Large-scale floating platforms for purposes such as airports (both military and civilian), manufacturing facilities, bases for hazardous waste disposal, ocean energy, etc., have been discussed in the literature for a number of years. Such large-scale floating platforms can easily be twice or three times the length of the largest ship ever built and many times wider. Many different geometries for these platforms have been discussed. On one end of the spectrum, barge-like forms which are wall-sided, shallow rectangular shapes have been proposed (this is the form of most floating bridges). On the other end of the spectrum, forms which are composed of many low-motion column stabilized oil platforms joined together have also been proposed. Each configuration has its own set of advantages and difficulties both in assembly and operation. It is a primary goal of this research to develop the technology to investigate and quantify these differences, so that the designer will have the information to choose an appropriate configuration for a particular environment.
