CENTRE FOR DIPLOMA STUDIES

SEMESTER 2
SESSION 2021/2022

GROUP PROJECT: RAFT HOUSE

COURSE CODE DAM 23903

COURSE NAME FLUID MECHANICS

GROUP MEMBERS 1. CHAN JUN WEI AA200698

2. EE MIN CI AA200885
3. JUNE LIM JIA JIE AA200522
4. SARASWATHY A/P VELLAITHAM AA200921

SECTION 5&6

LECTURER NAME DR NOOR AZIZAH BINTI SIDEK

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction 1

2.0 Required Information 3

3.0 Design 17
3.1 Sizing 17
3.2 Loading Capacity 19
3.3 Building Material 22
3.3.1 Bill of Material 22
3.3.2 Material Selection and Calculation Steps for the Bill of Material 23
3.4 Discussion 30
3.5 Engineering Drawing 32

4.0 Conclusion 33

5.0 References 34
1.0 Introduction

Housing is an essential need for human life, thus it must be considered in terms of
environmental comfort and constituent materials. One of the most common disasters which affect
human housing is flooding. Homes, companies, automobiles, personal effects, and equipment...
Nothing is impervious. Just a few inches of water may do significant damage to your house or
business's contents, as well as structures and property. In a recent flood disaster in Selangor, a
raft house built by a resident of a flood-affected area went viral in his attempt to rescue his
household items from being ruined by the floods. The small raft house served as a relaxing hut
during the non-flood season and became a rescuer during floods.

What is a raft house? A raft is a floating platform constructed of buoyant material or

materials that are more or less rigid. The raft house is an accommodation which is situated on
little ponds in the Domaine’s middle and float. The house is constructed on a barge, and you may
float gently with the assistance of a huge oar depending on the water level. Floating houses are
similar in principle and may be characterized as buildings built on water in such a way that the
structure's load is equal to or less than the uplift force of the water, allowing the house to float.
Floating houses, also known as buoyant residences, are ones that do not require a foundation and
are built on the idea of buoyancy. The liquid below the raft house exerts a higher force than the
liquid above it, resulting in a net upward force on the submerged or floating object. The amount
of this force, known as buoyancy, is equal to the weight of the displaced water. The buoyant
force is equal to the weight of the displaced liquid, according to Archimedes' Principle.

Figure 1.1 Raft house

1
 For the most part, there are two essential rules to follow while building floating houses.
The first is the pontoon concept, which creates a solid platform that is lighter than water. This
concept has the advantage of being able to be used in shallow water, however, the concrete box
has the advantage of being able to utilise more space within the structure. The second is the ship
principle, which creates a hollow concrete box with an open top.

In this project, we designed our own raft house with household items to help during
floods and also as a relaxing spot. At the end of this report, we are able to understand things that
should be considered during building a safe raft house.

2
2.0 Required Information

The household items with the specification such as weight and size of the item according to the
part of the raft house are shown in the table below:

Living Room

No. Household Items Specifications

1 Television (Without stand) - 1 Dimension (W x H x D):

89.36 cm x 8.29 cm x 51.83 cm
Weight: 5.96 kg

2 Sofa - 2 Dimension: 165 cm x 70 cm x 67 cm

Weight: 20 kg

Kitchen / Dining Room

3 Sink with table - 1 Dimension (W x D x H):

112 cm x 56 cm x 139 cm
Weight: 16.22 kg

3
4 Dining table - 1 Dimension (L x W x H):
130 cm x 80 cm x 75 cm
Weight: 13.40 kg

5 Dining Chair - 4 Width: 43 cm

Depth: 52 cm
Height: 91cm
Seat width: 43 cm
Seat depth: 38 cm
Seat height: 45 cm
Weight: 8.20 kg

4
6 Refrigerator - 1 Dimension (W x H x D):
72.9 cm x 169.7 cm x 81.0 cm
Weight: 81 kg

