GB2465268A

GB2465268A - An offshore island with an airport and waste disposal facility

Info

Publication number: GB2465268A
Application number: GB0919526A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hugh Derek Marshall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-11-12
Filing date: 2009-11-06
Publication date: 2010-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 2029-11-06
Also published as: GB0820713D0; GB0919526D0; GB2465268B

Abstract

The invention relates to an offshore island 2 comprising a peripheral piled wall 4 which defines the perimeter of the offshore island 2 and which keeps the sea 6 at bay. The island further comprises an airport 8 having at least one runway 9 which is constructed for use by aircraft. The offshore island 2 is formed from mainland waste. The peripheral wall may be a piled wall 4 of sheet metal. The island may comprise an outer protective wall 15 made from tyres, hardcore or tetradrons.

Description

AN OFFSHORE ISLAND WITH

AN AIRPORT AND WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY

This invention relates to an offshore island and, more especially, this invention relates to an offshore island with an airport and waste disposal facility.

On land, airports cause problems of noise and traffic congestion. In addition and as a separate matter, the disposal of household and industrial waste causes problems.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provide an offshore island comprising a peripheral wall which defines the perimeter of the offshore island and which keeps the sea at bay, and an airport having at least one runway which is constructed for use by aircraft, and the offshore island being such that it is formed from mainland waste.

The offshore island of the present invention is advantageous in that it is able to avoid the need for existing inland airports to be provided with additional runways to cope with ever-increasing air traffic. The offshore island of the present invention is also advantageous in that it is built from mainland waste and much of this mainland waste would normally be placed in landfill sites. Many countries, for example the United Kingdom, are running out of landfill sites, and thus the offshore island of the present invention is able to avoid or reduce the problem of running out of landfill sites for a long time to come. Advantageously, the offshore island may be connected to existing airports by high speed rail connections. People can then park at existing airports and take the high speed rail connections to the offshore island.

The mainland waste can be non-toxic mainland waste and/or toxic mainland waste. The mainland waste may be any mainland waste material that currently goes into landfill sites. Where the mainland waste is toxic, then it may be radioactive material, such for example as low grade radio active material as occurs in medical waste, or low grade radio active material as occurs in radioactive devices and instruments such for example as luminous watches and compasses. The mainland waste may be household waste and/or industrial waste.

Preferably, the airport has more than one runway. Thus, for example, there may be 2 -6 of the runways. The runway or runways preferably face the prevailing wind direction.

The runway or runways may be made of any suitable and appropriate material. Advantageously, the material for the runway or runways is hardcore and/or road planings, mixed with cement or similar material. As indicated above the or each runway is constructed for use by aircraft. Thus, the construction material will normally be compacted. There will then be no further settlement after compaction on the runways and thus the airport will be able to operate substantially immediately after construction of the runways and appropriate airport buildings.

Preferably, the peripheral wall is a peripheral piled wall. Preferably, the peripheral piled wall is made of sheet metal. Other materials may be employed if desired.

The sheet metal is preferably mild steel sheet metal. Metals other than mild steel may be employed.

The sheet metal is preferably coated on its outer face with a protective coating. The protecting coating may be applied to the steel sheet piling to extend the life of the steel sheet piling.

The offshore island may include piled dividing walls which divide the offshore island into compartments.

The piled dividing walls may be made of sheet metal. The sheet metal is preferably mild steel. Other sheet metals may be employed.

The compartments are preferably square compartments.

Compartments of other shapes may however be employed so that, for example, the compartments may be rectangular or octagonal compartments.

After the mainland waste has settled on the offshore island, the dividing walls may be such that they can be extracted for re-use at other places on the offshore island.

The offshore island may include an outer protective wall adjacent the outer face of the peripheral wall.

The outer protective wall may be made of broken concrete with a net of tyres bolted together. Such a construction would absorb wave energy and encourage fish breeding. The outer protective wall may alternatively be made of hardcore or tetradrons.

The offshore island may include an inner protective wall adjacent the inner face of the peripheral wall. If the peripheral wall should decay or otherwise become damaged, then the inner protective wall will provide the required protection.

