frequently used offshore technologies for the construction of flood-resilient floating structures and for zero-carbon energy generation, such as in the case of offshore wind parks, simultaneously tackling the problem of carbon fuel-related air pollution. Such developments draw attention to the intellectual history of ocean industrialization, its driving forces, and related environmental thought. This article examines the intellectual origins of …
The current research on the amphibious architecture lacks a proper, commonly shared vocabulary and typology of water-placed structures. In this paper, the state of typological works is described and a new typology based on three main distinguishing factors (relation to water, buoyancy and mobility) is given. Thanks to the different perspectives of civil- and naval architecture that are taken into consideration, this new typology encompasses the architectural objects of all sizes, functions and movability, built both in the water and on the water, divided into six types: overwater, waterside and amphibious buildings, floating structures and residential and facility vessels.
This paper presents the challenges faced and the systems engineering solutions implemented in developing a large floating steel platform at the Marina Bay of Singapore. The floating platform is designed to be a multi-purpose facility on the bay for mass spectator events, sporting activities and cultural performances, as well as be a re-configurable “pier” for water sports and boat shows. This floating stage, the world’s largest floating performance stage on water, hosted the National Day Parade 2007, its first big show. Since then, the stage and its seating gallery have been used as the venue for lifestyle events, extreme sports, …
A high-tech fish farm, capable of producing up to 20 times the "minimum production level" of coastal farms, was officially opened by Senior of Minister of State for Trade and Industry Koh Poh Koon on Tuesday (Nov 19). The S$4 million farm called Eco-Ark is contained within a platform measuring 48m by 28m anchored about 5km off Changi Point ferry terminal. It uses a closed containment aquaculture system developed by the Aquaculture Centre of Excellence (ACE). It will eventually produce up to 166 metric tonnes of fish like barramundi, red snapper and grouper each year in its four tanks, each …
This month marks the inauguration of the Society of Floating Solutions Singapore (SFSS), formed by enthusiasts who share the common interest in the concept of Very Large Floating Structures (VLFS). VLFS may help Singapore grapple with the issue of land scarcity and the impending rise of sea level by floating future development offshore. Although Singapore is an island surrounded by water, there is only one such large floating structure in use. Opened in 2007, The Float @ Marina Bay is the world’s largest floating structure ever built. Yet, it has always remained as a ‘temporary’ structure until recently, where it …
This month marks the inauguration of the Society of Floating Solutions Singapore (SFSS), formed by enthusiasts who share the common interest in the concept of Very Large Floating Structures (VLFS). VLFS may help Singapore grapple with the issue of land scarcity and the impending rise of sea level by floating future development offshore. Although Singapore is an island surrounded by water, there is only one such large floating structure in use. Opened in 2007, The Float @ Marina Bay is the world’s largest floating structure ever built. Yet, it has always remained as a ‘temporary’ structure until recently, where it …
This month marks the inauguration of the Society of Floating Solutions Singapore (SFSS), formed by enthusiasts who share the common interest in the concept of Very Large Floating Structures (VLFS). VLFS may help Singapore grapple with the issue of land scarcity and the impending rise of sea level by floating future development offshore. Although Singapore is an island surrounded by water, there is only one such large floating structure in use. Opened in 2007, The Float @ Marina Bay is the world’s largest floating structure ever built. Yet, it has always remained as a ‘temporary’ structure until recently, where it …
This month marks the inauguration of the Society of Floating Solutions Singapore (SFSS), formed by enthusiasts who share the common interest in the concept of Very Large Floating Structures (VLFS). VLFS may help Singapore grapple with the issue of land scarcity and the impending rise of sea level by floating future development offshore. Although Singapore is an island surrounded by water, there is only one such large floating structure in use. Opened in 2007, The Float @ Marina Bay is the world’s largest floating structure ever built. Yet, it has always remained as a ‘temporary’ structure until recently, where it …
Civilization has arrived at a point of inflexion triggered by global warming and rising sea levels. Scientist are ringing alarm bells and warning that a mere two-degree temperature rise over that of pre-industrial days could cause it to escalate irreversibly that could eventually lead to the extinction of many species on earth. After 23 years (since COP1 in 1995 at Berlin) of tough negotiations, 200 countries have agreed in Poland in December 2018 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to take concrete actions to limit carbon emission. This paper contends that naval architects can play a role …
Following the history, earlier concrete floating constructions dated to more than 100 years. On the other hand, we know that the concrete is the cheapest material for building of these structures. Also considering the new wave of concrete floating constructions in a past 30 years, the latest news for implement of new concrete technology and modern design as floating bridges, floating docks, floating cities etc which means that the concrete floating constructions have bright future.
At the same time as urban areas are recording an immense population growth, several cities all over the world are struggling with major flooding every year. Bangkok in Thailand is actually sinking and island nations like the Maldives are ghting the increasing sea level caused by climate change. There are many incentives for communities to investigate the possibility to utilize the sea space for living and production.