7 Shelf - 1 Width: 60 cm
Height: 116 cm
Depth: 25 cm
Weight: 5.35 kg

5
8 Plate - 6 Diameter: 25 cm
Weight: 0.36 kg

9 Bowl - 6 Height: 5 cm
Diameter: 15 cm
Weight: 0.23 kg

10 Dish Drainer - 1 Length: 42 cm

Width: 30 cm
Height: 12 cm
Weight: 1.31 kg

6
11 Glass - 6 Height: 9 cm
Weight: 1.07 kg (for 6 pieces)

12 Cultery Set (Fork, Spoon, Teaspoon) - 4 Weight: 0.35 kg (for 4 sets)

13 Multipurpose Cooker - 1 Weight: 7.7 kg

7
14 Kettle - 1 Weight: 1.1 kg

Toilet

15 Toilet Bowl - 1 Dimension: 70 cm x 36.8 cm x 75.2 cm

Weight: 40 kg

16 Basin - 1 Dimension: 52 cm x 41 cm x 83 cm
Weight: 15 kg

8
17 Toilet Brush and Holder - 1 Length: 36 cm
Diameter: 11 cm
Weight: 0.13 kg

18 Bucket - 2 Dimension: 31.5 cm x 30 cm x 26.8 cm

Weight: 0.455 kg

19 Exhaust Fan - 1 Dimension: 30 cm x 30 cm x 13.5 cm

Weight: 2.3 kg

9
 Laundry Room

20 Washer (15 kg capacity) - 1 Dimension (W x D x H):

64.5 cm x 77.0 cm x 94.0 cm
Weight: 77 kg

21 Laundry Bag - 1 Length: 41 cm

Width: 43 cm
Height: 64 cm
Weight: 0.69 kg

22 Clothes Rack - 1 Width: 99 cm

Depth: 46 cm
Height: 152 cm
Weight: 3.15 kg

10
23 Hanger - 30 Width: 41 cm
Weight: 0.17 kg

Room

24 Double Decker Bed - 2 Dimension (L x W x H):

190 cm x 94 cm x 160 cm
Weight: 55 kg

25 Mattress - 4 Dimension (L x W x H):

190 cm x 91 cm x 5 cm
Weight: 5 kg

11
26 Pillow - 4 Dimension: 48 cm x 74 cm
Weight: 1.5 kg

27 Table - 2 Dimension (W x L x H):

120 cm x 38 cm x 73 cm
Weight: 10 kg

28 Chair - 4 Width: 41 cm
Depth: 45 cm
Height: 78 cm
Seat width: 37 cm
Seat depth: 34 cm
Seat height: 45 cm
Weight: 2.18 kg

12
29 Wardrobe - 2 Width: 60 cm
Depth: 51 cm
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 15 kg

Others

30 Waste Bin - 6 Height: 28 cm

Diameter: 28 cm
Weight: 0.31 kg

31 Dustpan and Broom - 1 Weight: 1.10 kg (for both)

13
32 Mop - 1 Weight: 0.25 kg

33 Solar Panel (400W) - 3 Dimension: 195.6 cm x 99.2 cm x 4 cm

Weight: 21.8 kg

34 Lamp - 12 Length: 120 cm

Weight: 0.22 kg

14
35 Ceiling Fan - 4 Weight: 5.1 kg

36 500 L Water Tank - 2 Tank diameter: 88.9 cm

Height: 95.2 cm
Weight of empty tank: 18.3 kg
Storage Capacity: 500 L
Total weight: 18.3 kg + 500 kg = 518.3 kg