The inner protective wall may be a sloping wall. The sloping wall may slope in a I in 4 gradient. Other gradients for the sloping wall may be employed.

The inner protective wall is preferably made of concrete. Other gradients for the sloping wall may be employed.

The offshore island may include at least one protective cover for preventing access to the mainland waste by birds and animals. This then stops the birds or animals eating contaminated mainland waste, and the contaminated mainland waste possibly entering the food chain for other animals or humans.

Advantageously, the outer protective wall is protected by a net formed of a plurality of scrap tyres connected together. The scrap tyres may be connected together by bolts or chains. Fastener means other than bolts or chains may be employed for connecting the scrap tyres together. The net in the form of the connected scrap tyres will not only protect the outer protective wall but it will also form a good breeding ground for fish and other marine life.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view showing an offshore island which is positioned in the North Sea off Cromer and which has an airport and waste disposal facility; and Figure 2 illustrates how a peripheral sheet metal piled wall is formed.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown an offshore island 2 having a peripheral piled wall 4 which defines the perimeter of the offshore island 2 and which keeps the sea 6 at bay. The offshore island 2 is formed from mainland waste. The offshore island 2 also comprises an airport 8 having two runways 9, with the runways 9 being constructed for use by aircraft. The airport 8 may have as many runways as are required. The runways 9 face the prevailing wind direction. The airport 8 also comprises non-runway areas 11 which are formed from mainland waste.

The offshore island 2 may be 50 miles by 20 miles. Other sizes for the offshore island 2 may be employed. The offshore island 2 is shown in a location in the North Sea off Cromer, Other locations for the offshore island 2 may be employed, including offshore locations around the United Kingdom, and other offshore locations in other countries of the world. Thus, for example, the offshore island 2 may be located in seas, estuaries, and even large lakes.

The offshore island 2 may be such that there is no vehicle or pedestrian traffic so as not to cause any further traffic on already congested roads. The offshore island 2 may be constructed by first establishing a bridgehead by shipping in materials. Thereafter, tunnels could be bored from the mainland to the offshore island 2. These tunnels may have conventional rail tracks to carry especially-built goods wagons carrying waste material, including hardcore. Additionally or alternatively, mainland waste material could be pulverised and pumped with water to the required areas needed for forming the offshore island 2. The water used for pumping could be re-circulated for re-use. The tunnels could also carry fuel lines to the offshore island 2. The tunnels could also carry rail track to carry bullet-type trains for having high speed rail connections to the offshore island 2.

Sunken ships etc. could be treated the same way as when widening a road through a graveyard. Gas/oil rigs could be reduced in height and left below ground level. Their maintenance costs would be drastically reduced.

The peripheral piled wall may be in the region of 90 feet in depth. The peripheral piled wall may comprise steel sheet piling. The peripheral piled wall may be protected by an outer protective wall 15, and also a inner protective wall (not shown). The inner protective wall may be a sloping wall of, for example a I in 4 gradient. The slope may be varied to suit conditions. The inner protective wall may be made of concrete or a similar material.

The outer protective wall may be covered with a protective net made of a plurality of scrap tyres which are bolted or chained together. The net would help to protect the outer protective wall, and it would also encourage fish breeding.

Initially, hardcore or road planings could be shipped to the offshore island and mixed with cement to establish a hard base material for the airport runways 9. This same material could be used for any other areas requiring a hard base, for example some or all of the airport areas 11.

The height of the offshore island 2 on the southwest face may be six metres above mean high water. The height of the offshore island 2 on the northeast face may be 30 metres.

The offshore island 2 is divided into one mile square boxes by sheet piling. The water from the pumped waste material may be teemed off and pumped back to the mainland to be mixed with more waste material, and then return to the offshore island 2 thereby eliminating the problem of disposing of contaminated water.

Areas other than runways may be formed from the mainland waste.

Mainland waste material currently needs to be disposed of and it may be of the order of 25 million tonnes per year at a cost of �30 -35 per tonne. An offshore island of the size mentioned above could last for 1,000 years as a rubbish tip, eliminating the need for landfill sites on the mainland.

As will be seen from Figure 1, the offshore island 2 has waIls 10, 12.

