The effectiveness of sustainable floating structures in the Gulf Region (Middle East)
The use of marine environment for human life due to its positive effects on life style has created new ideas for offshore construction. In this new generation of offshore projects, the use of offshore pile-deck structures, sea reclamation by offshore soil embankment for creating the artificial Islands and floating structures (pontoon) in the Gulf region have been analyzed. The “World and Palm Jumeirah” projects in Dubai (UAE) and a project in the Kingdom of Bahrain are samples for marine reclamation. The “Mitra” project in “Kish” Island (Iran) is an example of a pile and deck system for offshore housing. The idea for a floating marina in Dubai is an example of a floating building (pontoon) in this region. This paper has studied these three different experiences for offshore construction using the weighted parameters ranking analysis method. Weight factors applied to the effective parameters based on clients/owners’ and engineer’s preferences. Results show that; although the reclamation solution is much more economic it cannot save the environment properly. A sustainable design of floating concept in the Gulf region for future extensions should gather all requirements economically and environmentally together.