BOOMS AND BARRIERS

Warning and Restraining Systems for Safety and Security

Public safety or organizational security often requires placing marks or signs in the waters around water-based facilities such as power plants, hydroelectric dams or other recreational impoundments, military and other installations. In some cases, the levels of use and concern may dictate positive restraining barriers, called boat booms or boat barriers.

Designs are driven by the highest speed of flow in which the barrier must be maintained. Anchors and tackle of moderate size and cost will hold a light non-planing boom or barrier in up to two or two and a half knots of current. For flows above this level, the designer must either greatly increase the dimensions and costs of anchors and tackle or relieve the drag forces by using a planing hull float.

Side-to-side barriers across rivers of five knots and greater current can survive debris-laden floods if the designer understands the dynamics of river flow and debris entrainment. Standard engineering calculations can predict accurately the transient load at which any component of the system will break. And designed break-points can assure minimum damage if the system must remain in place during flood conditions.

Gilman offers several approaches from simple regulatory buoys (see Navigation Aids page) to the various size ionomer foam booms and barriers that may be either connected eye-to-eye to make a restraining barrier or spaced more loosely on a cable to maintain a floating line-in-the-water. For the most demanding fast-water applications we offer the planing hull catamaran buoy, shown second from right above.

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Gilman Corporation, Box 68, Gilman CT 06336 Telephone: 800.622.3626 Fax: 860.886.5402

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