Ever wondered how they build boat ramps ?

[Sea-Dog]

Ahaa !

[Yuffie]

:o cool

It'd be interesting to see the whole process~ ::) how they drained the water before they commenced and remove the barrier when they complete...

[tunaman]

Hey Yuffie! Good Question?


signed tunaman

[Jim_Byrne]

Very interesting....always had a bit of an idea of how they would have to do it for the concrete to set, but have never seen it or even a picture.

Thanks Sea-Dog

Jim

[BR65]

There ya go, one of those damn annoying questions in life answered.
Thanks Sea Dog
cheers
Brian

[Sea-Dog]

I found another method of keeping the water at bay during ramp construction.

Follow the link for other pics.

http://www.waterstructures.com/Applications/page3.html

Page 1 gives an interesting overview of the product too.

[aussiefool]

well there you go

[el_carpo]

Cool post!!!

It's amazing what can be achieved through clever engineering and construction. I once saw a show about a big bridge they built over here that spanned the Mississippi River. They took us through the whole process from the political stuff, to the money stuff, to the engineering stuff and the construction stuff. Neat stuff! ;D One of those, "so THAT'S how they do it" moments. ;D

What really amazes are the seven wonders of the ancient world. No electricity, no engines, no cranes nor bulldozers.........just hand tools, a few simple machines and manual labor. :o Those old dudes still have us scratching our heads and saying, "How dey do dat?" ;D

Thanks for posting that Sea-Dog.

[Feral]

We built one down the logan about 3-4 years ago, trust me it did not get done like that!

We waited until very low tides were due, boxed it one day down to 2 foot below lowest tide level, then next day using 50mpa rapid set concrete and a concrete pump we starting pumping 2 hour before low tide. We had 2 gun concrete crews working the mix. Finished pooring about 1/2 hour after low tide.

Laying concrete under water is a pretty simple process with high strength mix and a pump. You just keep the head of the pump outlet submerged under the loose concrete, and it just displaces the water. You can work the surface bugger all, but with 50mpa concrete, you dont work the surface much anyway!

[seatime]

:o cool

It'd be interesting to see the whole process~ ::) how they drained the water before they commenced and remove the barrier when they complete...

I'm guessing they bring a barge in at high water, bang in the corrugated sections and then pump out the water, sealing as many leaks as possible after. The pump could be going around the clock. Come back with the barge after completion and pull out the walls.
Well, that's how I've seen it done before. regards

[finga64]

Great pictures fellas...Ta :)

Out Wawick way I watched them built and extend a few ramps at Lesley..
Nothing too technical....box, pump and finish. As the drought got worse the further the ramp went down. :-/

Not real funny when the main ramp is a bout 75m long and still about 1-200m from the water :P

[DNO40]

Interesting topic


DNO

[Grand_Marlin]

G'day Guys,

The wall sections are called "sheet piling"
It is wrigled / punched into the ground (or in this case probably vibrated into the mud)

You see sheet piling used in a lot of high rise buildings on the gold coast when they put the underground parking in ... this is the same principle as it is below sea level or at least below the water table.

The pump they are using is a 6" diesel sludge pump, which will pump water and sand.
I dont remember the flow rate on these pumps, but it would be capable of around 2000 litres a minute.

When theyt remove the sheet pililg, they wriggle it back out ... quite often with an excavator.

Sometimes they have to inject compressed ait with a "spear" to break the suction on the mud to let the sheets come back out.

We used sheet piling / tank bracing and spear dewatering a lot when I was in the Civil Construction Industry.

We have put Pump Stations down to 15m below ground with similar methods (caisson)

Cheers

Pete

[bludog]

Good topic very interesting
Bludog

[griz066]

Sweeeeeet 8-)

[staddie_local]

nice, never knew how they did that. ;)
les

[snapperm8]

i would have to say the first methods looks a lot easier haha
thanks for the pic i did always wounder how the built em

cheers dave

[fish_outta_water]

cool post sea dog :)
just wondering how many people are now scheming to make their private boat ramp ;D
especialy after some of the boat ramp dramas weve heard on here

[fez]

There you go then, quite simple really when you think about it :-? :-?

