Impossible Builds

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Narrator

The islands were made 10 years ago from dredged sand piled up on the seabed 30 feet below. (buzzing electronic music) Each island rises 15 feet above the water, but in their original state, the sand is not strong enough to hold the weight of a single villa, let alone the multi-story five-star hotel planned here on Switzerland Island. To strengthen the soft ground in preparation for construction, all six islands must first be compacted, and that requires a very special bit of equipment. (machinery whirring) The man in charge of pounding every inch of sand across the six-million-square-foot resort-- How much time it take one point? About 30 minutes. -

Narrator

Is geologist and safety officer Johan Ali. -

Narrator

To compact the ground, steel probes blast high pressure jets of water into the sand. The probes, powered by their own vibration, burrow deep into the ground. As the sand particles are shaken, they move closer together. This drastically increases the strength of the ground, making it strong enough for concrete foundations to be laid for the first time. -

Narrator

As Johan's team continue to shake an entire island to the core, 300 feet across the water, the process of vibro compaction is already complete.