If you work in the marina industry it is important to understand the difference between freeboard and live load capacity and how the two affect the stability and use of a floating dock.
A floating dock’s live load capacity is basically the amount of weight the dock can hold without sinking.
Freeboard, in simple terms, is the height of a dock’s deck above the water.
Live loads are variable and include all unfixed items on the dock such as people and personal items. Basically live loads are how much weight you want a dock to support without sinking.
The two are related. The more live load placed on the dock the greater affect that extra weight has on how high the dock floats in the water.
This is where the discussion gets more technical. All things float based on the concept that they displace the water they are floating on. Salt water weighs approximately 64 pounds per cubic foot. So if we divide 64 by 12 we get 5.33 pounds, which means, if we’re using round numbers, if 5 pounds of pressure is applied to the top of an object, measuring one square foot, floating in salt water, the object will sink 1 inch.
With that simple concept in mind, we can show how live load capacity affects the freeboard of the two most common types of floating dock systems. Continue Reading…
Terminal sites are usually more exposed than your typical marina and the loads placed on the docks from heavy foot traffic, complex gangway and railing systems and not to mention large vessels are much greater than in your typical small boat harbor. Thus, the docks are beefy – built extra tough, and are designed to handle extreme conditions.
Stanley Bay Ferry Terminal
The floating ferry terminal in Stanley Bay features a dual level freeboard.
Over the past 12 months, Bellingham Marine has completed a handful of floating ferry and cruise ship terminals. With so many terminal installations going in worldwide, I thought it worth a closer look at a few of them. Their design showcases some of the most extreme technologies, engineering and design options available in the world of floating platforms and dock systems.
Situated in the heart of Auckland, is the new Stanley Bay ferry terminal built for Auckland Transport. The terminal services ferries between downtown Auckland and the North Shore. The terminal’s post-tensioned floating concrete platform, which is used for loading and unloading passengers, measures 4.8 meters (16 ft) wide by 15 meters (49 ft) long.
Embarking on a major renovation of your marina or starting the process of building a new facility is filled with a variety of risks. Maximizing your opportunities to limit those risks will help ensure the successful completion of your project.
The Port of L.A. required its marina builder to carry a performance bond on their project at Cabrillo Way Marina to help reduce their risk exposure during construction of the marina.
One of the ways to help minimize your risk as an owner or developer is to require your general contractor or marina builder to carry a performance and payment bond. Your contractor’s ability to be bonded at a favorable rate is a good indicator of the company’s financial security as well as their ability to perform the required work.
When issuing bonds, the surety’s primary objective is to determine whether or not the contractor, or in this case the marina builder, has the experience, the resources and the capacity required to complete the project they are proposing to build. As a result, sureties become very skilled at determining the validity of a company’s financial statements in regard to performance and delivery and are well acquainted with the qualities or characteristics that set one builder apart from another.
For the marina industry, 2012 continued a steady march forward toward greater innovation, higher customization and a stronger push for value.
The extra wide floating docks at YCCS marina are perfect for accommodating the crowds of people that visit the facility during the club’s annual Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous.
The passing of time is inevitable; another year has come and gone and we are now well into 2013. Part fueled by tighter budgets and part by improvements in materials and technologies, the marina industry is becoming leaner and more advanced.
A look back at the many discussions with owners and developers over the year reveals an ever increasing importance being placed by owners on aesthetics, functionality and last but not least value.
Many of the trends in aesthetics center on customization and personalization. Each year, the number of clients requesting colored and /or stamped concrete docks increases. Rounded finger ends are becoming a standard feature in Australia and are continuing to increase in popularity in the U.S., use of LED lighting is becoming more widespread, and requests for hardwood and composite trim packages are starting to show up in large public projects.
The perception that treated wood products are less environmentally sensitive than other available products for the construction of floating dock systems is not based on empirical data but rather opinion.
There are many hazards that threaten our natural resources and careful management of human activities is essential. However, sustainable management carries with it a responsibility to segregate real from perceived threats and to focus our energy on the real hazards. – Dr. Kenneth M Brooks
Wood is an ideal marine construction material for floating dock structures. Its resilience to wind and wave exposure makes it a perfect building material for this application. Wood can’t rust, won’t corrode and is surprisingly fire resistant. Most importantly, it can bend or “deflect” an infinite number of times when loaded without weakening or yielding its strength. In addition to wood’s inherent natural properties, its environmental benefits over other common construction materials have been documented in numerous studies and papers. According to the USDA, “wood has a vital role to play in meeting the growing demand for green building materials.”[1]
However, for wood to meet its true potential as a sustainable building material in the marina industry, it is critical that it be properly fabricated and treated for use in aquatic environments. Without proper protection wood is vulnerable to rot, decay and destruction from marine organisms. Use of wood preservatives is important for the longevity of structures within our marinas and the sustainability of our forests. Long lasting treated wood products mean that docks and other over water structures will not need to be replaced or repaired as often; thus avoiding unnecessary disturbance that occurs to the environment during construction and requiring use of fewer trees.