dilley
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| posted on 5/7/14 at 06:14 AM |
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Floating pontoons
Hi guys, I need to install floating pontoons along a non tidal stretch of river. 1000mm wide on plastic floats. All galvanised using open grid
flooring as the top. Pontoons will be fixed to scaffold poles or similar with a ring to allow up and down movement. Has anyone had any experience with
this type of thing?
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owelly
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| posted on 5/7/14 at 07:30 AM |
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I made some pontoons that were 1500mm wide and 10m long. 100x100x6mm angle iron, Kennedy grating and hot dip galvanised. Floatation was 205ltr plastic
drums.
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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dilley
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| posted on 5/7/14 at 07:58 AM |
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Did you need to ballast the drums for stability?
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owelly
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| posted on 5/7/14 at 08:00 AM |
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No. The structure was wide and heavy enough to be stable. I had left enough room to get at the drum-tops in case they needed a bit of ballast but my
sums worked out fine!!
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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dilley
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| posted on 5/7/14 at 08:09 AM |
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Do you think 1000mm is wide enough? We need 60 of these along a river!!
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owelly
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| posted on 5/7/14 at 08:15 AM |
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What sort of boats will be tied-up? Any services (electric/water?)on the pontoon? Will folks be leaving stuff on the pontoon? Will they be open to the
public? Or locked for 'members only'? Can you ensure that some pillocky-tit won't decide to tie his 40t barge alongside? Any
current?
[Edited on 5/7/14 by owelly]
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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dilley
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| posted on 5/7/14 at 08:22 AM |
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Private moorings for members only, service bollards for electric and water. These will be mounted to the pontoon, possibly on a steel plate bolted to
the side. The river is an inland waterway with very little current. There will be some 45ft plus narrowboats being moored.
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Simon
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| posted on 5/7/14 at 08:31 AM |
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I'd suggest you get someone who knows how to calculate relevant loadings etc to do the sums for you. Fine to chuck a couple of scaffold poles in
if its for personal use, but sounds a bit more than that
ATB
Simon
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owelly
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| posted on 5/7/14 at 08:39 AM |
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I'd say 1000mm may be a bit too narrow. Imagine two folks tying to pass each other. Worse if they are carrying something. And worse still if
they are manouvering the service bollards...... People also tend to dump stuff off their vessels onto the pontoon. Bags of rubbish, trolleys for
moving stuff, water and fuel drums etc. Even though they're only there temporary, it's long enough to cause a problem on a narrow
walkway!
Would mounting the service bollards to the outside of the pontoon make them vulnerable to damage from clumsy boat-folks? Are these for
'permanent' users?
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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Puzzled
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| posted on 5/7/14 at 09:12 AM |
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Had similar job and scaffolding poles are far too light. You need HD 4inch poles filled with concrete.
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dilley
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| posted on 5/7/14 at 09:16 AM |
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I may have to consider using 205litre plastic drums, I could increase the width, would you mind sharing your design with me? This is a personal
project Oma small budget!
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owelly
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| posted on 5/7/14 at 09:38 AM |
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It was over 15 years ago so I doubt I'll have any drawings floating (pun intended) about.
They were very basic frames with the drums fitting up inside with stainless straps under them. 'My' pontoons were designed to be floated
up to the piles and then frames bolted to the side of the structure to hold it whilst still being able to move up and down with the tide.
I used the steel stock-holders weights to work out how heavy the structurs were, and basic school physics to work out how much air was needed to keep
them afloat.
If there may be liability issues, make sure all your figures are correct or get a grown-up to approve them!!
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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James
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| posted on 5/7/14 at 02:54 PM |
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Plastic drums? 4" poles? Galvanised angle iron?
What's wrong with a bit of concrete?:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulberry_harbour
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"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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dilley
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| posted on 17/7/14 at 07:50 PM |
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What a pain in the bottom! Built a ladder frame, 6mx1m, it rolled straight over! .....shallower floats....floated fine, very unstable to stand on.
Thinking of increasing width to 1500mm and running floats cattermeran style??????
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v8kid
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| posted on 18/7/14 at 10:02 AM |
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how about adding some bottom ballast by part filling drums with water
You'd be surprised how quickly the sales people at B&Q try and assist you after ignoring you for the past 15 minutes when you try and start a
chainsaw
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adithorp
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| posted on 18/7/14 at 12:16 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by dilley
What a pain in the bottom! Built a ladder frame, 6mx1m, it rolled straight over! .....shallower floats....floated fine, very unstable to stand on.
This thread is useless without video...
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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nick205
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| posted on 18/7/14 at 12:54 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
quote:
Originally posted by dilley
What a pain in the bottom! Built a ladder frame, 6mx1m, it rolled straight over! .....shallower floats....floated fine, very unstable to stand on.
This thread is useless without video...
Preferably shot from a head mounted GoPro with audio 
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whitestu
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| posted on 18/7/14 at 12:59 PM |
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quote:
quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
quote:
Originally posted by dilley
What a pain in the bottom! Built a ladder frame, 6mx1m, it rolled straight over! .....shallower floats....floated fine, very unstable to stand on.
This thread is useless without video...
Preferably shot from a head mounted GoPro with audio
As the OP falls in
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Irony
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| posted on 18/7/14 at 01:11 PM |
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God! Is there nothing in the world that locostbuilders is not a wealth of knowledge on!
Stephen Hawking should become a member. Those big questions posted on here would be solved in minutes!
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dilley
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| posted on 18/7/14 at 04:06 PM |
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For the record, I did have a swim yesterday!
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