Boat docks for your waterfront paradise

We all love our water activities, it’s sporty relaxing and inspirational. We purchase boats, jet skies and other water crafts and take them to our waterfront properties to use them. When you allow for convenient access to the water and safe storage for the crafts, you have the key for a fun filled season. Aluminum truss dock are the perfect solution.

Whether your property sits on a lake, harbour or oceanfront, having a private dock offers a number of advantages to homeowners.

• Convenient access to the water
• Added security for your watercraft
• Personalized construction and accessories
• Increased property value
• Additional usage for other leisure activities like swimming, fishing, kayaking, socializing with friends, and relaxing

Which kind of dock should you choose, what are the options? There’s wood and aluminum , there are Aluminum frames and aluminum Truss docks, and then there’s the decking. What’s better and what are the costs involved. How wide can you go and is it possible to extend your beach front property into the water.

Determining your dock’s needs

Okay, where to start? The first thing is to determine what you’re going to use your dock for. Your intended use will dictate size, shape and style. Do you want a large sundeck to accommodate a lot of people relaxing on the dock? Or, if you’re only using the dock for boat access, you may only need a simple, straight dock.

Is aluminum truss dock right for you

Then again, how many boats do you have? If you have multiple boats, you may want slips to make it easy to get in and out of your boats. And if you plan to tie your canoe, kayak or small fishing boat up to your dock, be sure the dock is longer than your boat. wide enough to allow plenty of room to set down gear and for people to get in and out of the boat. People with larger motor boats likely will need to shop for a larger, fixed dock, the size, cost and construction materials of which can vary greatly.

If your family of four is just going to swim and fish from your dock, you might go with a dock that sits low in the water and is 7½ feet from the shore to the end of the dock and as wide as you feel you need.

Though there are many varieties of docks, each of them can be placed in one of two categories: removable docks and permanent docks.

Permanent docks are self-explanatory — they are installed securely into the ground and the structure is intended to remain there permanently. Removable docks are typically intended to be semi-permanent and can be expanded, reconfigured or removed if necessary. The first step is to ask a few questions about your particular location and needs when choosing a dock type.

Types of docks & common materials

1. FLOATING DOCKS

These docks are large platforms that float on the water’s surface. Floating dock structures are versatile and rise or fall with the water level, helping them adapt to nearly any condition. They are also ideal solutions for sea, lake or river beds that are unable to support the installation of a fixed dock. Floating docks are available as pre-built sections that can be attached in a variety of configurations and shapes.

2. PILING DOCKS

Piling docks are constructed by inserting large wooden beams called pilings deep into the ground under the water. The dock is then connected to the piling. Piling docks are strong and stable, and can withstand strong currents. However, they are expensive to build and maintain, and can’t adjust as water levels change. They work best for larger boats or as a fishing dock.

When choosing a piling dock, it’s imperative that you plan out its construction thoroughly. The success of this dock rests on its structural integrity. Any mistakes or cut corners could ultimately cause thousands of dollars worth of damage. Wood posts could rot if not properly treated, so a fiberglass alternative may be used. You also need to protect the pilings from other destructive organisms and protect the piling caps from harmful UV rays.

3. PIPE DOCKS

Pipe docks are similar to piling docks but are usually built using an aluminum truss or frame with removable docking. This makes them an easy-to-build and cost-effective docking system. Pipe docks work well in shallow water and need to be removed in the fall to prevent freezing from damaging the pipes. Since the surface doesn’t make significant contact with the land or water, it is one of the least environmentally impactful docking options. Pipe docks can become submerged easily. Set up and dismantling is easy and usually requires no tools

Wood vs Aluminum Truss Dock: Cost, Durability and Safety

Aluminum is a strong material that is well suited to the outdoors and exposure to water. Aluminum docks are sturdy, simple and light. This is where they have an advantage over wood docks.

No matter what type of dock you purchase, external components such as posts, brackets, and fasteners that are attached to the frame can scratch boats and even hurt people. This is something to keep in mind when building or installing a dock. Aluminum i beam truss that are made out of strong lightweight piping helps eliminate corners and rounds up the surfaces. .For many people, the look of aluminum truss is also an advantage. If you want to have a dock that looks different than traditional wood docks, aluminum truss is the way to go.

Truss dock costs

One impression customers have of aluminum truss dock is that it costs more than wood initially. Aluminum truss docks are usually pre-built in a factory, in sections. Once they arrive for installation, they are assembled on site. This type of dock may seem more expensive at first , but because it requires less maintenance and can be assembled much easier and quicker than a wooden dock, it may actually be less expensive overall. An aluminum truss dock does not require any maintenance.

Many people prefer wood docks because of the natural beauty and strength they offer. Wood docks are also affordable to install and last for many years. The only problem is that over time, wood has a tendency to rot, warp, splinter, crack and become damaged by insects. These are problems that don’t affect aluminum docks. Of course, wood is more vulnerable to water than aluminum truss dock.

GTR Truss

At GTR Truss our dock systems are made with ease of installation and cost effectiveness in mind. Our team is of professionals designs truss docks which are stronger and lighter than any other system in the market.

We designed our aluminum truss dock systems to be assembled from our G32P line of i-beam conical truss. The patented conical system is the strongest because of the symmetric load deflection. This allows for a light structure which is very strong , flexible and can be built to any size or design.

GTR Truss aluminum docks do not require tools to assemble. The truss dock is so easy to carry and can be assembled by the owner as well as dock specialist installers.

Stress forces distribution

Conical connection truss pin absorbs the force. takes on considerable shearing stress and transfers this force through the inner cone via bearing stresses. From there the forces go in reverse order into the main cord of the adjoining truss.

depending on the strength ratio between the standard steel truss pin and the aluminum components of the connector the bolt is not only stressed on shearing but also on bending , one of its main advantages is the force always remains symmetrical on the longitudinal axis of the main tube. Depending on the forces to be transmitted and the geometry of the tube of the truss, the geometry of the conical connector is adapted accordingly. This system has a number of advantages that have given it a large market share. Learn more here

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• The Aluminum truss dock’s main cord is loaded symmetrically to its longitudinal axis
• The thick ward connector protects the end of the truss
• Backlash free and rigid connection
• installation lengths corresponds to the actual length of the truss
• Quick and easy assembly with just a hammer

What does all this mean to you ?

When using longer pieces of truss it can be symmetrically connected together allowing for less ground support and less accessories and allows for great cost savings on material and labour. Rounder corners minimize collision damage caused to the boat. Super rigid, lightweight and solid levelled dock structures. Exact dock measurement implementation.