VersaBarrier Floating Oil Containment System

VersaDock, a leading manufacturer of modular floating dock systems, has announced its patent pending VersaBarrier floating oil containment barrier. VersaBarrier provides significant advantages over other approaches to protecting beaches, harbors, and wetlands from the Gulf oil spill as well as other potential environmental disasters. Conventional oil booms fail to trap oil in even moderate wave action. Barges are costly as oil barriers, and sand berms are similarly unfeasible.

The VersaDock system eliminates this problem by providing an inexpensive, rigid floating “walkway” of any length or width that can be anchored to the sea bed, and is therefore able to withstand higher wind and water conditions than existing systems. Attached on either side of the walkway is a two-foot high rail. Draped from these rails is Ultra-Tech Fabric, an oil capturing material. This has a pocket stitched along its bottom edge where chain is threaded through to ensure the fabric remains submerged at two feet or deeper, depending upon fabric width.

Ultra-X-Tex® has proven its ability to pass water, while absorbing and capturing oil. The floating walkway double barrier of fabric provides many unique benefits. These include the ability to “walk the line” and inspect oil saturation levels in the fabric. The double barrier provides twice the ability to capture oil. A skimmer can clean oil from the outboard side of the scrim. When fabric is removed for oil reclamation, the other barrier still prevents the passage of oil until the cleaned fabric is reinstalled.

VersaDock has extensive worldwide experience providing floating walkways and docks for rough-water applications. The modular system, consisting of nineteen-inch square floats, can be interconnected to create any type or size of floating platform. The modules are extremely portable and can be transported and assembled even in the most difficult locations. VersaDock is experienced in providing innovative solutions to Emergency & Relief situations and has achieved success and recognition with their “Bridge in a Box” and Flood Rescue Raft projects. Based upon this experience, combined with installations of floating wave attenuators, walkways, floating bridges, as well as implementations in rough water locations, the VersaBarrier is a logical progression. When spill remediation is eventually concluded, the VersaDock floats can be re-used in innumerable harbor and waterside projects.

http://www.versadock.com/