A gangway is like a ramp that is smooth and sloping and is something that ships use so that people get into and get out of a ship or a boat. These gangways are mainly used by ship passengers or the ship crew either to enter or go out from the ships. These gangways are not only for people use, but they are also used for loading or unloading cargo.
There are two types of gangways that are being used at present. The foldable gangways are one type of gangway. Some gangways are constructed on the ship of boat itself.
The different types of gangways that are used today are given below.
Beam brow fiberglass gangways by its name is made of fiberglass. These gangways are used for warships and they are 24 feet wide. These types of gang have foldable handrails and are not slippery.
There are gangways made of aluminum called beam brow aluminum gangways. These gangways are welded and are very durable. Because of the type of surface of the ramp, water cannot accumulate on the gangway. The ramp itself cannot cause an accident because it is not slippery. Any aluminum gangways is used for people which is designed for ships of different sizes.
Heavy duty aluminum is used in truss brow aluminum gangways which is the required industry standard. These are used for ships of different sizes. The ramp has a rough surface so that it prevents people walking on it from slipping.
Aluminum gangways have handrails that can be folded so that it will be easy to store them. Because of the rough surface, aluminum gangways are not slippery and so it will not cause any slipping accident. This type of gangways will not cause any water logging problems.
There are many other types of gangways used in different ports and harbors.
Gangways made of aluminum and steel are light-weight gangways which are used in residential ports. These materials used are non-corrosive materials. These gangways have rails that are foldable so that the gangway is easy to store. These types of gangways are the most affordable of all.
Private and residential ports also use medium-duty gangways which are very affordable. The materials used in these types of gangways are steel and aluminum. With aluminum and steel gangways, you can be sure that the ramp is very durable because of aluminum and steel are durable.
You can find heavy-duty gangways in private harbors with cruise ferries and other boats. Steel and aluminum that comply with ISO standards are used in heavy duty ramps. Handicapped people can use this type of ramp with safety.
The different types of gangways used has made it easy for people to enter and leave a ship. Using ramps in ships today is very beneficial.