Building advice for the Ultimate Boat House.

[EddieWalker]

I have a client who has enough money to want to build a boat house on the lake that will not be on wooden piers. His goal is to build it right the first time, and know that when his kids are grown, they will be able to spend time there with thier kids.

I can get wood piers sunk into the lake in any arragement I want. That's easy, but it's not what he wants.

We'd discussed galvenized steel pipe and haveing the company that sets the wood piers install them, but don't know how long they will last. He's looked into fiberglass poles, but isn't sure of there strength, and I don't have a clue about them. Concrete is my first and favorite idea, but I'm unsure of how to do it.

One idea is to have some ten or 12 inch PVC pipe set into the floor of the lake. I don't know if the wood pier guys can put PVC pipe into the floor of lake deep enough to be effective. I don't know if I can pour concrete in the pipe so that it's solid and there are no gaps that will allow the rebar to rust out on me.

Cement pilings should do it, but getting them and installing them in way beyound anything I can figure out how to accomplish.

We're in the early stages of discussing this. I'm remodeling his offices and building a custom house for a different client right now, so it's not gonna happen for at least three or four months. I'm just seeing if it's something I can do, or get done.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[gordon21]

After seeing how well PT pine poles hold up in salt water, I would recommend having a specialist come and set all the poles for you. They will be new PT pine utility poles. Since you are in fresh water, they should hold up better. The specialist will have the proper shallow water barge, pile drivers, etc. The most important thing he has is the knowledge of how to do it right. If you don't set them right, you will have major settling problems. The large end goes up, which is contrary to common thinking.

If you do it yourself, use cardboard Sonotubes. Check the internet to see if they recommend using a plastic liner. 6000 PSI mix minimum.

If you have a big budget, use pre-made concrete pilings. They are essentially the same as pre-cast square tapered concrete utility poles with a solid cross section. Concrete utility poles are hollow. You will want solid core.

Once you have the pilings set, the rest can be attached and framed out conventionally. Floor joists and girders get attached using 3/4" galvanized carriage bolts if you use wood pilings. Use PT wood for everything except interior trim.

Use LOTS of lateral cross bracing. Wave action is more powerful than most people realize. This will serve two purposes. First is for structural strength. The second is to create additional fish habitat. Your customer will appreciate that in as little as 3 months after you finish. Nooks, crannies, corners and veetation all over those surfaces create a great spot for small fish to hang out. The kids can snorkel under the boathouse and enjoy the fish.

You are building a dock first and foremost. The boathouse will merely be the structure sitting on the dock. Think dock, not house.

 

[EddieWalker]

Lewis,

Thanks for the quick reply. The location of this is on Lake Palestine. It's a 26,000 acre lake just outside of Tyler and one of the top ten bass lakes in Texas. The lake authority has final say on what is built, as how it's built, so that part of it is out of my hands.

I won't be setting the poles. I'm not qualified, nor do I know how.

There are about a dozen companies that build docks, boat houses and set piers on the lake. They have the barge, crane and experience to do it the way it's supposed to be done. Unfortunately, from what I've learned, they all used PT wood poles that last 25 years. It's a steady business for them to tear down a boat house or dock and set new poles. This is what my client wants to avoid.

Some of the poles are rotted out, but others have just shrunk and cracked to the point of moving around and not having any integrity. Every one has a differnt issue, but overall, the lifespan is just 25 years.

Over at Pondboss, it was suggested to use steel I beams, as that's what some of the State Parks are going to. I'm worried about rust, but don't know how much they will rust, or how long they will retain there integrity.

This is still in the planning stage, so all ideas are on the table. Like the fiberglass poles, we're looking at everything.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[Egon]

Pipe piles and fill with concrete.

Caissons filled with concrete and support beams between the caissons.

Forms with a spread foot and fill with concrete.

Gavanized culvert sections with spread foot and fill with concrete.

 

[Mike120]

If you use steel you'll have to use sacrificial anodes to prevent corrosion. You're better off with concrete per Egon's suggestion.

 

[tommu56]

Eddie
On the Chesapeake bay bridge they drive concrete piles to the wouldn't yield with the driver then cut them off at the proper level.

tommu56

 

[meledward23]

The dock my family keeps or little armada at (Ski, Pleasure boat, Houseboat, jet ski's) sit's upon what appears to be old gas tanks. About 6 foot diameter pipes, sealed up so that they float. Two welded together like pontons for main platforms. and small 2' diamter pipes for the smaller walkways.

The floating dock is held in place by cables that are attached to the shore in some places, and go down to large blocks of cement at the bottom of the lake. The downside, is all couple hundred winches have to be adjusted by had every time the lake shifts water level. But it does work very nicely. And there are plenty of boat lifts, buildings, stores, etc. on it. You can do anything with this arrangement.

Definetly not a pier post configuration.

 

[meledward23]

I was looking around and found this a photo of a walkway/tie off section.


Also a link to an interesting use of equipment instlaling a boat ramp. I really like the skid steer in the water shot.

Grider Hill Dock and Indian Creek Lodge - Houseboat Rentals on Lake Cumberland

 

[sr160009]

How about using galvanized culverts and pouring concrete into them. That should outlast all of us.

 

[hazmat]

Most of my boating experience is on tidal salt water. 'Round here we use PT pilings to anchor floating docks to acccount for the tide change. The docks are attached with a big "U". Hinged ramps connect the floating docks to the beach - usually level at high tide, can have quite an angle at low. Docks are pulled during the winter to minize storm/ice damage. If you went with this setup, if the piling rotted out after 25 years, simply replace it, wouldn't have to demo the boathouse.

Boathouses (somewhat rare) are on dry land - the boat is pulled into the house on a trailer / cribbing of some sort. I've seen a few setups with a boatlift on a fixed pier. The piers are usually PT pilings.

Is the goal to remove the boat from the water in the boathouse, or simply to dock it there & have a room for entertaining on the water?

They built the Brooklyn bridge on cut granite (before concrete became the preferred method). Maybe you could get some of our New England members to start quarying for you...

The Mainer's might recognize this (stonington)