37 MPPT Solar Charge Controller - 1 Dimension: 23.8 cm x 17.3 cm x 7.25 cm

Weight: 2 kg

15
Total weight for household items:

= (5.96 kg x 1) + (20 kg x 2) + (16.22 kg x 1) + (13.4 kg x 1) + (8.2 kg x 4) + (81 kg x 1) + (5.35

kg x 1) + (0.36 kg x 6) + (0.23 kg x 6) + (1.31 kg x 1) + (1.07 kg x 1) + (0.35 kg x 1) + (7.7 kg x
1) + (1.1 kg x 1) + (40 kg x 1) + (15 kg x 1) + (0.13 kg x 1) + (0.455 kg x 2) + (2.3 kg x 1) + (77
kg x 1) + (0.69 kg x 1) + (3.15 kg x 1) + (0.17 kg x 30) + (55 kg x 2) + (5 kg x 4) + (1.5 kg x 4)
+ (10 kg x 2) + (2.18 kg x 4) + (15 kg x 2) +(0.31 kg x 6) + (1.1 kg x 1) + (0.25 kg x 1) + (21.8
kg x 3) + (0.22 kg x 12) + (5.1 kg x 4) + (518.3 kg x 2) + (2 kg x 1)

= 1679.05 kg

16
3.0 Design

3.1 Sizing

The floor plan of the house area is as shown in the figure below:

Figure 3.1.1 Floor plan of the house

Several kinds of research are done to determine the suitable sizes for all rooms in the house. The
house is planned to be built compactly to utilise all the available space. Hence, the sizes for all
areas are determined by prioritising the minimum standard size. The ceiling height of the house
is set to 3 m, which is the minimum standard height (Resource: Civiconcepts). The overall size
of the house is planned to be 8.5 m x 5.1 m. It will be constructed on a floating dock with a
planned dimension of 6 m x 12 m. A 29.5 m² of the area is left as the exterior space of the house
for the residents to move around. The minimum standard size and the planned size for all areas
are listed as follows:

17
Area Minimum Standard Size (m) Planned Size (m)

Living Room 2.1 x 3.0 2.1 x 4

(Resource: Punch Software)

Kitchen / Dining Room 2.1 x 1.2 2.1 x 4

(Resource: CivilSir)

Toilet / Bathroom 2.1 x 1.5 2.1 x 1.5

(Resource: Civil Lead)

Laundry Room 1.5 x 2.1 1.5 x 2.1

(Resource: Home Decor Bliss)

Room 1 & Room 2 2.13 x 3.05 2.1 x 3

(Resource: House Plans Helper)

Single Lane Corridor 0.76 - 0.92 (Width) 0.9 (Width)

(Resource: Dimensions.com)

18
3.2 Loading Capacity

After determining the house's dimension and the floating dock's dimension, the loading capacity
of the raft house can then be calculated by applying Archimedes Principle. 200 L high-density
polyethene (HDPE) plastic drum (diameter: 0.59 m, height: 0.93 m, mass: 9.5 kg) is used as the
material to provide buoyancy force to the entire raft house as it has high durability, is
weatherproof and has good chemical resistance. The plastic drums are then screwed firmly on
the base rack constructed by 2” × 6” oak wood lumber.

Figure: Sample of 200 L HDPE plastic drum

By considering the planned dimension of the floating dock (6 m × 12 m) and the size of plastic
drum, the horizontal length and vertical length of the floating dock are calculated as follows:

Items Horizontal (x-axis) Vertical (y-axis)

Illustration

Length per Set (0.05 + 0.93) m = 0.98 m (0.05 + 0.59) m = 0.64 m

Number of sets 12 m / 0.98 m ≈ 12 6 m / 0.64 m ≈ 9

Final Length (12 × 0.98 m) + 0.05 m = 11.81 m (9 × 0.64 m) + 0.05 m = 5.81 m

19
Hence, the final dimension of the floating dock is 11.81 m (W) × 5.81 m (L), which is very
close to the planned dimension. 108 plastic drums are required for the floating material. Before
calculating the loading capacity, the total mass of the floating material and the submerging area
must be determined.

