Given that the sand of sand dunes are much finer and smoother than beach sand, how does Dubai/the UAE have so many things that seem to be built on them?
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It’s just impressive, given that whenever I try to stand on top of one, I sink and slide to the bottom and find it hard to balance. I can’t imagine what building on one is like, and I can’t find any videos or information on it—either beaches or flat desert, but not on sand dunes!
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Basically, I’m curious about the challenge and process for building on sand dunes, and would appreciate an explanation.
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Thanks in advance!
In: 1603
One of the key ideas missing from the discussions below is the concept of “buoyancy”.
For sand, the concrete pilings are driven into the (dense) sand, so much of the downward force of the pilings + roadway, the weight, is offset by the upward force of the displaced sand.
Also, there is also a component of the ‘movement resistance’ of sand that also counters the weight of the pilings and roadway, which can unfortunately vanish with the precise ground vibrations, like what occurs during an earthquake, i.e., soil liquefaction. I don’t know the frequency of earthquakes in the desert, but they make life in California a bit *too* interesting.
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