Numerous islands, coastlands and even some countries face the threat of being submerged under water in the near future. Facing the brunt of rising ocean levels, there is little such places can do, but what seems to be in their power is to device a system that would let these places “exist” even when the rising ocean levels take their toll.
It would seem that adjusting to these rising ocean levels is the best bet, and these floating amphibian houses follow the same logic. Developed by Dutch company Dura Vermeer, the amphibian houses are being developed especially for the Netherlands, who’s low-lying areas are at a big risk of being claimed by the ocean.
Of course, the project had its share of engineering troubles and issues, you can’t simply make a house that floats and is comfortable to live in. To solve these issues, Dura Vermeer put its head together with Spanish company, Acciona Infrastructures, and a Spanish engineering consultancy, Solintel. The group strived to create housing that would be comfortable, light-weight, and strong enough to bear the brunt of natural forces.
The result was FLOATEC, a European R&D project underwritten by EUREKA. The new building method employed generously uses expanded polystyrene (EPS) in multiple layers between stratums of composite and concrete, thus making the structure strong and durable, and at the same time light and capable of floating.
Via EurekaNetwork, Gizmag, Slashdot