Fez

[staddie_local]

yer i would be a very stinky job with all the digging down onto mud etc.
les ;)

[Dirtysanchez]

Interesting - there was a show on discovery channel recently about rebuilding New Orleans after the hurricane broke all the river delta's

The construction teams worked round the clock to rebuild all these deltas in the Missisppi river before the next hurrican season came in through the gulf, and they used the exact same process. Sheet piling with a huge crane that had a vibrating machine on it, the insert the piling and then this head thing just goes on top and buzzes away until it is in place

Very clever stuff, I really like seeing how engineering works like this are done, thanks ! :D

[cobia1]

maybe they should go back a bit further for low tide ;D interesting but . thanks

[frankj]

The ramp at Paradise Point was made wider last year and after the ramp was finished a hole developed at the bottom of the new section. I happened along there one day to see two blokes with a truckful of rock about 75mm in size and a wheelbarrow. They filled the barrow with rocks and proceeded to wheel it down the ramp until the guy's head dissapeared under water, tipped the barrow and then wheeled it out. I couldn't believe my eyes, but that's the honest truth. Unfortunately no camera available as it would have made a good entry for the funniest home video's.

Cheers
Frank

[Dirtysanchez]

Frank, thats p1ss funny mate, ;D

I bet at the time you were like :o :o :o :o :o

[frankj]

It made me laugh, I remeber saying to one of the blokes.
"I thoght I'd seen everything, but I've never seen that before" he didn't seem amused.

[GAD]

Always wondered and had a bit of an idea but there you go,

[The_Walrus]

An interesting thread :) There's some good shows on the tube about building "megastructures"

I can't remember ever seing the sheeting system to built a ramp.

The system described by Feral tends to be used particularly in tidal areas.

You'd only have to use coffer dams where there is no tide or the ramp has to go a long way in past the low water mark.

Luc

[moondancer]

Wow Good post! Yes, I DO sometimes wonder how they build them!

Well done!

L

[finga64]

The ramp at Paradise Point was made wider last year and after the ramp was finished a hole developed at the bottom of the new section. #I happened along there one day to see two blokes with a truckful of rock about 75mm in size and a wheelbarrow. #They filled the barrow with rocks and proceeded to wheel it down the ramp until the guy's head dissapeared under water, tipped the barrow and then wheeled it out. #I couldn't believe my eyes, but that's the honest truth. #Unfortunately no camera available as it would have made a good entry for the funniest home video's. #

Cheers
Frank
At least they didn't back the truck down to empty it I suppose :)

[Reef_fisher]

great post sea dog, one of lifes eternal questions we often theorise about, great to see how its done.

[southernson]

Awesome post, always wondered about that!!
Cheers Matt

[Brett1907]

I've seen the sheet piling heaps on the goldie. Deep stomwater trenches at Hope Island, it's an eerie feeling at the bottom of the trench looking up 3 metres to see a patch of blue sky.

Seen them along the canals when retaining waals hace ginen way.

Interesting thin happened in Surfers Paradise, went to inpect a carpark that was sinking beside a canal. Cut a hole in the concrete, there was at least 1m of air between the underside of the slab and the sand. No wonder the slab was sinking.

Brett

[larfin]

Interesting-and great pic

[Fisher4life]

Great topic.... it would be really interesting to see a series of photo's of the whole process..

[Bill_Klein]

yes very interesting

[Kendall249]

awesome

[Great_White]

And I just thought they waited for a record low tide and use quick set cement ;D ;D ;D

Thanks for the pic's Sea Dog.

Peter :)

[redspeckle]

A great topic their Sea-Dog [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
As few posted already its like How they do it (a take from Discovery channel)
Mitch