Nautilus would use massive robotic machines, which are being built in Wallsend, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, by a firm with long experience of marine engineering, Soil Machine Dynamics.

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Homes that are built to exploit gorgeous views yet withstand severe storms and flooding require clever structural and soil engineering but also another key ingredient: elevation on pedestals or pilings sunk deep into bedrock.

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Kurita Water Industries, one of Japan's leading environmental-engineering firms, started building its soil remediation skills over a decade ago.

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