The walls 10, 12 each have a gap 14. The gap 14 allows the sea 6 into the inner coastal area 14 as shown. The walls 10, 12 protect the coast. The walls 10, 12 will reduce the height of the tides on the illustrated east coast, which in turn would reduce the erosion that it now occurring.

Other uses that the offshore island 2 could be put to would be for the extraction of gas from rotting material, and the location of wind powered generators, possibly of the Shrewburyness experimental range. Various perceived undesirable products and pieces of apparatus could be located or re-located on the offshore island 2.

The walls 10, 12 may be in the form a sheet pile breakwater, located at either end of the offshore island 2, and constructed to a height of 1 metre above high water spring tides. The gap 14 could be a half mile gap in the middle, piled on the bottom to a height of 3 metres to stop erosion. This would control the flow of water into the area 16 which would be a lagoon-type area.

As indicated above, erosion on the east coast could be reduced.

The walls 10, 12 could easily be increased in height by bolting on steel sections on the top of the piles, if the height of the sea is increased in height owing to global warming etc. The breakwater formed by the walls 10, 12 could be protected by rubble and/or tyres in the same way as mentioned above for the peripheral piled wall 4.

The offshore island 2 includes a shipping dock 18, preferably positioned adjacent the airport 8. The shipping dock 18 may be for shipping-in heavy machinery and plant.

The offshore island 2 may also have a rolling mill for making the steel sheet piles of the required length on site, thereby avoiding transporting very long pile sections in excess of 40 metres in length.

Figure 2 shows how individual sections of mild steel sheet piling are connected together.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the airport may be at a different position on the offshore island 2. Also, the shape of the offshore island 2 may be different from that shown. As an alternative to using a steel sheet piled peripheral wall 4, the peripheral wall could be constructed of concrete or other similar material. Newly constructed parts of the offshore island of the present invention may be protected by a * flexible cover to stop birds and animals accessing the waste material. Newly constructed parts of the offshore island of the present invention may be formed higher than finally required in order to allow for settling of the mainland waste.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An offshore island comprising a peripheral wall which defines the perimeter of the offshore island and which keeps the sea at bay, and an airport having at least one runway which is constructed for use by aircraft, and the offshore island being such that it is formed from mainland waste.
2. An offshore island according to claim 1 in which there is more than one runway.
3. An offshore island according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the runway is made of hardcore and/or road planings, mixed with cement.
4. An offshore island according to any one of the preceding claims in which the peripheral wall is a peripheral piled wall.
5. An offshore island according to claim 4 in which the peripheral piled wall is made of sheet metal.
6. An offshore island according to claim 5 in which the sheet metal is mild steel sheet metal.
7. An offshore island according to claim 5 or claim 6 in which the sheet metal is coated on its outer face with a protective coating.
8. An offshore island according to any one of the preceding claims and including piled dividing walls which divide the offshore island into compartments.
9. An offshore island according to claim 8 in which the piled dividing walls are made of sheet metal.
10. An offshore island according to claim 9 in which the sheet metal is mild steel.
11. An offshore island according to any one of claims 8 -10 in which the compartments are square.
12. An offshore island according to any one of the preceding claims and including an outer protective wall adjacent the outer face of the peripheral wall.
13. An offshore island according to claim 12 in which the outer protective wall is made of tyres, hardcore or tetradrons.
14. An offshore island according to any one of the preceding claims and including an inner protective wall adjacent the inner face of the peripheral wall.
15. An offshore island according to claim 14 in which the inner protective wall is a sloping wall.
16. An offshore island according to claim 15 in which the sloping wall slopes in a 1 in 4 gradient.
17. An offshore island according to any one of claims 14 -17 in which the inner protective wall is made of concrete.
18. An offshore island according to any one of the preceding claims in which the offshore island includes at least one protective cover for preventing access to the mainland waste by birds and animals.
19. An offshore island according to any one of claims 12 -18 in which the outer protective wall is protected by a plurality of scrap tyres connected together to form a net.
20. An offshore island according to claim 19 in which the scrap tyres are connected together by bolts or chains.
21. An offshore island substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.