Developing a Sustainable and Smart Floating Structure Solution for Enhancing Liveability in Hong Kong’s Crowded Built Environment

This paper presents a vision for a sustainable and smart floating structure solution (S2FS2) in Hong Kong. It highlights the key features of S2FS2, particularly the adoption of a hybrid approach combining both floating structure solutions and conventional land reclamation for the creation of habitable land from the sea. The paper discusses the challenges and opportunities in deploying a hybrid floating development. These include: examining sustainable and cost-effective construction strategies and materials for floating platforms and superstructures in view of the highly corrosive environment in Hong Kong; the optimal designs of multi-purpose floating platforms to carry a range of superstructures designed to meet various spatial programmatic and functional requirements and sites at different water depths; designing easy-to-instal, reliable, and durable connector systems for joining floating modules under the combination of dynamic (impact and fatigue) loading and a corrosive environment; rapid and precise on-site assembly of floating structures situated at different water levels using innovative construction technology and construction management; active control of dynamic structural movements in the sea during construction and service stages, particularly given the frequency of typhoons in Hong Kong; quantifying the ecological and environment impacts; and obtaining social acceptance. This paper also presents the estimated cost savings using a hybrid approach when compared to a conventional land reclamation approach based on the example of a proposed solution for the Kau Yi Chau artificial island (1000 ha).