User:Heath

Lightweight Design Propaganda

• Cheaper
• Quicker to build
• Quicker to expand
• Faster ROI
• Less daunting to potential investors/contributors
• More stealthy/structure is smaller target
• Easier to maintain/less biofouling
• Easier lifestyle adjustment
• Quicker to raise/lower
• Much less energy to move
• Probably makes using sails feasible
• Easier to get away from a bad oceanocracy
• Easier to move in a weather emergency
• Easier to deploy emergency buoyancy
• Less annoying to "not in my backyard" nazis
• Less flak from environmentalists
• Way less ballast
• Still can have nice flat cement surface, granted using more expensive techniques
• Probably doesn't add design burdens to superstructure with a good strong truss design
• Easier to license/register/port if classified by weight
• Much easier to design for construction at sea

My favorite thing about lightweight design (specifically aluminum truss) is that a safe design will look extremely unsafe. When people think of ocean platforms, they think of oil rigs. Seasteads don't carry that kind of load, therefore their supporting structure will look puny compared to that of an oil platform, especially in the case of an aluminum truss. Is it a good thing that it would look terrifying to people?

In conclusion, if I ever get to choose the color of a seastead structure, I'm going with a matte grayish blue color.

Thanks

To Wayne, Patri, and everyone who will make these crazy things a reality.