FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS: USE OF SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS As discussed in previous chapters, the use of thermoplastic timber (fig. 247, 248) in place of the steel frame substructure and telescoping steel vertical guidance posts is currently being investigated. Thermoplastic timber does not corrode and is a more suitable material than steel for structures partially submerged in water. fig. 247: Thermoplastic Timber Piling Installation
fig. 248: Elevated Rail in Chicago Using Thermoplastic Ties
Recapped, recycled empty water bottles in place of EPS flotation blocks are also being considered. Bundles of air-filled, sealed plastic bottles can provide both buoyancy and redundancy (fig. 249, 250). Either a cavity or frame would need to be created to hold the water bottles in place, much like the N55 flotation system (fig. 251) that uses plastic modules attached to a frame to form a cohesive buoyancy element. This “Floating Platform” is part of N55’s “Spaceframe” project, completed in 2002. N55 is a multi-disciplinary design firm based in Denmark. Maria Alexandrescu, a student at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, has provided the following research as part of her submission for “ARCH 684-016 Amphibious Architectures: The Buoyant Foundation Project and Alternative Flood Mitigation Strategies in Post-Katrina New Orleans.” This was an elective course held at the school in spring 2009. According to N55:
fig. 249: Water Bottle “Junkraft” 282
The Floating Platform is a modular construction, which is intended to function as a buoyant foundation for N55 Spaceframe (see manual for N55 Spaceframe), or for other lightweight constructions. . . . The Floating Platform is a space lattice, comprised of small modules made from stainless steel with built-in buoyant tanks. The small modules in the platform can all be assembled by hand. ...