Very Large Floating Structures: Applications, Research and Development

Very large floating structures (VLFS) have attracted the attention of architects, city planners, and engineers because they provide an exciting and environmentally friendly solution for land creation from the sea as opposed to the traditional land reclamation method. The applications of VLFS as floating piers, floating hotels, floating fuel storage facilities, floating stadia, floating bridges, floating airports, and even floating cities have triggered extensive research studies in the past two decades. The VLFS technology has developed considerably and there are many innovative methods proposed to minimize the hydroelastic motion, improve the mooring system and structural integrity of the VLFS. This keynote paper summarizes the applications, research and development of VLFS over the past two decades. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.