Coastal Engineering - Amphibious Housing

What exactly is an "amphibious" home?

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Credit: Google Images
There are two different types of homes developed by Dura Vermeer as a means to combat the rising sea levels; and these include floating and amphibious homes.

Floating Homes: A floating home is a home that has been built on the water. In the event of a flood or a storm surge, the home will simply rise up with the raised water level. Dura Vermeer has already built 14 of these homes as a way of dealing with the greater demand for housing. Each home has a foam base that has been covered in concreted to ensure stability while also being light enough to float. They are attached to a suspension mechanism to prevent horizontal motion; however, there is some noticeable vertical motion as the water levels fluctuate. [5] 


In addition to floating homes; Dura Vermeer has been working with other companies to create floating greenhouses that create areas for water storage as well as additional green space that do not utilize land resources. These greenhouses are built upon polystyrene foam that has the same properties as reinforced concrete while remaining buoyant. [6]
 


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Amphibious Homes: A step more extreme than a floating home, an amphibious home is one that is secured on thick steel posts. In the event of a flood, the house will actually float on top of the rising waters up to 18 feet due to a concrete covered foam foundation. Dura Vermeer has already created 36 of these homes. Once the flood waters recede, the home will safely settle back down to its original placement on land and rest on a concrete foundation. Because the homes are securely fastened to the steel posts, they will not experience any side to side motion; however, they will experience some vertical motion due to the waves. Houses are made of timber to ensure that they are lighter. [5]