Abstract:: Guided By: Prof - Dr.P.Pavan Kumar
Abstract:: Guided By: Prof - Dr.P.Pavan Kumar
Abstract:
SL CONTENT:TOPIC PAGE
NO: NO:
1 PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS 3
2 INTRODUCTION 4-5
3 PROLOGUE 6-8
4 ADVANTAGES OF VLFS 9
10 MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS 24
14 BIBLIOGRAPHY 37
PURPOSE :
To provide design criteria for permanently moored floating buildings not
intended for navigational use and built on a floatation system.
DEFINITIONS :
BUILDING WORK has the same meaning as the Building Act 1975.
INTRODUCTION :
As population and urban development expand in
land-scare island countries (or countries with long coastlines), city planners and
engineers resort to land reclamation to ease the pressure on existing heavily-used
land and underground spaces. Using fill materials from seabed, hills, deep
underground excavations, and even construction debris, engineers are able to create
relatively vast and valuable land from the sea. Countries such as the Netherlands,
Singapore and Japan, have expanded their land areas significantly through aggressive
land reclamation programmes.
However, land reclamation has its limitation. It is suitable when the water depth is
shallow (less than 20 m). When the water depth is large and the seabed is extremely
soft, land reclamation is no longer cost effective or even feasible.
When faced with these natural conditions and environmental consequences, very
large floating structures may offer an attractive alternative solution for birthing land
from the sea. There are basically two types of very large floating structures (VLFSs),
namely the semisubmersible- type and the pontoon-type.
Semi-submersible type floating structures are raised above the sea level using
column tubes or ballast structural elements to minimize the effects of waves while
maintaining a constant buoyancy force. Thus they can reduce the waveinduced
motions and are therefore suitably deployed in high seas with large waves. Floating
oil drilling platforms used for drilling for and production of oil and gas are typical
examples of semi-submersible-type VLFSs. When these semi-submersibles are
attached to the seabed using vertical tethers with high pretension as provided by
additional buoyancy of the structure, they are referred to as tension-leg platforms.
In contrast, pontoon-type floating structures lie on the sea level like a giant plate
floating on water. Pontoon-type floating structures are suitable for use in only calm
waters, often inside a cove or a lagoon and near the shoreline. Large pontoon-type
floating structures have been termed Mega-Floats by Japanese engineers.
Very large floating structures (VLFSs) or, as some literature refers to them, very large
floating platforms (VLFPs) can be constructed to create floating
airports, bridges, breakwaters, piers and docks, storage facilities (for oil & natural gas),
wind and solar power plants, for military purposes, to create industrial space,
emergency bases, entertainment facilities (such as casinos), recreation parks, mobile
offshore structures and even for habitation. Currently, different concepts have been
proposed for building floating cities or huge living complexes.
PROLOGUE :
Japan is an island country with a total land area of 0.38 millionkm2. Of the land,
80% is mountainous and most human activities are concentrated on the plains
along the shoreline. Ocean space utilization has been a key issue for Japan. Until
the 20th century, reclamation of shallow waters has been the only technology
available to expand human activities onto the sea. Shipbuilding technology had
attracted the attention of architects in the late 1950s.
Architects had proposed the concept of ocean space utilization using a floating
structure. In the 1970s and 1980s, several concepts and designs of floating cities
were published. Following this trend, a floating airport was proposed for phase 1
construction of Kansai International Airport in 1973. The proposal was not
accepted but ever since, industry has started performing research on the very
large floating structure (VLFS) technology.
A major milestone was achieved by the formation of the Technological Research
Association of Megafloat (TRAM) in 1995. Megafloat is a concept of VLFS studied
by the association. The fundamental technologies of design and construction
were studied and established. Design guidelines were compiled that summarized
the research and a 4000-m airport was designed. Onsite experiments that used a
1000-m-long model were carried out to demonstrate the soundness of the
technology. A legal process of approval and the environmental impact was
investigated. In addition to this research by TRAM, additional projects were
planned.
PROLOGUE CONTINUED ……
The TRAM was founded in 1995 and the research activities continued until 2001 [3–5].
Megafloat is a concept of VLFS studied by this association. The activities are divided into
two phases. The fundamental technologies of design and construction were investigated
and established. Design guidelines were compiled and legal aspects of Megafloat
construction in Japan was studied.
Onsite experiments that used both a 300-m-long phase 1 model and a 1000-m-long
phase 2 model were conducted to demonstrate the soundness of the technology. Take
off and landing experiments were conducted during phase 2. The association terminated
its formal activities in 2001, which were succeeded by the Shipbuilding Research Center
of Japan (SRCJ), and the Shipbuilders’ Association of Japan planned a new runway for the
Haneda International Airport. Some projects with small scale floating structures and
reused structures of phase 2 models were planned and put into practice.
