Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help cantilevered docks

Where can I find plans and specifications for cantilevered docks?

Do you have a Menards or other building store in your area? I have seen a soft bound book for sale at our local Menards that coversd the building all kinds of piers.

Hi Cecil,
We don't have a Menards Store-checked Lowes and Home Depo w/o any luck. Any other suggestions?

Larry

Try doing a search on the Internet and also major book suppliers on the Internet.

Larry, try this site. http://www.tigerboatdocks.com/

Bob

Two books that I know of about building docks.
Both available from Amazon.com.
1. The Dock Manual by Max Burns. Minimal info about cantilevered and suspension docks. $20-$25.

2. Dock Designs Volume 1. Residential series. by Aaron Lyon. Have not seen this book. Aprox $40

I know at least four pond owners who have pretty impressive or farily large cantilevered docks. I can ask them specific questions if you like and send photos if necessary. It basically involves building a thick cement bulkhead back on the pond bank and anchoring steel I beams on or imbedding into the cement. I could also send you the phone number of the dock owner depending on which style you prefer.

Thanks everyone for your information.I believe I will just build a deck on land with the deck floor joists anchored to good sized footers and have the joists extend out over the water(about one quarter over water and three quarters over land attached to the footers. Any suggestions on how to attach the joists(either 2x6's or 2x8's) to the footers?

Larry

I will ask dock owners this week-end and report back Sun or Mon.

They make brackets to set in the concrete footers(while the concrete is wet) that you can lay your joists into and then through bolt them in place. Most important is to have your footers level, and set up string lines so you know your setting your brackets in straight lines.

Saw two cantilevered docks.
1. Used 8" I steel beams 22 ft long (total dock length 22'). Looked like two welded together to make the 22 ft I beam. Imbeded 1" bolts into cement and fastened I beams to cement base. Heavy duty drilling involved. Cement base base was 5ft wide and 10ft long and set back from water edge abt 2 ft; thickness unknown, owner not home. Dock stuck out over water 8 ft and total dock length from cement base to end over water was 12ft. Wood frame on top.

2. Heavy duty dock. Used two 27 ft long steel roof girders composed of 2 angle irons on top and 2 on the bottom and the angle irons were connected with zig-zag bracing. Each girder was 24" high; impressive. Imbedded each girder 8 ft apart in an 18" to 24" wide trench dug back from the pond edge. Trench went back 16 ft from waters edge but girders only went back about 7 ft into the trench. Leveled girders and poured trench full of cement. Then Poured a 12 ft x 16 ft x 6" pad on top of the trenchs. Welded braces between the I beams to keep them from swaying right or left. Built a treated lumber top on the girders. Can drive a golf cart or small tractor out on 12 ft widex20 ft long over water dock. Very nice strong dock just above high water level.
Was told I beams result in a more springy dock.

Thank you Bill for your research. Probably a little more than I wanted to get into!

Larry

Don't give up Larry, I am on the same quest.

I don't have the time to do extensive search this morning, but here is an interesting site that I found. The picture looks exactly like what I have in mind.

http://www.kitguy.com/BUYERS_GUIDE_UPGRADE_Docks.asp

I have some plastic, 55 gal drums that I want to use to make my dock. But last time I was doing a search, I found rectangular plastic containers, filed with foam that you could just bolt to a wooden frame to make it float. It was made by Du Pont or Dow Chemical, but I could not find a supplier and in the end I got too busy at work and I gave up for the moment.

As far as anchoring the shore side of the walkway, I am planning to use an auger to dig two holes, maybe 4" deep. In those I am going to anchor in concrete two, 1/4inch thick, galvanized brackets. Than I plan to drill one hole in each bracket and run a pipe through both of them and through the 2x4s of my walkway. Through the pipe I am going to run threaded steel post, like the ones that are used to hold AC units in steel frame buildings, and use big wathers and screws on each side to hold it all together.

I hope this makes some sense - I am not the best at explaining things. Please let me know if you come up with some good tips.

http://www.fpcfoam.com/prodsize.html

It seems that Dave Keyes found the rest of the info on the "Building a floating dock" thread.

http://www.dow.com/webapps/lit/litorder.asp?objid=09002f1380039032&filepath=/noreg

Thanks Ed for the information! If I discover any different ideas or techniques I'll let you know!
Larry