# dock construction advise



## boss302 (Jun 24, 2005)

how have you all made your docks? I have two projects I'm looking for advice on. 1) Pond at the family "farm" is about ten years old. When it was filling with water I made a decent dock about 20' long using galvanized steel channel as the supports (somthing like unslotted unistrut or barn door track). Well a coupple of the posts have rusted out at the waterline and I'm looking for replacment post ideas. Existing posts seem to be in good shape above and below the waterline. THe soil at the base of the dock is a verry hard silt/rock mix. (it took me two full days just to dig and set the posts while the pond eas empty). Dock frame is basicaly aluminum I beams (computer/comunications cable support raceway frame )and deck is treated lumber. 

2nd project, 

I have some 55gallon poly drums and more of the aluminum cable tray framing. I'm thinking of making a floating platform (8'x8'-10' x 10') have any of you done this? should the drums be filled with foam as a back up incase they spring a leak? 

any and all advice is apreciated,

Thanks


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

there are some dock floats on craigslist cleveland for sale .


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

My dock has a steel angle iron frame, 4x4x1/4" and the posts are 3"x1/4" wall pipe. I painted them with an OZEU system (organic zinc epoxy primer, high solids epoxy intermediate coat and a polyurethane finish coat) the same stuff used on bridges. My joists are 4x4s and the decking is trex (or something like it). 

You could make the new posts out of steel and bolt some sacrificial zinc chunks to them. Once they deteriorate, just replace the zinc. Or, you could also use a weathering steel like A588 or aluminum. My posts have a 1'x1'x3/4" steel plate welded to the bottom with a 1" dia. x 2' long steel pin welded to it that was driven into the clay. 












I think the drums should be filled with foam but the cost for expandable foam works out to more money than just buying the purpose built dock floats and they're easier to build off of.

Keep us posted on your floating dock. I'm contemplating the same thing. I've been keeping my eye out for a scrap pontoon to salvage at least 1 float off of to cut in half and cap the ends and fill with argon.


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## roger23 (Mar 7, 2007)

I played the steel drums game a couple times..if they don't rust from the outside they will rust from the inside from condensation..If you go with styrofoam floats make sure you keep a eye on them muskrats love to make nests in them


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## fishinfool21 (Jan 8, 2008)

Out at the lake we have a dock 12x15 that floats on 7 55gal polytanks no foamand we have never had a problem with them and have had them 10 years. Even if they do start to leak after 5 years just go find some new ones ours i believe came form the Pepsi guys


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## Toolman (Jun 8, 2004)

Be careful using aluminum dock supports in contact with treated lumber. The copper sulfate treatment of the wood will react with the aluminum.

Tim


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