Newfoundland Deltaport

to improve ocean supervis-ion, Environment research, seafOOD production, sub-sea oil, gas, and mineral re-covery, as well as provide shelter FOR COASTs and LOW islands from changing sea levels, Floating sea-air bases will be essential.

designs for such systems must assure inherent sta-bility, buoyancy, adequate space and a high level of structural integrity under the most severe MID-OCEAN environmentS.

success IN the USe of space frames in construction on land suggests that more research into floating sys-tems which absorb, rather than withstand, high wave energy in marine environ-ments is well justified.

this website's objective is to outline 1980-'90 research at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) in such systems and suggest CON-TINUED STUDIES, as well as POTENTIALly valuable bene-fits from such RESEARCH.

RESEARCH at Mun involved triangULAR floating sea - air bases or "deltaports" constructed with tetrahe-dral SPACE frames and IN-DIVIDUAL BUOYANCY CELLS TO create an enclosed SEA-PORT and LANDING AREA for large fixed wing aircraft.

deltaport's design criteria calls for its construction and maintenance at sea, the capability to change WORK SITES, dynamic positioning, SHALLOW SITE mooring and downwind harbour entry.

Copyright 2003, Tom Kierans, FCSCE, P. Eng. St. John's, NL.
Parts of this web page may be copied for non-profit use with due recognition of the source.
All other reproductions require express written permission from the author.

Newfoundland Deltaport

Copyright 2003, Tom Kierans, FCSCE, P. Eng. St. John's, NL. Parts of this web page may be copied for non-profit use with due recognition of the source. All other reproductions require express written permission from the author.

Last revision 4/29/2005

Copyright 2003, Tom Kierans, FCSCE, P. Eng. St. John's, NL.
Parts of this web page may be copied for non-profit use with due recognition of the source.
All other reproductions require express written permission from the author.