8 Types Of Gangways – Ultimate Guide

What is a Gangway?

A Gangway is a passage that is used to make a way between the dock and the ship. It is a ladder or ramp type of thing which helps in giving easy access to the ship. It is used by passengers to get in and off of the ships. It is also used for in and out movement of cargo and the repairing process of the ship.

They are designed in such a way that they can withstand any environmental crisis. It has to be built in a proper way to ensure workers’ and passengers’ safety.

They can be foldable or fixed to the ship.

Types of Gangways according to Strength & Durability

A gangway is divided into three categories.

1. High-Duty Gangways

Heavy-duty gangways are used at ports and terminals where large vessels or cruise ships dock. They are made of corrosion-resistant aluminum. Some are made up of Steel. They are designed to sustain heavy loads up to 50psf. They are best in quality, durable, and reliable.

2. Medium-Duty Gangways

They are made of aluminum and stainless steel. These types of gangways are available at affordable costs. They are long-lasting and durable. These gangways are also capable of handling loads up to 50psf. It is preferred by residential and private ports.

3. Light-Duty Gangways

Light-duty gangways are designed for lightweight carrying capacity. It is made up of corrosion-resistant aluminum and stainless steel. It is safe, reliable, and is available at reasonable prices. They generally have a short span.

Also read: Top 10 Free Marine Compass Apps For Android Smart Phones

Types of Gangways according to the usage

Now we will look at the different types of Gangways.

1. Stage Gangways

These gangways are made up of marine-grade aluminum and stainless steel. Their length varies from 12 feet to 40 feet. Designed to carry loads up to 750 lbs.  It is also referred to as vessel stage gangways, simply stage gangways or barge ship gangways. It is mainly used for embarking and disembarking passengers or crew members from ships. This is simple, affordable, and portable.

2. Truss Gangways

Loading and unloading of cargo from offshore platforms and ships require Truss type of gangways. It is a little large and used for naval vessels, barges, transport ships, cargo ships, oil, and gas offshore platforms, and container ships. It can be found attached to a fixed platform, movable platform, or no platform.  It also has several walk surfaces and hence ensures the safety of personnel or cargo getting shipped.

3. Aluminum Gangways

Aluminum Gangways are made up of Aluminium. It consists of handrails that can fold for easy storage, which means it’s for storage purposes. It is attached to the ship with gunwale clips. This gangway has rectangular punched grating due to which it becomes durable and non-slippery.

4. Flat access Gangways

They are made up of aluminum, wood, or steel. Flat access gangways are very safe and can be easily inclined or declined. Due to this property, it is very popular. It has telescopic extension features and they have a non-slippery surface.

5. Beam Brow Fiberglass Gangways

These fiberglass gangways are suitable for ships active in warfare activities because of their low magnetic permeability. It has rectangular bar grating which provides water drainage and makes it durable. It also has a non-slippery surface. The material used in this gangway is fiberglass. Convenient and easy to store because of the availability of folding handrails.

6. Beam Brow Aluminum Gangways

Beam Brow Aluminium gangway is made up of aluminum. It is a heavy-duty gangway with all-welded construction. This type is also equipped with rectangular punched grating which makes it easy for drainage and the surface is non-slip.  It has rigs and gunwale clips to secure to a ship.

7. Truss Brow Aluminum Gangways

This is also made with aluminum. It is a heavy-duty gangway, constructed with complete welding. It consists of Rectangular punched grating for having water drainage and durability. This makes its surface non-slippery. It also includes dock rollers or castor wheels. It can carry loads up to 75 psf. The Truss Brow Aluminium gangway is equipped with Aluminium bulbous cleats for safety purposes.

8. Telescopic and Self-adjusting stair Gangway

Self-adjusting stair gangways are constructed with aluminum, stainless steel, or galvanized steel. It can accommodate itself to the required height and is designed with stairs and a non-slippery surface for safety aspects.

The telescopic marine gangway is generally large and is also retractable. It can reach difficult parts of ships. It can follow the movement of the ship when it is positioned to a tanker and kept in freewheel mode.  It can be stored in a small space.

Offshore installations can be done easily and conveniently. It can manage utility transfer lines for water, electricity, cargo, mud, and fuel. It has become very popular because of the wide range of features available.

 These were some types of gangways used for access to ships from docks and cargo shipping processes. Hope this was informative to you.