The Ubiquitous Barge: Some Trends in Barge Design and Construction in British Columbia

This paper briefly reviews barge construction in British Columbia, Canada in the 1970's. Changes in the material handling systems for barges serving the forest products industry are outlined. The design of the fore end structure of unmanned barges to withstand slamming forces in heavy seaways is discussed. Progress in the design of the bow form and skeg configuration of larger barges and specific resistance characteristics of a wide variety of barges are examined. The practical effect of the application of some aspects of the 1966 Load Line Convention to unmanned barges and the possible effect of recently promulgated Canadian Interim Stability Standards for this type of vessel are discussed. Finally, trends in the use of radio-controlled remote operation of anchors and ballasting pumping systems, emergency/pickup gear, and paint coating systems favored by the Canadian West Coast tug and barge industry are outlined.