3
Given the density of air is 1.225 kg/𝑚 and the total mass of the floating material is the sum of
the mass of the drums and the mass of air inside the drums, hence:

∑ 𝑚𝑓𝑚 = 𝑚𝑑𝑟𝑢𝑚 + 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑟

∑ 𝑚𝑓𝑚 = 𝑚𝑑𝑟𝑢𝑚 + ρ𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑉𝑎𝑖𝑟

3 2
∑ 𝑚𝑓𝑚 = (108 𝑑𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑠 × 9. 5 𝑘𝑔) + (1. 225 𝑘𝑔/𝑚 × π(0. 295 𝑚) × 0. 93 × 108 𝑑𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑠)

∑ 𝑚𝑓𝑚 = 1026 𝑘𝑔 + 33. 64 𝑘𝑔

∑𝑚𝑓𝑚 = 1059.64 kg

Without considering the base rack, the submerging area is given as

2
𝐴𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑑 = 0. 98 𝑚 × 0. 59 𝑚 × 108 𝑑𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑠 = 62.45 𝑚

The allowable submerge height of the floating dock is set to one per three of total height for a
safety margin, hence:

ℎ = 0. 59 𝑚 / 3 = 0.1967 m

20
The raft house is targeted to be applied at the riverside, lakeside or seaside, thus the loading
capacity for the raft house at freshwater and seawater are calculated respectively. According to
Archimedes Principle:

∑𝐹𝐵 = ∑𝑊

𝐹𝐵 = 𝑊𝑓𝑚 + 𝑊𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔

ρ𝑉𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑔 = (𝑚𝑔)𝑓𝑚 + (𝑚𝑔)𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔

Given that V = A (Area) × h (Height), and by simplifying g:

ρ𝐴𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑑 ℎ = 𝑚𝑓𝑚 + 𝑚𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔

∴ 𝑚𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 = ρ𝐴𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑑 ℎ − 𝑚𝑓𝑚

Loading Capacity at Freshwater:

3
ρ = 1000 𝑘𝑔/𝑚

3 2
𝑚𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 = (1000 𝑘𝑔/𝑚 )(62. 45 𝑚 )(0. 1967 𝑚) − 1059. 64 𝑘𝑔

𝑚𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 = 11224. 28 𝑘𝑔

Loading Capacity at Seawater:

3
ρ = 1023. 6 𝑘𝑔/𝑚

3 2
𝑚𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 = (1023. 6 𝑘𝑔/𝑚 )(62. 45 𝑚 )(0. 1967 𝑚) − 1059. 64 𝑘𝑔

𝑚𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 = 11514. 18 𝑘𝑔

Hence, the maximum loading capacity of the raft house must not beyond 11200 kg for safety
consideration.

21
3.3 Building Material

3.3.1 Bill of Material

No. Part Name Material Mass per Quantity Total

item (kg) mass(kg)

1. Window: 52" x 24" Tempered Glass

& Aluminium 23.8 9 214.2
structure

2. Door: 36" x 84" Hollow Core 10.43 5 52.15

3. Roof Truss Galvanised steel 126.12 3 378.36

4. Roof Panel Aluminium

177.82 2 355.64
Composite Panel

5. Ceiling Gypsum Plaster

Board 10mm 359.81 1 359.81
thick

6. Floor Tile (Interior) Oak Wood 8mm

220.82 1 258.37
thick

7. Floor Tile (Toilet and Porcelain Tile

Laundry) 6mm thick 90.72 1 90.72

8. Wall Oak Wood 20mm

1616.65 1 1616.65
thick

9. Base Rack Oak Wood

Lumber 1043 1 1043
(2 x 6) in

10. Floating Rack Floor Oak Wood

Lumber 961.05 1 961.05
(2 x 6 in)

Total 5329.95

22
3.3.2 Material Selection and Calculation Steps for the Bill of Material

Part Name Window: 52" x 24"

Material Tempered glass is selected to ensure durability, while the structure of the window
selection is aluminium to have a lighter weight.

Ways to The window has two compartments which are tempered glass and aluminium
Calculate structures. The mass of the tempered glass was calculated using the Glass
Calculator on a website while the mass of the aluminium structure was calculated
using SolidWorks.

