A conceptual floating alternative to land reclamation for application in congested island states and coastal cities of Malaysia

Abstract

It is a well-known fact that water covers approximately two thirds of the world's surface. For small, congested island states like that of Penang Island in Malaysia, the act of expanding its land area through reclamation of shallow coastal seas is a common sight. However, despite proven economic viability for reasonable depths, land reclamation poses detrimental effects to both people and environment. This paper presents an alternative solution to reclaim coastal seas, employing the concept of Very Large Floating Structures (VLFS). The application of VLFS and their major developments over the past two decades are briefly reviewed. Subsequently, applications of VLFS for increasing the land area in congested island states and coastal cities in Malaysia are discussed alongside proposed key systematic research areas and practical implementation models.