Floating Platform

 

Thursday the 4th of January, 2007 saw the 1st pieces of the Floating Platform arrive at its new home of Marina Bay, alongside the Esplanade shoreline. Visitors to the bay may have caught the peculiar sight of two large concrete slabs being towed into the bay by several tugboats and tow-craft. Beginning its journey from its berth in Tuas, the concrete convoy took more than six hours to reach its destination traveling at a precariously slow speed.

Officially witnessing the event were more than a dozen military personnel from the Army and Navy, members of staff from the DSTA and various other governmental agencies. Also present at the inaugural event was Chairman of the NDP '07 EXCO, COL Teo Jing Siong.
Speaking to some of the guests present, COL Teo explained that the Floating Platform was the largest performance floating platform in the world and was designed with numerous innovative considerations in place. Features like an internal drainage system, cabling structures and lightning conductors that can safely dissipate the charge from a lightning strike make this an extremely efficient and safe venue for hosting different types of events.

One of the events that will take place on the platform would be the National Day Parade. With the developing of the National Stadium into a sports hub still in its infant stages, the platform will act as the temporary venue for future National Day Parades starting with NDP '07. With a seating gallery that can seat over 30,000 already in construction along the shoreline, NDP '07 would be the first ever National Day Parade to be held within Marina Bay, opening up a whole new avenue of challenges and excitement for Singapore's birthday bash.

The whole process of constructing the entire platform consists of four stages and numerous other pieces that likewise, have to be towed into the bay and assembled piece by piece. Once within the bay, the slabs are floated into precise positions before being locked into place with their corresponding slabs using a system of specially designed joints and connections. Pylons piled into the seabed act as the foundations for the entire structure. Upon completion, the platform will be linked to the shore via 3 link ways. According to COL Teo, the link ways are designed with special integrated joints that can move up and down with the platform as it is affected by the rising and lowering tides of the bay.