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.