Mass per By setting a single glass configuration, toughened glass type, 3mm nominal
item (kg) thickness and key in the size of the glass in the glass calculator, the mass of the
glass is calculated to be 6.03kg. The aluminium structure is then drawn in
SolidWorks and after setting the material of the structures to aluminium, the mass
calculated is 17.77kg.
By adding the mass of the glass and the structure:
6.03kg + 17.77kg = 23.8kg

Total mass Since there are 9 windows in the raft house:

(kg) 23.8kg x 9 = 214.2kg

References Glass Calculator - (Glass Technology Services, n.d.)

Part Name Door: 36" x 84"

Material The material of the door is selected to be Hollow Core in order to be lightweight.
selection A hollow core is a material constructed with a thin layer of wood or fiberboard
applied over a honeycombed cardboard or plastic core.

Ways to The mass of the door is calculated by referencing online resources regarding the
Calculate mass of a 36" x 84" door with a hollow core.

23
Mass per According to online resources, the mass of a 36" x 84" door with a hollow core is
item (kg) 10.43kg.

Total mass Since there are 5 doors in the raft house:

(kg) 10.43kg x 5 = 52.15kg

References Door Weight Table - (KV Door Weight Table, n.d.)

Part Name Roof Truss

Material The material of the Roof Truss is selected to be Galvanised steel to ensure its
selection durability and its waterproofness.

Ways to The mass of the roof truss is calculated by using SolidWorks.

Calculate

Mass per After drawing the roof truss in SolidWorks and setting the material to Galvanised
item (kg) steel, the mass of the roof truss is 126.12kg per structure.

Total mass Since 3 structures of roof truss is used in the raft house:
(kg) 126.12kg x 3 = 378.36kg

References -

Part Name Roof Panel

Material The material of the Roof Panel is selected to be Aluminium Composite Panel to
selection ensure its durability and its waterproofness.

Ways to From online resources we know that the density of the Aluminium Composite
Calculate Panel is 1510kg/m3. By multiplying the density with the volume of the roof
panel, we can calculate the total mass of the roof panel.

24
Mass per Volume of 1 roof panel = 9.2m x 3.2m x 0.004m = 0.11776m3
item (kg) Mass per item = 0.11776m3 x 1510kg/m3 = 177.82kg

Total mass Since it required 2 roof panel to build a roof:

(kg) 177.82kg x 2 = 355.64kg

References Density of ACP Sheets - (Hooghly Extrusions Ltd, n.d.)

Part Name Ceiling

Material The material of the ceiling is selected to be Gypsum Plaster Board 10 mm thick
selection in order to be lightweight.

Ways to From online resources we know that 10 mm plasterboard = 8.3kg/m2. By

Calculate multiplying 8.3kg/m2 with the area of the ceiling we can obtain the mass of the
ceiling.

Mass per -
item (kg)

Total mass 8.3kg/m2 x (8.5m x 5.1m) = 359.81kg

(kg)

References Weight of Building Material - (Spanman, n.d.)

Part Name Floor Tile (Interior)

Material The material of the floor for interior and exterior is selected to be Oak Wood
selection 8mm thick in order to be lightweight. Apart from that, oak wood is also durable,
long-lasting, less likely to warp when exposed to sunlight and has good
water-resistant properties.

Ways to From online resources, we know the range of the density of the oak wood is 593

25
Calculate to 897kg/m3. After calculating the mean density of the oak wood, multiply it with
the volume of the floor tile to obtain the total mass of the oak wood floor tile.

Mass per -
item (kg)

Total mass Mean density = (593 + 897)/2 = 745kg/m3

(kg) Area = 8.5 x 5.1 = 43.35 m2
Volume = 43.35 x 0.008 = 0.3468m3
Total mass = 0.3468m3 x 745kg/m3 = 258.37kg

References Density of wood - (Matmatch, n.d.)

