Important Things to Consider When Planning for Dock Reconstruction

If you’re a homeowner with a dock on a lake, pond, or river, your springtime maintenance rituals likely include checking for raised nails and screw heads. Doing so helps prevent those slivers from scratching you and your family members’ feet.

Residential docks must be designed to avoid shading tidal wetland grasses and minimize encroachment into public trust lands. Generally, a permit is required for new construction or substantial maintenance of residential docks. For professional help, contact Top-Notch Dock Building now!

When building a dock, it’s important to choose the right materials. The material you choose will significantly impact how well the structure can withstand the elements and remain structurally sound. Piles are the core of any dock structure and can be made of wood, concrete, or fiberglass. Each of these materials has advantages and disadvantages, and it is important to consider what your needs are before making a decision.

For a dock that is intended for residential use, it may be best to choose a plastic option. These are extremely durable and resistant to abrasion and corrosion, and come in a variety of colors and textures. They are also very easy to maintain, requiring only occasional checking for damage and cleaning with a power washer. They can also be easily repaired and replaced if needed.

If you are looking for a more traditional look, wood is a great option. While it can be more expensive upfront, wood is highly aesthetically pleasing and can stand up to the elements better than other types of materials. However, it is important to keep in mind that a wood dock will require yearly maintenance and the replacement of many boards due to wear and tear and weather damage.

Steel is another popular choice for pilings because it is highly rust resistant and very strong. However, it is important to note that steel can be difficult to install because some of the work must be done in the water. For this reason, blind bolts are an essential part of the construction process for steel pilings and ensure that the dock will be safe and secure.

Composite materials are another modern innovation that can be used for dock pilings. These materials are engineered to never rot, decay, or rust and can be used in freshwater or saltwater. However, they can have higher upfront costs than other materials and require specialized installation. For this reason, they are most often found in commercial marinas and docks that must withstand heavy-load traffic.

Design

A dock is a structure that is built in an enclosed water space to moor or berth huge sea and ocean-going vessels. It can also be used for maintenance, repair and even construction of ships. Depending on the purpose of the dock, its design may vary. Some are designed to be straight, while others have a circular or curved shape. It is important to design the dock in a way that offers maximum berthing length. Other important factors include sheltering the dock from wind, water currents and other weather conditions. The entrance channel must be dredged regularly to keep the water in good condition for shipping activities.

Several different materials can be used for dock pilings, but steel is often considered the best choice due to its durability and strength. This material is also impervious to water, meaning that it won’t degrade or impact the quality of the surrounding waters. However, installing steel piles can be a tricky job. To ensure a safe and structurally sound dock, it is essential to use blind bolts.

One of the most popular uses of docks is to support visiting historic tallships and other educational vessels that offer hands-on marine education to children and the general public. The western face of NYC’s 79th Street Boat Basin A-Dock is dedicated to these vessels, which stay for a few days or weeks each summer to provide marine education to school groups and the public at large. The reconstructed A-Dock was recently opened to the public after it underwent extensive repairs following damage from Superstorm Sandy.

The pier is an elongated structure that extends from the shores to the water. It is used for handling passenger and general cargo, berthing boats and vessels, and also promotes fishing and seaside recreation. It is a utilitarian construction with many different functions and is a vital part of any coastal community.

In New Jersey, the pier is subject to the same rules and regulations as other maritime structures. In particular, the state’s Coastal Management Act tries to minimize (1) public trust encroachments and (2) adverse effects on coastal resources. For this reason, it is important to understand the laws that govern pier and dock construction. For example, residential property owners are not permitted to construct multiple docks on their properties.

Installation

If you’re installing a new dock, think ahead about what your family will use it for and how large it may eventually grow. This will help prevent you from needing to replace or rebuild the dock a few years down the road. It’s also important to consider how many watercraft you can accommodate and if there will be room for future boathouse construction or dock expansion.

Docks are used for mooring huge sea or ocean-going vessels and container ships as well as providing a space for loading and discharging cargo. They are also used for maintenance, repair and even construction of these huge vessels.

Some of the most popular dock materials are wood and concrete. Wood is easy to work with and can be shaped into a variety of different shapes and sizes. Concrete is harder to work with but is incredibly durable and won’t degrade over time. It can also be molded into the shape of a dock and is extremely strong.

Whether you choose to build your dock from wood or concrete, it’s important to know the characteristics of the waterfront upon which you’re working. If the shoreline is sandy, you’ll have a much easier time building a wooden dock than you would in a rocky environment. The same goes for the depth of the water where you’re working, as this will affect how long it will take to install your dock.

In general, a residential dock owner must obtain a permit from DEEP’s Office of Lands and Waterfront Planning (OLISP) to construct or reconstruct a dock or pier within state waters. The type of permit required depends on the existing permit status and design of the dock, the proposed construction, and the natural resources at the property.

When installing a lift dock, it’s imperative that you anchor the hinge plate properly. This will ensure that the dock swings up correctly when hooked to a winch and docks properly in its off-season position. You’ll need something to fasten the hinge plate to, such as a rock pad, a concrete crib or a section of the dock that has been reinforced with steel. The more effort you put into anchoring the hinge plate, the less likely it will be to move when the wind and waves come rushing in.

Maintenance

Docks that are located on lakes or oceans must be inspected and maintained regularly to protect them from the elements. Whether the structure is wood or concrete, it will need to be inspected for damage to its foundation and any parts that connect it together. For example, the welds or screws that hold the different parts of a dock together can become loose over time and may need to be repaired or replaced. This is important to maintain the integrity of the structure, and it also helps to prevent any problems with leaking and corrosion.

Aside from deterioration of the foundation, another issue to watch for is any cracking in the concrete. This type of damage can be caused by heavy loads, settlement or temperature changes, and it is very dangerous for the safety of anyone who uses the dock. It is important to repair cracks promptly to avoid more serious damage and to keep workers and vehicles safe.

Loading docks are essential to the efficiency of many warehouse operations, but they are often neglected by facility managers who are focused on getting products moving and reducing the risk of workplace accidents. Regular inspections of loading docks are crucial to ensuring that they function properly, which can help to minimize productivity losses and costly repairs in the future.

In addition to checking for structural damage, a good maintenance plan should include cleaning the dock and its surroundings to reduce the growth of algae and other organisms that can cause additional damage to the structure. It is also a good idea to have the wood treated with a nontoxic sealant, which will further reduce weather damage and make it last longer.

Depending on the location of a dock, maintenance may also involve repairing or replacing parts of the structure that are damaged or worn out. For example, a dock with a boat lift needs to be regularly inspected for signs of deterioration and to have any corroded hardware replaced as soon as possible.

For a wooden dock, routine maintenance can include keeping the structure clear of debris and toys and using a brush and environmentally safe cleaning solution to scrub away any dirt and grime. The wood should be sanded down periodically to get rid of any splinters, and it is a good idea to treat the boards with a nontoxic sealant on a regular basis to prevent them from rotting or becoming discolored.