Purpose & Application of Floating Pontoon Platforms USA UK 2023
Floating pontoon platforms are built from galvanized steel, aluminum, plastic, concrete, etc. These floating pontoons provide access to vessels and docks in areas of tidal variations.
Pontoons are floating docks that provide access to shallow waters or moored crafts. These docks can be laid along the shore to assemble ports or provide access to vessels. The main docks are fastened to posts and narrower fingers limit the vessel slips.
Although anchorage is complicated and can make floating pontoons costly, pontoons are indispensable as they provide passage to vessels and avoid problems due to rise or fall in tides.
There are various floating pontoon designs to choose from, depending on their functionality.
Why use floating pontoons?
Pontoons serve many purposes including sailing, rowing, pleasure, landscapes, etc.
Below are some of the uses of Pontoons:
| Portability | Floating pontoon platforms can be installed anywhere, easily and are portable |
| Economical | Pontoons are fabricated in the company and only need to be installed on-site. This makes it a cost-effective solution due to negligible civil work. |
| Maintenance | Pontoons do not require any maintenance cost. Though one needs to carry out inspections regularly. |
| Location | Pontoons can be installed anywhere with variation in water levels like a bay, river, lakes, sea, dams, etc. |
There are various floating pontoons for sale depending on their usage, which can be customized as well to meet specific requirements.
Applications of Floating pontoon platforms
- Floating pump houses
Pontoons are portable floating platforms and easy for transportation. They are also cost-effective and have a long life, making them an ideal replacement for traditional pump houses.
- Pontoon bridges
Pontoon bridges are decks that support pedestrian or vehicular travel from the banks of waterways to a vessel or structure on the water.
Pontoon bridges are mostly used during the war for sheltered crossing over rivers or other waterways where a suspended bridge may not be feasible or possible.
- Temporary harbors
Pontoons are also used for the construction of temporary harbors for events like boat shows.
- Temporary Mooring
Floating pontoon platforms can be used as mooring and docking systems for inland waterways or the sea, from where boats and other marine vessels can safely operate.
The floating pontoon design can be customized with walkways, handrails, and access ramps.
- Commercial marine activities
Pontoon systems are used with workboats on inland waterways and reservoirs to access pumping facilities.
With a long walkway, the pontoon system relieves workboats load making them available just as a cover.
- Platforms and rafts
Floating pontoons can be customized in various configurations for platforms and rafts which can be constructed with basic units.
Units can be assembled into square or H shapes, U shapes, hollow squares, or a rectangle configuration with ease.
- Ferries
Pontoons can maintain propulsion units, wenches, and workboats for the movement of ferries and barges. These shore-loading ferries can be propelled with unites or towed with wire ropes and shore wrenches.
These offloading ferries can be constructed with ramps at the bow end and propulsion units at the stern.
- Causeways and landing platforms
Pontoons can be used in addition to decks, mooring bollards, and ramps to create landing stages and causeways.
Even vehicles can get access by fitting ramps at each end of the causeways. Such landing stages can be constructed in any shape or size as per requirements.
- Floating helipads
Floating platforms or pontoons serve as a major component of floating helipads on marine ecosystems. These designs are complex as they depend on the helicopter’s maximum thrust and weight.
- Floating houses
Floating houses are starting to become a trend in many countries. Floating houses can be created with the construction of a specific size of the barge capable of accomodating the floating structure.
Such a floating pontoon design and engineering are a little more advanced than building ramps and platforms over water bodies.
Floating pontoons are also used for various other applications like constructing floating fountains and solar panels.
The design of floating pontoon boats makes them vulnerable to harmful UV rays and also moisture. Apart from this, there is also the added risk of pests causing damage to your pontoon boat when it is in storage. So let us go further and understand how to put a pontoon boat cover.
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