Latest news with #artificialislands
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
People left shocked after discovering how man-made islands are made
They're an impressive feat of human engineering. Man-made islands have sprung up in places that were once covered in water. They are home to some of the world's most recognisable landmarks such as Dubai 's Palm Jumeirah and Hong Kong 's International Airport. But people have been left shocked after finally discovering how they are made. A video, shared on Instagram, shows just how these structures are born. People have described the process as 'unsettling' and 'fascinating but sad'. Creating these islands can take years of hard work. So, do you know how it's done? There are several different methods to making man-made islands – the first of which is called reclamation. This involves building up land in a body of water through depositing soil, sand or other construction materials on the sea bed. Dredgers often collect sand from the ocean floor and transport it to the site, where it's shaped and compacted to create land above water. The sides of the island are sometimes protected by 'armouring' them with stone or concrete to shield them from water and waves. Once stable, the island can be developed with buildings, roads or resorts. Reclaimed artificial islands take a long time to construct and can become very costly if constructed in deep or exposed waters. As a result, their use is usually restricted to water depths of 10-20 metres an for conditions where the island is largely sheltered and founded on a reasonably solid foundation. A video shared on Instagram details how these man-made islands are created - and it has shocked some users. 'This made me uncomfortable for some reason,' Enna Snow wrote. Another person said: 'Fascinating but sad. Playing god and actually destroying ourselves. Leave it be.' One warned about the environmental impacts, adding: 'Crazy how much damage this must do to that sea floor.' Another called it 'unsettling'. Dubai's famous Palm Jumeirah was built through a massive land reclamation project. It involved dredging 120 million cubic metres of sand from the bottom of the sea, and blasting 7 millions tons of rock from the nearby Hajar Mountains. A crescent-shaped breakwater was then constructed to protect the island from the waves and currents of the Arabian Gulf. The entire project took six years to build and cost $12 billion. Today, the 17 fronds are home to around 1,500 beachfront mansions with a further 6,000 apartments on the trunk. One project still under construction is in Sri Lanka's capital of Colombo, where an $11 billion Port City is being built on reclaimed land. The reclamation created a new section of the coastline, and developers plan for it to become a hub for international businesses. Many have raised concerns about the significant environmental impacts that come with building man-made islands. Dredging – the process of extracting sand from the seabed – can bury coral reefs and harm marine life. It, along with construction, can also increase the cloudiness of the water, blocking sunlight needed for photosynthesis by coral reefs and seagrass. Meanwhile the artificial islands themselves can change the natural coastline, disrupting currents and wave patterns. WHAT ARE THE FIVE TALLEST BUILDINGS IN THE WORLD? 1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world at the moment. It's set to be overtaken by the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, which boasts a height of one kilometres (3,280 feet) One of the most famous buildings along the Persian Gulf, Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world today, standing a mighty 828 metres (2,716 feet). The mega skyscraper, complete in 2010, boasts 163 floors, which include a hotel, a restaurant, an observation deck and luxury apartments. According to its developer, the total amount of concrete used to build the tower weighed as much as some 100,000 elephants combined. 2. Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China The pride of Chinese construction, the 632-metre-tall (2,073 feet) skyscraper dominates the skyline of Shanghai's financial district. It is nicknamed 'thermos flask' due to its unique appearance to help it save energy. The 128-storey structure has the world's fastest lifts, which ascend at the speed of 18 metres (59 feet) per second. It also has the world's highest observation deck at 561 metres (1,840 feet). 3. Makkah Clock Royal Tower, Makkah, Saudi Arabia Located in the holy city of Mecca, the 76-storey building is the centre piece of a £10 billion ($15 billion) government-backed complex, called Abraj Al Bait. Standing 601 metres (1,971 feet), the six-year-old building has the world's largest clock face, which has a diametre of 46 metres (151 feet). The clock is so big that it could be seen from 25 kilometres (15 miles) away. The building contains a 1,618-room luxury hotel. 4. Ping An International Finance Center, Shenzhen, China At 599 metres tall (1,965 feet), the impressive building is covered by 1,700 tonnes of stainless steel and sports a futurist look. Complete in 2017, it is the world's tallest office building with more than 100 floors devoted to Ping'an, a major insurance company in China. 5. Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin, China A general view shows the Goldin Finance 117, the third tallest complete building in China, being constructed in September, 2015. The building has 117 storeys The diamond-shaped structure is just two metres (6.5 feet) shorter than the world's fourth tallest building, also in China. Measureing 597 metres (1,958 feet) in height, the 117-storey tower is set to have 85 floors of office spaces. It's also expected to have a five-star hotel. The structure was topped out in 2015, but the whole project is yet to be completed - apparently due to lack of funds.
South China Morning Post
09-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Philippines to probe claims of sand dredging for Beijing's South China Sea expansion
The Philippines is investigating claims that sand dredged from its coastal waters has been used in China's artificial island construction in disputed parts of the South China Sea , raising concerns over domestic complicity, ecological damage and national security. Advertisement President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has ordered a full inquiry into the allegations following testimony in a Senate hearing on Wednesday, where a top intelligence official said sand from Manila Bay and other areas might have ended up as landfill for Chinese military outposts. Ashley Acedillo, deputy director general of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), told senators that Chinese-linked reclamation and dredging activities had happened in several parts of the country, including the Cagayan province. 'There were earlier reports that sand taken directly from our coastal areas was being used as landfill, reportedly even in some of our disputed territories,' Acedillo said during a hearing of a Senate special committee on Philippine maritime and admiralty zones. While no conclusive evidence has been presented, the intelligence agency is examining whether sand from Philippine sources was exported to support Beijing's reclamation efforts, which have transformed the maritime landscape of the South China Sea over the past decade. Advertisement Press Secretary Claire Castro confirmed the president's directive, saying the investigation would examine any wrongdoing by local officials.
