Technology Overview

The economic and physical losses due to the climate change and land subsidence is a serious problem. On the other hand, the lack of space in major Asian cities presents an opportunity for alternative construction methods such as the floating and climate proof constructions.

The basis of the multi-purpose floating concept consists of a multiple highly buoyant EPS layer (expanded polystyrene also known as Styrofoam), a concrete floor, and when necessary additional concrete beams. Depending on the application, three different configurations are available.

The platforms are all directly built on the water and its shape and size can be customised regardless of the environment conditions such as the presence of locks, bridges, and dams. In addition, the concept is unsinkable with a high level of buoyancy and is also 100% recyclable. Finally, it is maintenance free and has a long service lifetime.

It supports several international Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in respect of food security, safe and secure cities, and adaptive infrastructure. Finally, the concept will serve as a tool to create adaptive constructions.

The technology provider is looking for partners to develop floating concepts for the food industry, hospitality, energy suppliers, and IT developers.

Technology Features, Specifications and Advantages

Advantages

The concept is based on surfboard technology, create an innovative sandwich construction with very light materials, strong enough to withstand all the occurring loads.

The concept consists of three different configurations:

• Light: For use with lightweight top load such as recreation, light homes, sports fields, greenhouses, and field crops. The basic EPS is reinforced with fiberglass so that the basic construction has more bending resistance and is complemented by an aquifer or concrete floor.
• Medium: For normal applications such as houses, commercial buildings up to 3 levels or industrial constructions with a relatively low load. The basic EPS is reinforced with concrete beams and a concrete floor.
• Heavy: For heavy use or high centre-of-gravity loads, e.g. car parks, high-rise buildings for offices, capital goods such as Liquid Gas installations or small power plants which are movable. The basis is EPS and a sandwich construction with concrete beams and concrete floors.

All used materials are non-pollutant to the environment and 100% recyclable.

Construct a large scale, long lasting floating construction on the water with EPS is a very innovative solution but already a proven technology.

Compare to land reclamation floating constructions are more eco-friendly, there are no foundation or flooding issues and, there is no time loss due to sink in of the soil.

Building on water with the concept is cost effective, resilient, sustainable, and flexible.

Potential Applications

The general applications are load bearing platforms on waterbodies. These could include:

• Hospitality projects like hotels, resorts, restaurants, and lounge areas
• Floating (fish) farms, aquaponics systems, sanitisation systems
• Floating data centres
• Floating energy farms

Together with the National University Singapore (NUS) we have developed a floating fish farm and a floating vertical farm.

There have been several successful projects implemented, proving that the concept is multi-purpose, such as:

• A 900 m² greenhouse at Flora Holland in Naaldwijk, Netherlands
• A 450 m² office in Amsterdam, Netherlands
• A 430 m² maintenance building in Kalimantan, Indonesia
• A 1000 m² bird island in the Slufter in Rotterdam, Netherlands
• A 880 m² + 575 m² conference centre “Floating Pavilion” in the Rhine harbour of Rotterdam
• A 600 m² crop field in Boskoop, Netherlands
• A 500 m² housing project in Manila
• A 200 m² + 200 m2 housing and sanitation project in Bangladesh
• A 200 m² lounge in Bahrain

The market for this technology is huge due to the climate change, land subsidence, and land scarcity. The cost for creating adaptive solutions in the coming 10 years is estimated by the Global Centre of Adaptation and the Asian Development Bank at US$ 80 Billion.

Customer Benefit

With the increasing occurrence of flooding in low lying delta areas and increasingly limited urban land space, such floating and “climate proof” building concepts, through multiple developments in the Netherlands and other countries, have proven to be a product of high added value.

The concept may serve as a building platform for other innovative system technologies such as those of the food and water security, e.g. floating sanitation, floating food systems etc. especially in regions where there is a constant flooding.

Therefore, the technology provider is interested in working with local parties such as developers, building companies, EPS producers or other parties who are keen to license the concept and technology, to develop and introduce the product according to their applications.