Case Studies

Maryland Port Administration

Maryland Port Administration (MPA) operates the Port of Baltimore. The port has successfully used Seaward’s foam-filled fenders for more than 20 years, so its personnel were ready to test 10" x 10" (250mm x 250mm) SEATIMBER composite marine timber as backing beams, also known in the industry as wharf logs or bullrail. These backing beams help prevent trucks and other vehicles from accidentally backing off the edge of the pier.

Rather than using concrete or steel, which require regular re-painting, MPA personnel wanted to try low-maintenance plastic materials with built-in “Safety Yellow” pigments that would not need painting. Moreover, the plastic materials needed to be very rugged for the dock environment.

MPA maintenance personnel devised a simple test of durability: they drove into the backing beam with a forklift. Unreinforced plastic lumber, when tested, fractured on impact. They also tested other manufacturers’ plastic products but found they did not maintain adequate color stability. When they tested SEATIMBER material, it was completely undamaged by the impact of the forklift, and it has maintained color stability over several seasons of use.

As head of the MPA maintenance department Allan Blair explains, “The fiberglass-reinforced SEATIMBER backing beam has worked out very well. We have developed a system of standoffs that normally keep the ship lines from getting underneath the backing beams. If a line somehow does get underneath the beams, they are mounted on fiberglass pins so they can come loose vertically. This has been an important safety feature here at MPA. Seaward supplies the system completely assembled and ready for installation.”