• they are cost effective when the water depth is large (note that the cost of
imported sand for land reclamation in some countries has risen significantly
and it may come a time that sand may not be even available from
neighbouring countries),
• they are easy and fast to construct (components may be made at different
shipyards and then brought to the site for assembling) and therefore sea-space
can be speedily exploited.
• they can be easily removed (if the sea space is needed in future) or expanded
(sincethey are of a modular form),
• their positions with respect to the water surface are constant and thus
facilitate small boats and ship to come alongside when used as piers and
berths.
• their location in coastal waters provide scenic body of water all around,
making themsuitable for developments associated with leisure and water sport
activities.
Breakwater Mooring Floating Structure Building Access
Applications of VLFS
The first concept of VLFS that appeared in the modern world after the
industrial revolution was the Floating Island described by the 19th century French
novelist Jules Verne, one of the founders of science fiction. The first VLFS promoted
in earnest was the Armstrong Seadrome. It was proposed initially to enable airline
routes across the world's oceans (Armstrong, 1924). Its stability was demonstrated
in tank tests , and various other related platforms were promoted until Armstrong's
death in 1955 (Nelson, 2001).
Interest in utilising the space afforded by the seas surrounding a
nation, for purposes other than conventional shipping or ocean resource extraction,
has increased as coastal population densities have increased. Until the potential of
modern shipbuilding technology became apparent in the 1950s the only manner in
which this ocean space could be exploited on a large scale was through land
reclamation. This limited such exploitation to shallow regions of the continental
shelf. In 1950s architects were drawn to the idea of floating cities and such a
concept was demonstrated in part at the Okinawa International Ocean Exhibition in
1975 with a semi-submersible unit of such a city. In a similar manner, a floating
airport was proposed for the new Kansai International Airport in 1973. Since the
early 1970s the technology for very large floating structures has developed
continually, while changing societal needs have resulted in many different
applications of the technology being considered. For example, the 101.5 m x 60 m x
3 m floating fishing pier at Awaji Island.
The first floating hotel in Australia was located at the Great Barrier Reef. It was built
in Singapore and is seven storey high, 90 m long and 27 m wide. In case of a
cyclone, one mooring end was disconnected and the wind would blow it around in a
circle after everyone has evacuated. The floating heliport, tennis courts and pool
may be disconnected and towed some distance from the hotel to ride out the
storm. After one year of operation, the hotel was towed to Ho-Chi-Minh, Vietnam.
It is now located in North Korea. Hong Kong boasts of having a famous floating
restaurant called Jumbo Restaurant.
In 1991, Japan built a floating restaurant (on a 24 m x 24 m x 3.2 m pontoon) in
Yokohoma. The pier, next to the restaurant, is also a floating structure. Very large
floating structures are also used as fishing piers.
For example, the 101.5 m x 60 m x 3 m floating fishing pier at Awaji Island.
AIRPORTS
Proposals to use floating structures for take-off and landing of aircraft
were first considered in the 1920s to enable airline routes across the world’s
oceans. These concepts were investigated more seriously for military applications
by the US in the 1940s and a demonstration project was built and tested
successfully in 1943.
With vast improvements in technology having been made, a floating
airport was proposed for the new Kansai International Airport in Japan in 1973.
Although the initial phase was not built as a floating structure, interest in the
concept remains strong. This is perhaps the area of VLFS research that has received
the most attention, due in large part to the efforts of the Technological Research
Association of Mega-Float (TRAM) active in Japan from 1995 to 2001. This
association studied the fundamental design and construction needs for a floating
airport to be realised. Numerical analysis tools were developed alongside an
experimental programme that resulted in the construction of a 1000m technology
demonstrator. The regulatory regime and environmental impact of such structures
were also considered in depth and design guidelines produced. Although a floating
airport has yet to be approved for construction interest remains strong, as
evidenced by proposals for the extension to Haneda International Airport in Japan.
HABITATS
As perhaps the original idea for a very large floating structure, it is perhaps
surprising that more plans for offshore floating cities have not been developed over
the years, although there are current proposals for offshore sports facilities and
theme parks in Japan and South Korea. However, with ever increasing pressure on
coastal zones from increasing urban populations and the threat of environmental
change, it is likely that such ideas will resurface in the coming years, taking
advantage of the technology already developed and providing impetus for future
research.
• Sizing of the floating structure and its mooring system depends on its function
and also on the environmental conditions in terms of waves, current and
wind. The design may be dominated either by peak loading due to permanent
and variable loads or by fatigue strength due to cyclic wave loading. Moreover,
it is important to consider possible accidental events such as ship impacts and
ensure that the overall safety is not threatened by a possible progressive
failure induced by such damage.
