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What is a cable pontoon

Over the next few weeks we are going to break down what each different type of pontoon is, although it can be very confusing for some people, in reality it is quiet simple.

A “Cable Pontoon” is simply a reference to how the pontoon is fixed in place, for those of you that read our blog on The right pontoon for your property would have got an indication of what we mean. But this week we will break it down for you including how they are held in place.

A cable pontoon is generally made up of 3 components.

1: The pontoon

The pontoon can be either made from concrete or our light weight aluminium system. The concrete type have a 125mm thick concrete deck on the top, this is used to make a strong heavy structure. The light weight series is aluminium sheeting and a truss system to gain its rigidity and spread loads, both systems are then topped off with first grade marine carpet.

2: The gangway/walkway

The gangway or walkway as sometimes known is your access from the land to the pontoon, these are made from aluminium and can generally be built in one piece up to about 18m. On a cable pontoon system the gangway does two jobs, one for access and the other is as a brace for the pontoon. The gangway is hard fixed to a concrete mooring block on the land end and also the frame of the pontoon, this in-turn stops any back and forth movement.

3: The Cable braces

The cable braces (Stainless Steel Cable) on the pontoon run in a X shape, extending from the rear two corners of the pontoon. The right hand side cable will attach to a concrete mooring block on the left hand side of the property and the left hand side will connect to the right mooring block on the land, forming the X shape.

Conclusion

What all of the above separate steps do is secure the pontoon in one spot, the gangway will stop the back and forth movement while the cables will stop any side to side movement, in affect holding the pontoon in one spot. The pontoon still has the ability to move up and down with the tides due to hinges used on the gangway connection to the mooring block and the pontoon. In affect a cable pontoon can rise to almost vertical, kind of like an emu’s head and neck in certain conditions. Learn More about Cable Pontoons >

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