construct the dock, intended use of the dock, and desired height
off of the water. The crew at American Muscle Docks can help to
sort out the solutions to the issues impacting your dock project.
Give us a call for assistance, but if you want to work through a
general dock scenario we offer the following:
we aim for about 30 lbs. per square foot to calculate flotation
needed for a dock using a wood frame and wood decking. A
marina expecting more than a few people needs about 40 lbs.
per square foot. Rarely will you get the exact poundage, but you
should strive to obtain as close to these benchmarks as possible.
phase, you then choose the float you want to use. We offer many
options, but, generally speaking, the 12" and 16" deep floats
tend to make a more stable dock. For our example, we will be
building an 8' x 20' dock section. The amount of square feet of
dock is first determined by multiplying 8' x 20' = 160 square feet.
We then calculate 30 pounds of flotation per square feet and
multiply 30 x 160 = 4800 pounds of flotation needed to satisfy
the design criteria.
to use. For this example, we will use a 4' x 8' x 12" float. This
float has a supporting weight of 1680 lbs. per float. Three of
these floats will provide 5040 lbs. of flotation for this dock. If
we divide the total flotation by the square footage of the dock
(5040 divided by 160) we find that our choice of float delivers
31.5 lbs. of flotation per square foot. When using these large
floats, that 1.5 lbs. per square foot difference is almost as close
as you can obtain and would be acceptable.
of 2" x 6" to 3" x 12" nominal lumber. We can make special
hardware for lumber exceeding the above sizes. Typically, 2" x 8"
is the most commonly used lumber for most dock applications.
Water conditions may demand larger lumber or even doubling
the lumber to gain strength.
and decking above the water. Though water may splash onto the
metal, the galvanized metal coating will hold up for many years.
Wood is preferred in extreme salt water conditions.
wood, steel channel, steel truss, and aluminum. Price depends
on the type of materials used to build the dock, with wood being
the least expensive and aluminum being the most expensive.
Our steel channel, easy-to-assemble Simple Dock comes in kit
form, found on page 49.
worldwide. We don't like paying shipping costs either, so we
make a continued effort to give our customers the lowest
shipping rate possible. Customers ordering complete dock
systems need to understand the weight and size associated
with most built docks, as well as being able to have a way of
unloading the docks other than by hand.
orders saves greatly on shipping costs, and our office showroom
allows you to view our many dock options and accessories first
hand. We encourage customers picking up larger orders to give
us a call ahead of time to ensure the product is in stock and to
expedite your service.
shell and are filled with a molded-in-place 100% Virgin 1pcf
expanded polystyrene. They meet and exceed all applicable US
Coast Guard regulations and will provide the end user with long
lasting, trouble free service.
Contractors and state entities must provide a current business
license and necessary documentation to obtain special pricing.
if found to be defective. All metal is galvanized, which is the
process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, in
order to prevent rusting.
warranty. Unlike other float manufacturers that pro-rate the
floats from the date of purchase, our floats are 100% for the first
ten years. Other manufacturer warranties are extended when
purchased through AM Docks.