Typical process

The construction of an artificial island is always fraught with difficulties, and the further the main land is located from the future island, the more difficult it is. When conducting construction work on the water surface, one mistake can cause irreparable damage to the environment. For this reason, the selection of the right construction procedures is a critical task. The rules of working process in the territory surrounded by water are always very tough and difficult.

Before the beginning of the basic construction manipulations, a thorough study of the seabed is carried out. After all, for effective implementation of the project, we need to understand what is at the bottom of the ocean and what the best location for the future artificial island can be found.

Based on detailed engineering studies conducted in the early stages of the project, we select a place for the location of the facility. This place must fully comply with the original objectives of the project regarding its implementation and further functioning.

The next stage is the construction of rock or pipe piling perimeter and wave breaking protection. As a breakwater, a long arm appears in the form of rock formations or pipe piling walls, which take on the impacts of sea waves. It not only protects the island from waves and ocean currents, but also harbors the port area and protects sea vessels that are stationed at the pier of the island. If there is no breakwater, it means that the island is defenseless. Without adequate protection, the structures built on the island will not last long, and the subgrade of the island will gradually be washed away. 
As soon as rocks form a layer above the sea level and, in the case of using a pipe piles, a wall of the perimeter will be finished, the usage of heavy machinery starts, which will be used to continue building perimeter walls. A similar construction process is later used to create protective rock slopes that surround the entire perimeter of this island. This creates multiple levels of defense and each plays an important part in protecting the island from powerful ocean waves. This protection consists of a core in the form of rock formations, poured on the bottom of the sea or the other natural basin. If the construction of the island takes place in the open sea, then, above this core, a stone lining is laid. At the base of the core, an anchor is installed from the ocean, in the form of rocks weighing 6 tons. From this anchor at the base of the core, the last layer of external protection rises, which will be installed at the late stage of the operation.

Later the next stage takes place, when the island surface is constructing. Within the parameters of this task, the entire bulk of the island is erected by a special method of "filling-in". It involves collecting the sand from certain areas of the seabed, transportation and its use to build the islands’ foundations.

As soon as it is possible to create a sufficiently large volume of the island surface, the "pipeline" method comes into play. This is the slowest, but at the same time, the most accurate approach, since the emissions from the pipes are used in conjunction with surface machinery, which distributes the sand, giving it a preset view of the future island.

Loose sand must be processed in a way to make it safe to build upon. This process is called "vibrocompression". Vibrocompression is carried out by inserting a large rod into the soil on a depth of 20 meters, which begins to vibrate. As a result of vibration, sand particles are redistributed and compressed. Then the rod gradually rises upward by 1 meter and again begins to vibrate, which allows compressing different layers of sand. This continues until all 20 meters become dense. If you allow this process to occur naturally, this will take decades. Vibrational compression accelerates it so that construction can be carried out at a fast pace. If weaknesses are detected, the vibrocompression process is repeated until the correct result is obtained.
After the previous works are finished, the surface is compacted by road rollers, affecting the surface only on a level of 900 mm.

During the project implementation for the island construction, the erosive potential of the ocean or other natural basins like rivers is taken into account and neutralized each time. The impact of many years of unrelenting oceanic or river currents can create big problems. Sand in the island core can shift to the sides between the gaps in the large stones that surround it. It can be a big structural problem. Geotextiles are special barriers made of highly durable fabric that will last for hundreds of years. This is necessary in order to prevent the ocean or river from blurring the sand, which will get between the stones. This fabric covers the whole island, creating a closed system from which the sand can’t shift.

Natural rock formation is not the only safety measure against currents. The perimeter of the island is evened by concrete shell, which serves as the last protective layer. These huge blocks in the form of X disperse the shock force of each wave that collides with them.

Concrete blocks are installed with the help of cranes, which outfitted with special devices controlled by experienced divers, who are also equipped with infrared cameras.

At the next stage we generally construct the harbor according to the project plans approved by the customer. This process involves filling the construction site with sand, and then digging a pit in it, while creating a barrier from the ocean or other body of water in which construction occurs. By the time of excavating the pit, a dry place should be formed in which it will be possible to start construction.
In order to reduce the water level to the required safety levels, an additional wall screen is installed - large metal sheets between the reservoir and the pool. A crane lifts and drives metal sheets deep into the sand to the required depth of 12 meters.
After that, the installation of the key wall components continues until its completion. The last part of the process is removing the sand barrier and let the water from the environment back into the harbor.

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(c) Islands Building company