Part Name Floor Tile (Toilet and Laundry)

Material The material of the floor for the toilet and laundry is selected to be Porcelain Tile
selection 6mm thick in order to be waterproof.

Ways to From online resources, we know that the density of porcelain is 2400kg/m3. By
Calculate multiplying the density with the volume of the porcelain tile applied, we can
calculate the total mass of the porcelain tile used.

Mass per -
item (kg)

Total mass Area = 2(1.5 x 2.1) = 6.3m2

(kg) Volume = 6.3 x 0.006 = 0.0378m3
Total mass = 0.0378m3 x 2400kg/m3 = 90.72kg

References Density of Porcelain - (Material Properties, n.d.)

26
Part Name Wall

Material The material of the wall is selected to be Oak Wood 20mm thick because oak
selection wood is durable, long-lasting, less likely to warp when exposed to sunlight and
has good water-resistant properties.

Ways to From online resources, we know the range of the density of the oak wood is 593
Calculate to 897kg/m3. After calculating the mean density of the oak wood, multiply it with
the volume of the wall to obtain the total mass of the oak wood wall.

Mass per -
item (kg)

Total mass Area of the outer wall = 2(3.01 x 5.1) + 2(3.01 x 8.5) = 81.87m2
(kg) Area of the inner wall = 2(3.01 x 1.99) + 4(3.01 x 2) + 2(3.01 x 0.01434) +
2(3.01 x 0.0365) = 36.37m2
Total area of the wall = 81.87 + 36.37 = 118.24m2
Area of the wall after excluding the windows, door and exhaust fan = 118.24 -
9(1.32 x 0.61) - (2.13 x 1.07) - (0.24 x 0.24) = 108.66m2
Volume of the wall = 108.66 x 0.02 = 2.17m3
Total mass of the wall = 2.17m3 x 745 kg/m3 = 1616.65kg

References Density of wood - (Matmatch, n.d.)

Part Name Base Rack

Material The material of the base rack to link all the HDPE plastic drum is selected to be
selection Oak Wood as it has good water-resistant properties.

Ways to From online resources, we know the range of the density of the oak wood is 593
Calculate to 897kg/m3. After calculating the mean density of the oak wood, multiply it with
the volume of the floating rack to obtain the total mass of base rack.

27
Mass per -
item (kg)

Total mass Area of base rack = Total base area - Area of 108 plastic drums
(kg) = (11.81 x 5.81) m - (108 x 0.59 x 0.93) m =9.3565 m²
Height of lumber = 6 in ≈ 0.15 m
Volume of the base rack = 9.3565 m² x 0.15 m = 1.4 m³
Total mass of the base rack = 1.4 m³ x 745kg/m3 = 1043 kg

References Density of wood - (Matmatch, n.d.)

Part Name Floating Rack Floor

Material The material of the wall is selected to be Oak Wood 20mm thick because oak
selection wood is durable, long-lasting, less likely to warp when exposed to sunlight and
has good water-resistant properties.

Ways to From online resources, we know the range of the density of the oak wood is 593
Calculate to 897kg/m3. After calculating the mean density of the oak wood, multiply it with
the volume of the floating rack to obtain the total mass of floating rack.

Mass per -
item (kg)

Total mass Area of floating rack floor = Total base area - Area of house
(kg) = (11.81 m x 5.81 m) - (8.5 m x 5.1 m) =25.2661 m²
Height of lumber = 2 in ≈ 0.051 m

Volume of the floating rack floor = 25.2661 m² x 0.051 m = 1.29 m³

28
 Total mass of the floating rack = 1.29 m³ x 745kg/m3 = 961.05 kg

References Density of wood - (Matmatch, n.d.)

