Abstract

Hey Everyone,

Here is my abstract for my research project. This is only the abstract part of it, the final hard copy will contain a graphic and references cited page. If you would like to view my references so far, they have been updated on the right side of my blog.

Artifical Islands from Reclaimed Land

This report is to help determine how to design an artificial island off the coast of Vancouver, B.C., from reclaimed land that is structurally stable enough for residential homes. With global warming increasing, the water levels in the oceans and seas are continually rising, resulting in the loss of land and homes on the shore lines of the world's oceans and seas. With the help of advances in building technology associated with reclaiming land, these losses of real estate can be avoided, and can even create more valuable real estate for over populated areas.

Reclaimed land sites can be accomplished by methods such as diking and filling. This report will look at these methods. In order to make sure the land is structurally stable enough for a residential house, there are many factors to consider which include the type of fill and the actual site of the project. The site of the project is important as no two sites in the world will be completely identical, resulting in different wave conditions, currents, tides, water depths and land characteristics. All these factors will have a significant impact on the type of sand fill that can be used on the site, the protection of the site from the elements and the type of project that can be constructed. Some types of fill and sites will be more structurally stable and allow for larger forces on the land.

Reclaimed fill is usually done with sand fill. As with the location of the site, the sand fill also has many factors that contribute to its structural stability. The characteristics of the sand, grain size, particle size distribution, source of the sand, and the method in which the sand is placed all have significant impacts on the relative density of the sand fill. The relative density of the reclaimed sand fill is the most important factor for a reclaimed land site. It has a direct correlation of the design of the foundation that can be constructed on the fill, which in return has a direct correlation to the size and height of the home that can be constructed on the site.

This report will focus mainly on the structural characteristics of the sand fill and the resulting design of a home on the land. The report will determine the strongest structurally stable fill that can be constructed using data for Vancouver, B.C., and with specific attention paid to the factors discussed earlier. Using that information, and with the help of the British Columbia Building Code 2006, a foundation will be designed that is applicable to the site. From the foundation size, the resulting size and height of a home will be determined such that the home will meet and exceed the requirements of the B.C.B.C. 2006.

Original Graphic

Some of you have been wondering how reclaimed land is used to create an island. Here is a simple graphic that hopefully helps you out a bit. Basically, sand fill is brought in and is built up until it extends beyond the suface of the water, creating an island.

Pictures

I have added some pictures to the side bar of some artificial islands so you can get an idea of what they are, and maybe recognize some of the more famous ones. From top to bottom, the pictures are of:

1. Kansai International Airport in Japan
2. Ile Notre-Dame in Montreal, constructed for Expo 67
3. The World Islands in Dubai
4. The Palm Islands in Duba

More Info on the Placement Method of Hydraulic Sand Fill

Here is a little more information I have found regarding the density of sand fill used in reclaimed land projects.

• As i discussed in my last post, the method of placing the sand fill has a direct impact on the relative density of the sand fill. In fact, the placement method is the most important characteristic in the relative density of a fill.
• There are two catagories of hydraulic sand fill - above water, or below water fill.
• Below water fill tends to be looser than above water fill.

More info to come soon! I have found some good sources, just in the process of reading through them. Stay tuned! Also, an updated list of sources will be up soon.

Interesting Initial Findings

Hey everyone,

Here is an update on some of my initial research. Although it is still very early in the research process, I have found some things that appear to be promising for my research project.

First, I found some information on how an artificial island is formed.

• Sand can be brought up (dredged) from the seabed to build up the island.
• GPS is used to comfirm the sand is being placed in the correct location.
• Inbetween the layers of sand, there are usually layers of rock. These layers of rock provide stability and prevent erosion.

Artificial islands can also be formed by reclaimed land, such as diking, filling and sinking rigid legs known as gravity caissons.

Last, I found some interesting information on the density of reclaimed sand fill. I won't get into too much detail, but here are a few points about the topic

• The relative density of reclaimed sand fill is a measure of compactness, strength and compressibility characteristics of the fill. This is important because it has a direct impact on the design of the foundation.
• The relative density is affected by the basic characteristics of the sand and the method of sand placement. Some characteristics taken into acount are particle size distribution and dominant grain size. These characteristics are affected by the method that the sand is placed.
• Some methods of placement include direct-dumped fill and hydraulic pumping.

Thesis

I know I have been jumping around with my topic, but it turns out someone has done a report on dome structures a couple years so, so I am resorting back to my original topic. As our exercise in class, I will write my thesis statement that I have come up with, and I encourage you all to give your thought and ideas how to expand on my topic and how to better apply it. So here it is.

Topic: Man made islands from land reclemation.

Thesis: How do we build man made islands from land reclemation that will be structurally stable enough for residential housing off the coast of Vancouver, B.C.

Application: Vancouver, B.C., residential housing

Topic Update

Hey everyone,

My research has not been going as planned. I have not been happy where its been going and what I am finding, so therefore, I have decided to choose a new topic. I am currently in the process of making a decision. I have found some interesting ideas of building green with the use of a dome. I think I am leaning towards studying a dome house and the factors and attributes that make it more green than a typical home, but have not ruled out any options. I will apply my research on how to make a dome green compared to that of a typical home, as well as the costs of constructing one, and see if it is a realistic building design in our community. As always, thought and comments are always welcome.