A Floating Hotel is simply a hotel floating on water. The Floatel does not move, it remains in its wonderful location on the edge of River Hooghly with spectacular views of the river and the charms of this old colonial cultural city. The Floatel in Calcutta is based on the concept of a Super Luxury Cruise Liner permanently anchored in the City Centre of Calcutta with a huge shore infrastructure to provide essential life-lines like fresh water, Electricity and sewerage disposal system. The Floatel is designated a vessel by Calcutta High Court in 2006. The hotel is also entirely environmentally friendly, using global standards of environmentally conscious tourism as the basis for all services. The Floating Hotel concept is a new development in offshore accommodation systems and used world - wide. ( See http://www.floatinghotels.com).
Safety Details and International Standards
Facilities at the Floating Hotel complex conforms to the criteria
laid down by Department of Tourism for a 4-star category accreditation.
The shore and The Floatel is connected by a specially designed (internatially
accredited and tested) gangway which get adjusted to the change in
the water level at high and low tides.
The model followed for the Floatel is based on conceptual design of
"Coastal Vessels" which are moored in various cities of
Europe. None of the Coastals have self propulsion. Whereas European
Floatels are moored in the sea, The Calcutta Foatel is moored in The
River Hooghly.
The design of the Floatel has been made with the following criteria
:
Fully loaded draft not exceeding 6 ft. (about 100% cushion over the
lowest draft available at the location)
A tested anchoring and mooring system, which is to be able to withstand
all kinds of tidal currents and bore times.
Maximum wind velocities at the location and impact of the same on
the air draft of the Floatel.
GB Marine Pte Ltd. (GBMPL), Singapore made the detailed design of
the Floatel calculating the mooring forces with the parameters indicated
by M/s.Geo Hull Ltd., and further prepared the "Estimated Intact
Stability" for the Floatel. The anchoring system was designed
consisting of 4 numbers of 1.5 ton LWT Danforth anchors for extra
safe anchoring purposes and mooring to the shore with 62 mm chains.*
Based on the design made by GBMPL, the Floatel was built by M/s.Lian
Yi Ship-building and Construction Co. Ltd. (LYSCL) at Singapore. The
anchoring and mooring system were also fabricated by LYSCL at Singapore.
The entire fabrication and construction work was carried out under
the supervision of GBMPL.
The entire hull of the Floatel was tested and certified by M/s. Bureau
Veritas, Paris, at Singapore on the basis of data of Kraufkramer Ultrasonic
Thickness Gauge Tests undertaken by M/s. Scantech NDT & Inspection
Pte. Ltd., Singapore.
The proof load test for the anchors was undertaken by M/s. ABS Marine
Services Inc, USA in Singapore. The anchor chains were tested and
approved by Lloyds Register of Shipping at Singapore.
Construction of rooms, service areas and other finishing work on the
Floatel, the detailed design and drawings were made by GBMPL. While
the facilities were being designed, MFL engaged the services of an
architectural firm M/s. Ghosh, Bose and Associates Pvt. Ltd. (GBAPL),
to advise GBMPL on the norms required for obtaining approval of various
Indian authorities, including Kolkata Municipal development Corporation,
Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India etc. GBMPL is one of the reputed
architectural firms in Kolkata, having associated with construction
of several prestigious buildings including multi-storied office buildings,
industrial complexes, airports, hotels etc.
GBMPL, in addition to the services provided while designing the Floatel,
also conducted The Environmental Impact Study (EIS) of the project.
Presently, the Pontoon of the Floatel is classified by Indian Registrar
of Shipping (IRS - 100AI) and also Govt. Fire fighting, rescue and
evacuation certificates equivalent to the standard of Lloyds of London.
* GBMPL, based at Singapore, is engaged in providing services for
Naval Architecture, Marine project management, Shipyard Production
Design, Establishing Stability Criteria for marine vessels, Supervision
of Construction, Investigation of problems related to operation of
ships and other vessels etc. The company also rendered its services
in designing a "Floating Hotel" to be located at Indonesia. |
The
Floatel
Quantum
Designs