Taipa River

The Taipa River is a river of the northern Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows west then north, reaching the south of Doubtless Bay at the township of Taipa.

See also

References

"Place Name Detail: Taipa River". New Zealand Geographic Placenames Database. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 12 July 2009. 

Coordinates: 34°59′S 173°28′E / 34.983°S 173.467°E / -34.983; 173.467

Taipa

Taipa is an island in the Chinese special administrative region of Macau. Its name in Portuguese is "Freguesia de Nossa Senhora do Carmo".

Geography

Taipa is 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) from Macau Peninsula and east of the Lesser Hengqin Island of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. Macau International Airport, University of Macau, Macau Jockey Club and Macau Stadium are situated in Taipa.

Most Chinese settlement of Taipa occurred during the Southern Song Dynasty, while the Portuguese occupied the island in 1851. Prior to land reclamation, Taipa consisted of two islands: Greater Taipa and Lesser Taipa.

The 159.1 metres (522 ft) Big Taipa Hill (大氹山) is to the east, and Small Taipa Hill (小氹山) to the west. Central Taipa is a plain as a result of siltation and land reclamation. Initially Taipa was connected to Coloane Island only by the Estrada do Istmo (路氹連貫公路); but the area called Cotai, built on reclaimed land from 2004 and which is home to mega-resorts, casinos, and convention and exhibition centers, has now connected the two islands into one piece of land. Taipa is connected to peninsular Macau by Governador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge, Friendship Bridge and the Sai Van Bridge.

Rammed earth

Rammed earth, also known as taipa (Portuguese), tapial (Spanish), pisé (de terre) (French), and hangtu (Chinese: 夯土; pinyin: hāngtǔ), is a technique for building walls, foundations, and floors using natural raw materials such as earth, chalk, lime or gravel. It is an ancient building method that has seen a revival in recent years as people seek more sustainable building materials and natural building methods.

Rammed-earth can be simple to construct, noncombustible, thermally massive, strong, and durable. However, structures such as walls can be labour-intensive to construct without machinery (powered tampers), and they are susceptible to water damage if inadequately protected or maintained.

Rammed-earth buildings are found on every continent except Antarctica, in a range of environments that include temperate and wet regions, semiarid deserts, mountain areas and the tropics. The availability of useful soil and a building design appropriate for local climatic conditions are the factors that favour its use.