SHIPS ARE FLOATING STRUCTURES The technology exists to create either. Europe is good at the product on the left. Singapore can excel in that on the right. Floating structures give the impression that ships are something else. Thousands of years ago ships are called rafts. Rafts are made of reeds, branches, bamboos, in fact anything […]
Singapore is the third-densest city in the world. But unlike other large cities, it is without a hinterland. There is no buffer for spillovers. The sea has to serve as the island-state’s “hinterland”. The Singapore coastline is similar to a column of ants, made up of airports, ports, shipyards, power stations and recreation parks. One golf course, also on the coastline, is on its way out. Inland, about 5.5 million citizens and foreigners have homes in ever-taller towers. Roads are congested and trains packed every morning. No wonder then, the White Paper on population tabled in 2013 sparked an outcry …
Singapore’s economic health hinges on two crucial imported resources — water and energy. While the importance of the first is seared in the public mind, the criticality of the second is appreciated only by a few. A disruption to our energy supply would have dire consequences on our economy as well as our defence capability. More than 95 per cent of every joule of electricity is derived from natural gas. Of that, only a small proportion is transported here by LNG tankers. The bulk is piped from Indonesia and Malaysia. The existential threat of the latter has hardly been aired …
From my apartment, 20 storeys above the sea, I see Changi Airport straight ahead 8km to the north. Where the old container port used to be, Keppel Maritime City is silhouetted against a backdrop of a scarlet sunset 16km to the west. I am enjoying my favourite drink, my feet tapping to the music of Ravel's Bolero. SG100, in 2065, when the country is 100 years old, can be a City in the Sea, vibrant, clean, noise-free and ecologically sensitive to the environment.
Singapore planners are tasked to plan for a population of 6.9 million people. Our leading architects, engineers and philosophers have weighed in with proposals to address our land shortage. Dr Liu Thai Ker advocates better urban planning. Professor Lui Pao Chuen champions the use of the ground beneath our feet. Professor Kishore Mahbubani urges Singaporeans to abandon their cars and the Government to slow the pace of road building. Pioneer architect Tan Cheng Siong has visions of a multi-tier city, which he calls Skyland.
Low oil prices have dealt a blow to construction, but it is timely to explore a more efficient operating option. One of the quirks of Singapore's modern economy belongs to a heavy industry dating back to the early 1970s - offshore rig construction. Burnished with images of steel, cranes and scaffoldings - incongruous with a sleek, city image - it has put this tiny island on a global map. In 2012, at its peak, it generated $15 billion in sales. It has served its shareholders well. Its top executives are better paid than heads of government of First World countries, …
Singapore is well-positioned for offshore data storage centres that could give local shipyards a new business niche. There was a time not so long ago when all the data I created or needed was in a box on my desk. In it were several 3.5-inch floppy disks, each with the capacity of about 200KB. With that level of technology, the data needed today just for a smartphone would require a storage space as large as a fridge. Data storage efficiency has improved a zillion times. It will improve further, with researchers looking at atoms as the place to store bits …
As a pioneer generation Singaporean, two subjects keep my neurons firing in overdrive: floating structures for space creation, and nuclear power to boost the country's energy resilience. Following on my article in The Straits Times ("Time for S'pore to say 'Yes' to nuclear"; March 15), here is a breakdown on why nuclear power - in the form of floating power plants - is a viable option for Singapore. In March this year, Singapore debated passionately in Parliament and on social media about the need to be self-sufficient in water. But what seemed to be forgotten is that energy is even …
A floating nuclear power plant mitigates risks and offers economic advantages. The Fukushima nuclear accident dealt a blow to the emerging "nuclear renaissance" just when the world was close to putting Chernobyl behind it. In its aftermath, several countries, including Japan and Germany, put aside, under public pressure, plans to build nuclear power plants (NPPs). Six years after Fukushima, 61 new nuclear plants are under construction, in Britain, China, India, Russia and even the United States, where lobbyists from the oil and gas industry ply the corridors of power. France, undeterred, continues to keep its economy humming, with 77 per …
“This episode is about engineering and materials of seasteads. The episode’s guest is Professor Wang Chien Ming. Professor Wang is the Blue Frontiers’ advisor in structural engineering of very large floating structures. In this very entertaining and insightful episode, Professor Wang describes many examples of already existing very large floating structures. Professor Wang and our seavangelesse also speak of the nanomaterials that can make seasteads, such as graphene oxide, one of Professor Wang’s subjects of research, and what implications it would have.”
This paper discusses a revolutionary idea for naval bases of the future. Even as rising sea level inundates land, the human population relentlessly pushes towards the coast. New space solution is needed. Mega floats offer this solution. Mega floats are deployable, easily scalable, and may be reconfigured as needs change. Old floats may be repurposed when no longer relevant to the original intent. This and other features make megafloats a more ecologically acceptable space solution. Structurally the technology is proven. Mechanical and electrical systems exist to provide support to the floats dispensing cable and pipe links to shore. For the …
Earth is a planet of incredible beauty. Even with the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists cannot find another planet that comes close to Earth’s richness in diversity. While the other planets in our solar system look barren and even threatening, ours when seen from outer space is covered by a soft hue of blue. It is just right for the evolution of life that has taken the single-celled organism to modern man. Equipped with a disproportionately big brain, man has become very successful at adapting his environment for his security, food and his well-being. He has no predator and has so …
