Mother Nature
Mother Nature (vs) Waterfront Equipment
When engineering or designing a waterfront system, multiple factors are taken in to account to make sure the system works flawlessly in the short term, and the long term.
Factors such as:
• Wind Load
• Snow Load
• Earth Shifting
• Sink Holes
• Ice
• Temperature
All should be considered when planning the docking structure, and accessories such as ports, lifts, kayak launches, slides, ladders, and other amenities.
With our 30 plus years of experience we can verify, and ensure worry free installations that are on the
Waterfront. This includes docks, walls, and boat lifts. Lets take a look at the different components of boat docks, and boat lifts that need to be factored in with weather.
Boat Docks:
A.) – Floating Boat Docks: Any floating dock can carry “X” amount of weight. The maximum weight that can be carried or supported will be rated by the buoyancy that is underneath the frame and decking. Typically we like to see at least a buoyancy of #25-95 pounds of live load per square foot. Live load is the optimal buoyancy you can maintain across the square footage of your floating platform that’s on the water. The floats are the largest factor you need to consider, most floatation over time will develop lack of optimal buoyancy. This contributes to the dock losing freeboard. “Freeboard “is the measurement from the water line to the top of the dock. Measured freeboard of a floating boat dock depends on the usage, or watercraft that will be using it. Typical freeboard is from 5”- 40”, Deaton’s Waterfront Services can help you measure the recommended proper freeboard.
B.) Stationary Boat Docks: Stationary Dock structures are anchored by having poles, pilings, or supports being driven or anchored into the bottom of the lake bottom. This is a nice and stable way for installation, that creates a solid platform. The biggest worry to this dock is ice/ landshift. If the anchors or pilings settle or get shifted with ice or land movement this will cause the dock to be unlevel, and dangerous to use. There are ways to combat this by using bubblers, water attueators, or have shoreline stabilization installed. A lot of this can be overcome by doing some core samplings of the soil, and making sure to take the necessary measures.
If you have any other questions on this subject, feel free to reach out. Deatons Waterfront Services, 317.747.4934, sales@deatonsdocks.com, www.deatonsdocks.com, or 215 South Madison, Fortvillle, IN 46040. Estimates are free for Boat Docks, Boat Lifts, and Sea Walls! _DEBO_