Floating wetlands at Punggol

Abstract

Punggol Eco-Town has been positioned as the sustainable waterfront town for the tropics. Housing and Development Board (HDB) plans to introduce floating wetlands along the Punggol Waterway (PWW) as part of its green initiatives to intensify greenery, enrich biodiversity and enhance water quality (Housing Development Board 2011). This paper explores the governing theory, design principle, numerical analysis and field test of the floating modules and their connector systems that together form the floating wetlands. Each configuration of floating wetlands comprises high-density polyethylene (HDPE) modules. Each male-female connector system is held together by stainless steel pins. The floating wetlands are able to carry plant and human loads and yet possess a designed freeboard. Static and hydroelastic analyses performed showed the adequacy of the floating wetland design. © 2013 © 2013 The Institution of Engineers, Singapore.