The total mass of the structure of the raft house:

214.2 kg + 52.15 kg + 378.36 kg + 355.64 kg + 359.81 kg + 258.37 kg + 90.72 kg + 1616.65 kg

+ 1033 kg + 961.05 kg

= 5329.95 kg

29
3.4 Discussion

From the section Required Information, Loading Capacity and Bill of Material we had calculated
the information below:
Total mass for household items = 1679.05 kg
Maximum loading capacity of the raft house = 11200 kg
Total mass of the structure of the raft house = 5329.95 kg

In order to discuss if this raft house design is considered successful or not, we first need to
calculate if the maximum loading capacity of the raft house can withstand the mass of the
household items that are intended to save as well as the mass of the structure of the raft house
itself.

To calculate this, we need to minus both the total mass of household items and the structure of
the raft house with the maximum loading capacity of the raft house:
11200 kg - 5329.95 kg - 1679.05 kg = 4191 kg

From the calculation, we can see that the raft house that we design can still support an extra load
of 4191 kg after excluding the mass of household items and the structure of the raft house.

According to the University of Arkansas, the average all-around body weight of an adult is
roughly 70 kilograms (Schlessingerman, 2003).

By assuming there will be 20 people on the raft, the total mass of 20 people will be:
70 kg x 20 = 1400 kg

Then calculate if the raft house can withstand the mass of 20 people:
4191 kg - 1400 kg = 2791 kg

We can see that the raft house will be totally fine with 20 people on it and still have an extra
loading capacity of 2791 kg.

30
But since this raft house was only designed for 4 people to live in:
70 kg x 4 = 280 kg
4191 kg - 280 kg = 3911 kg
After 4 people living in the raft house, the raft house still has an extra loading capacity of 3911
kg.

From these calculations, we can conclude that the design of our raft house was considered
successful since it can still withstand an extra load of 3911 kg after excluding the mass of
household items, the structure of the raft house and 4 people. With the extra loading capacity
of 3911 kg, we are confident to say the raft house we design is very safe.

Lastly, do remember that the allowable submerge height of our floating dock is set to one per
three of total height for a safety margin, this means that our raft will be still completely safe even
though the loads on our raft house exceed the extra loading capacity of 3911 kg.

31
3.5 Engineering Drawing

This section depicts the engineering drawing of the raft house (all dimensions in mm) produced
via SolidWorks 2021.

Figure 3.5.1 Schematic diagram with label parts (isometric view)

Figure 3.5.2 Top view of the floor plan of the house (interior)

32
4.0 Conclusion

To sum up, a raft house is one of the best ways to save household items during a disaster.
It is highly useful in dealing with floods because they adapt to rising water levels. Living on or
near water can also help inhabitants decrease the harmful impacts of heat, which can enhance
their quality of life. Moreover, life in a raft house gives a relaxing, cool, comfortable and
romantic feel. It attracts tourists easily.

In our design, the raft consists of 2 rooms, a toilet, a living room, a kitchen and a laundry
room. 200 L high-density polyethene (HDPE) plastic drums were used to build the raft house due
to its high durability, weatherproof and also because of its good chemical resistance. As we
discussed earlier, the loading capacity for the raft house in freshwater is 11224. 28 𝑘𝑔 and
seawater is 11514. 18 𝑘𝑔. It is because of the changes in the density of the water. For safety
purposes, the raft house's maximum load capacity shall not exceed 11200 kg. In our design, the
total weight of all household items including television, dining equipment, furniture and solar
panel is 1679.05 kg. The total mass of the structure of the raft house is 5329.95 kg. We must
consider the size, material and weight of the household items to build a safe raft house.
According to Archimedes’ Principle, the buoyant force is equal to the weight of the displaced
liquid. The weight of the displaced water equals the amount of buoyancy. We can see that even
with 20 people inside with average weight, the raft home will still have a loading capacity of
2791 kg.

In conclusion, building a raft house for flood purposes is the best thing to avoid damaging
our household items in water. We should build a raft house by considering all the important
aspects like materials and weight to avoid the raft house from sinking due to overloading.
However, we are not able to calculate the weight of the water pipe system, wiring system and so
on due to limitations of knowledge. The above calculation and selection of material and also the
design will help us to build a safe and comfortable raft house for the future.

33
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