• Unlike land-based constructions with their associated foundations poured in
place, very large floating structures are usually constructed at shore-based
building sites remote from the deepwater installation area and without
extensive preparation of the foundation. Each module must be capable of
floating so that they can be floated to the site and assembled in the sea.
• Owing to the corrosive sea environment, floating structures have to be
provided with a good corrosion protection system.
• Possible degradation due to corrosion or crack growth (fatigue) requires a
proper system for inspection, monitoring, maintenance and repair during use.
Dead load, hydrostatic pressure (including buoyancy), live load, abnormal loads
(such as impact loads due to collision of ships with the floating structure), earth
pressure on mooring system such as dolphins, wind load, effects of waves
(including swell), effects of earthquakes (including dynamic water pressure), effects
of temperature change, effects of water current, effects of tidal change, effects of
seabed movement, effects of movements of bearings, snow load, effects of
tsunamis, effects of storm surges, ship waves, seaquake, brake load, erection load,
effects of drift ice and ice pressure, effects of drifting bodies, and effects of marine
growths (corrosion and friction).
UNIQUENESS OF VLFS :
VLFS concepts such as MOB and Mega-Float are unique ocean structures
primarily because of unprecedented lengths and displacements that vary
between 103 and 104m and between 106 and 107 tons , respectively.
These values are at least one order magnitude longer and twice heavier
than existing floating structures. Profound challenges for engineers
follow from this. Different from a ship, which has evolved with
accumulation of experience and with progress in analysis technology, a
VLFS is an unprecedented floating structure not only in terms of size and
displacement but also in cost and design life, and 50 to 100 years,
respectively.
(5) Positioning
There are very few urban design solutions that address housing the
inevitable tide of displaced people that could arise as oceans swell under global
warming. Certainly none are as spectacular as this one. The Lilypad, by Vincent
Callebaut, is a concept for a completely self-sufficient floating city intended to
provide shelter for future climate change refugees. The intent of the concept itself
is laudable, but it is Callebaut’s phenomenal design that has captured our
imagination.
DESIGN STAGES :
ELEVATION
PLAN
VIEW SECTION
GUIDED BY : PROF.DR.P.PAVAN KUMAR 2222
A BRIEF STUDY ON : VERY LARGE FLOATING STRUCTURES (VLFS) 2014
VIEWS:
Compliant Tower :
Compliant towers are similar to fixed platforms in that
they have a steel tubular jacket that is used to support
the topside facilities. Unlike fixed platforms, compliant
towers yield to the water and wind movements in a
manner similar to floating structures. Like fixed platforms,
they are secured to the seafloor with piles. The jacket of a
compliant tower has smaller dimensions than those of a
fixed platform. Compliant towers are designed to sustain
significant lateral deflections and forces, and are typically
used in water depths ranging from 1,500 to 3,000 ft.
Jack-up Platform
The Jack-up Platform consists of a triangular shaped
(sometimes rectangular), box section barge fitted with
three (sometimes four) moveable legs which enable the
vessel to stand to the seabed in water depths of up to
approximately 120 m (400 ft).
Semi-Submersible Vessel :
These platforms have twin hulls (columns
and pontoons) of sufficient buoyancy to
cause the structure to float, but of weight
sufficient to keep the structure upright.
Semi-submersible platforms can be
moved from place to place; can be
ballasted up or down by altering the
amount of flooding in buoyancy tanks;
they are generally anchored by
combinations of chain, wire rope and/or
polyester rope during drilling and/or
production operations, though they can
also be kept in place by the use of
dynamic positioning. Semi-submersibles
can be used in water depths from 200 to
10,000 feet.
Floating Production System :
Basically, Floating Production Systems are ideal solution for
•The field is small and marginal
•The field is isolated and an established pipeline infrastructure does not exist
•The field is located in very deep water where it would not be possible to install a
conventional fixed platform .
•A major advantage of FPSO lies in the fact that they can simply lift anchors and depart
to pastures new when oil production reaches a commercially unprofitable level.
Spar Platform :
SPAR is a deep-draft floating caisson, which is a hollow cylindrical structure similar
to a very large buoy. Its four major systems are hull, moorings, topsides, and
risers. The spar relies on a traditional mooring system (that is, anchor-spread
mooring) to maintain its position. About 90 percent of the structure is underwater.
Historically, spars were used as marker buoys, for gathering oceanographic data,
and for oil storage. The spar design is now being used for drilling, production, or
both. The distinguishing feature of a spar is its deep-draft hull, which produces
very favourable motion characteristics compared to other floating concepts. Low
motions and a protected centre-well also provide an excellent configuration for
deepwater operations. Water depth capability has been stated by industry as
ranging up to 10,000 ft.
PROCESS
BIBLIOGRAPHY :
Presented by:
SAHANA J
10GAEA2027
VIII SEM, B-Arch UVCE
GUIDED BY : PROF.DR.P.PAVAN KUMAR 3737