Walcon’s Docking Solution pontoons are the most durable products in our range, delivering maximum stability and durability in all weathers for commercial and other heavy-duty applications, as well for leisure facilities in exposed locations. They are high quality, all-steel, low maintenance pontoons which have a design life of at least 25 years and can be found being used by working vessels including fishing boats, wind-farm support vessels, harbour patrols, lifeboats and ferries.
The floats
The floats are thin wall, large diameter steel tubes which are arranged in a catamaran configuration with fully welded cross tubes. This produces extremely strong, rigid and stable platforms. The floats can be fabricated for almost any length and breadth and in high-freeboard configurations, and a range of fixed and flexible joint options are available.
Once fabricated they are grit blasted to internationally accepted Standard SA21/2 and finished in a two-component, high build, isocyanate cured coal tar/epoxied resin coating to 440 microns. All floatation components are pressure tested to guarantee that they are watertight. Cathodic protection can be provided to further extend the life of each unit.
The deck frames
The intrinsic strength and versatility of the floats allow them to be designed to meet most buoyancy, loading and geometric requirements without relying on the deck frames for strength. However, the deck frames are also built using fully welded steel construction techniques, after which they are hot dipped galvanised and mounted with mooring cleats or bollards as required. The deck edges are fully protected by substantial hardwood fendering and, for extra heavy-duty applications where the berthing vessels have a high freeboard, additional fender-off panels can be fitted so that vessels can be moored snugly against the pontoon with minimal movement.
Docking Solutions bridges are available for access to pontoon systems in a wide variety of situations.
These include directly fixing to a quay, cantilevering out from a quay or counterbalanced on a quay where the structure does not permit fixing.
Docking Solutions pontoons can also be fabricated for special applications and can be found in use by water authorities, fish farms and tidal energy generators.
Summary of key features:
- Fully customisable to meet specific requirements
- Exceptionally durable and rigid
- Impact resistant
- Superb all-weather stability
- Range of decking options
- Virtually maintenance-free
- Economical, modular steel floats are also available