The influence of the cuboid float's parameters on the stability of a floating building

Abstract

Usually, the concept of sufficient stability of a floating structure is connected with the capacity to keep a small heel angle despite the moment of heeling. The variable responsible for these characteristics is the initial metacentric height, which is the relation between the hydrostatic features of the pontoon and the mass properties of the entire object. This article answers the questions of how heavy the floating system should be, what the minimum acceptable draft is, and whether it is beneficial to use internal fixed ballast. To cover various technologies, a theoretical model of a cuboid float with average density representing different construction materials was analysed. The results indicate that the common practice of using heavy and deep floating systems is not always reasonable. In the case of floating buildings, which, unlike ships, can be exploited only under small heel angles, the shape and width of the submerged part of the object may influence the stability more than the weight or draft.