Archimedes Principle is the basis for the design of all manner of vessels for the transport of cargoes and people and for work in extracting oil and gas in the oceans of the world.

However, its usefulness goes beyond that. Indeed, as sea level rises and the marine bio-diversity of coastal eco-systems is being threaten, the world is finding new ways to apply this principle.

Singapore has reclaimed some 150 sq. km of land. The economic vibrancy of Tuas, Jurong Island, Jurong Industrial estate, Pasir Panjang, Marina Bay, Sentosa, Marine Parade and East Coat Park is all thanks to land reclamation.

The expedient solution of importing sand to satisfy our hunger for land and economic expansion is facing headwinds.

First, countries from where sand is mined are awakened to the fact that their eco-system is seriously degraded. The banks and river beds of the Mekong and Irrawaddy Rivers have suffered damages than may take many decades for them to recover. The rich inter-tidal zones and the coral habitat in the sea of fishes and other marine creatures are decimated. The UN Environmental Programme, UNEP, urges countries to ban the export of sand and many are doing so.

Second, as sea levels rise, there just isn’t sufficient sand to raise land higher to combat it. Polders was one solution in the past. However, they too are under threat as evident in several cities in the Netherlands, Bangladesh, and in cities like New Orleans, and Jakarta.

Floating structures are unaffected by rising sea levels and do no damage to the coastal and undersea marine ecology. Sea creatures in fact love them. They build their habitat around them.

Thanks to Dave Kinrade our Council Member, I was invited to deliver a talk titled Archimedes to the Rescue to the members of TSSS (The Superintendents and Surveyors Shanghai) a many-decades old organisation of distinguished mariners, whose current Chairman, Chris Jones is no less than the Head of the Baltic Exchange Asia.

It was a perfect forum to promote the idea applying Archimedes Principle to meet challenges of land scarcity, coastal biodiversity preservation and protection of the livelihood of fishermen and farmers affected by sand mining.

While showing slides of Monaco Floating Berth and the Floating Jetty at HMNB Clyde, I was pleasantly surprised when Captain Piet Sinke, sitting across the table said, “I was involved in those two projects.”

The response to my short talk was very positive. TSSS and SFSS are groups closely linked to the sea. We have much we can share for mutual benefit.

Lim Soon Heng

15 Nov 2018