DOCKMASTERS TRAINING MANUAL

Minimal landslide civil works are required which can result in easier permitting.
The dock can be moved away from land to deeper water for docking and undocking
operations. This can reduce or eliminate dredging and bulk-heading requirements.
The dock can be lengthened relatively easily.
Disadvantages of a floating dry dock are:
High maintenance is required on pumps, valves and steel structure.
Routing of men and material is restricted to gangplank and/or crane service.
Large tidal variations can complicate gangways, mooring etc.
Floating dry docks consist of 2 main parts pontoon and wingwalls.
Safety
Deck
Wing
Wall
Wing
Deck
Ship
Weight
Safety
Deck
Net Buoyancy
Pontoon
Wing
Wall
Wing
Deck
FLOATING DRY DOCK COMPONENTS
FIGURE 1.9
Pontoons are the main supporting body that must displace the weight of the vessel & dry dock
in order to lift the vessel using buoyancy.
The pontoon must distribute the concentrated load of the ship along the docks centerline to
the uniform buoyant support of the water pressure by its transverse strength.
The wing walls provide stability when the pontoon is submerged and the longitudinal strength
to distribute the irregular ship weight to the uniform buoyant support.
Stability can be critical in floating docks with small wing walls or having walls that do not
extend the length of the dock.
Heger Dry Dock, Inc. DRY DOCK TYPES Page 1-14
2005 Robert Heger