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Home / Industries / Dry-Bulk BargesDry-Bulk Barges
Barges aren’t usually self-propelled and are tied to other barges into a configuration called a tow. A tow can be several barges wide and many barges deep. The exact configuration will depend on the locks through which a tow must travel and are pushed by a tow boat.
There are two types of dry bulk cargo barges: a rake barge and a box barge. Rake barges have curved bows to provide less resistance when being pushed and are usually placed at the head of the tow. A box barge is squared off and is usually placed behind a rake barge and is in the center or rear of the tow. Box barges can typically hold more cargo.
Dry bulk cargo barges can have covers if the cargo is weather-sensitive (like cement or grain). These are typically made of fiberglass or steel and can be lifted or rolled away for access to the cargo box. If your operation requires covers, then there is a high likelihood that you put a person on the barge to secure the hook to the crane or to watch the loading/unloading, which means you likely need a gangway. Be on the lookout for unsafe practices such as trying to jump from the dock to the barge, and make sure you’re providing your workforce safe passage.
There isn’t a typical access system for this type of vessel; the right solution will depend greatly on the dock composition, dock obstacles and restrictions, elevation of the barge, barge movements (up/down, left/right, in/out), and barge configuration.
Safe Marine Access and Loading
SafeRack provides equipment and solutions for safe access and loading in the marine industry.
Why Choose SafeRack?
SafeRack is committed to marine access and loading workplace safety. This is why we manufacture durable and long-lasting safety products for:
Standards and Regulations
SafeRack’s MarinaStep marine gangways, DockReel’s marine loading arms and marine loading hoses and other products are manufactured to meet OSHA and OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) standards, as well as Coast Guard, International Maritime Organization (IMO), and ANSI standards for the product categories.
For more information about Coast Guard and maritime standards:
Coast Guard, OSHA Maritime Standards, International Maritime Organization, SOLAS
Providing the Safest Barge Access Solutions
Accessing barges has unique challenges, not only because there are so many different kinds of barges, but because each barge has their own deck configurations. There are dry-bulk barges, liquid barges, construction or work barges, barges that act as floating docks, etc. All are unique and pose their own things of which you must pay attention to ensure you don’t get a gangway that ends up damaged, or possibly worse, in the drink.
What type of barge are you trying to access?
- Dry-bulk barge (link this to the dry bulk barge page)
- Liquid barge (link this to the liquid barge page)
- Construction or work barges
No matter which one you’re accessing, MarinaStep has the solution you need. Select a SG, TG, or SAS gangway to ensure your personnel have safe access onto and off of the vessel.
SafeRack is the #1 Selling Aluminum Gangway in North America, and its barge ladder access solutions have earned the reputation for being safe, durable, and long-lasting in the harshest marine environments.
Whatever your industry, from cement to getting on the barge to remove the hatch covers, to oil and chemical to attach loading and unloading arms, or in a commercial environment requiring ADA compliance, SafeRack has you covered.
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View Full TextFor dry bulk cargo barges, you can find any number of styles of gangways can be used and any number of mounting options. If the vessel is always above the dock, you can use a standalone stage or truss gangway that rolls on the dock, or you can use a mobile, tracking, or fixed platform system if the conditions allow. Rotation might be necessary, as might be power options if the gangway can’t be counter-balanced due to length or the total weight.
Target landing zones would be the front or back of the vessel if possible because that’s where there is generally the most space available. As the ship raises and lowers from tides as well as loading/unloading, a gangway that’s fixed on the dock side will move closer to or further away from the edge of the vessel. When this happens, there is risk that the gangway will fall off the edge or could hit an obstacle.
When deciding on a gangway, try to fully understand the range of operations for the vessel and how movements will affect the gangway. Will it hit an obstacle as it moves due to the ship movements? Landing on a platform that is only 3 feet wide, and on a vessel that has 5 feet of drift is impossible with a fixed, non-rotating platform system.
Preventive Maintenance
Eliminate unplanned downtime and lost productivity with preventive maintenance.
With SafeRack’s aluminum barge gangway by MarinaStep, you get your choice of power options to raise and lower your fixed barge ramps. Choose from:
- Manually with counter-balanced springs
- Manually with a hand-winch
- Electric winch
- Pneumatic cylinders
- Hydraulic cylinders
- Pneumatic winch
- Pneumatic over hydraulics
- Explosion-proof power options.
With a long history of building access solutions, our patented gangways and ramps are custom designed by our engineering staff to meet your application needs and built for durable and long-lasting performance in harsh marine conditions.
Learn more about MarinaStep’s Aluminum Marine Gangways.
Why Choose SafeRack?
SafeRack’s MarinaStep OSHA compliant barge ramps are designed for worker safety and can be fixed to a static structure like a complex platform system, a mobile platform, or a barge ladder to allow easy operation and storage. Using aluminum alloys makes the barge ramp corrosion and saltwater resistant. SafeRack can customize a barge access solution to meet your unique technical requirements while also meeting your budget and deadline.
Whatever your industry, from cement to getting on the barge to remove the hatch covers, to oil and chemical to attach loading and unloading arms, or in a commercial environment requiring ADA compliance, we’ve got you covered.
Standards and Regulations
SafeRack’s MarinaStep gangways, ramps, bridges, and other products are manufactured to meet OSHA and OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) standards, as well as Coast Guard, International Maritime Organization (IMO) and ANSI standards for the product categories.
For more information about Coast Guard and maritime standards:
If more stringent requirements are required, SafeRack will gladly engineer something specific to your needs.
SafeRack is committed to providing you with a safe solution for access between your vessel and dock and will work to design and manufacture a gangway that will meet your exact requirements and perform for many years. SafeRack supports its products with superior customer service and will ensure you are satisfied with your MarinaStep product.
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