Anchoring Floating Dock - 04/12/20 04:26 PM
Hi. I had a 3/4 acre pond constructed 2 years ago and it is now full and ready to install a floating dock kit that I purchased. The kit has four 4x8 floating sections and one 4x8 ramp that will be configured in a "L" shape. The pond is located on a downhill slope with a large dam and the side banks drop off quickly. The front edge of the L will be over about 10' of water (max depth of pond at center is 18'). I will need to build a few steps down to the ramp due to the steep sloping bank. When the pond was constructed the excavators hit sand and they stopped there and lined the sides and bottom with clay.
I do not want to install pilings to stabilize the dock due to a concern about punching holes in the clay bottom and possibly causing a leak. So the other options are concrete anchors or shore-based anchors/tethers. I had a deep well dug last year to supplement the pond's water level and my plan is to try and keep it static at the bottom of the overflow tube, so I'm not too worried about any dramatic rise/fall in water level, but obviously concerned about right/left movement. I'm planning on attaching the ramp to the steps in some manner.
My question is about how much slack should I leave in anchor chains to allow for any rise/fall in water level and right/left movement. Seems to me if you leave enough slack to allow for up/down movement you've left too much slack to prevent right/left movement and placing strain on the dock's hinges.
I've attached a photo of the pond not long after it was constructed that shows the location of the dock and the steep bank. The dock will go straight out/down from the old deck platform in the photo. I have installed an aerator to keep the dock ice free and to keep the yellow overflow tube open (needed because I have a pump and dump geothermal system that discharges water into the pond year round).
I also attached a diagram of the dock layout provided by the manufacturer.
If anyone has any experience in installing pilings in a similar situation as mine I'd like to hear about it - maybe I'm being overly concerned about them causing a leak.
Thanks for your help.
I do not want to install pilings to stabilize the dock due to a concern about punching holes in the clay bottom and possibly causing a leak. So the other options are concrete anchors or shore-based anchors/tethers. I had a deep well dug last year to supplement the pond's water level and my plan is to try and keep it static at the bottom of the overflow tube, so I'm not too worried about any dramatic rise/fall in water level, but obviously concerned about right/left movement. I'm planning on attaching the ramp to the steps in some manner.
My question is about how much slack should I leave in anchor chains to allow for any rise/fall in water level and right/left movement. Seems to me if you leave enough slack to allow for up/down movement you've left too much slack to prevent right/left movement and placing strain on the dock's hinges.
I've attached a photo of the pond not long after it was constructed that shows the location of the dock and the steep bank. The dock will go straight out/down from the old deck platform in the photo. I have installed an aerator to keep the dock ice free and to keep the yellow overflow tube open (needed because I have a pump and dump geothermal system that discharges water into the pond year round).
I also attached a diagram of the dock layout provided by the manufacturer.
If anyone has any experience in installing pilings in a similar situation as mine I'd like to hear about it - maybe I'm being overly concerned about them causing a leak.
Thanks for your help.