Pier

For personal use, a pier is a “structure that provides access to a boat, becomes outdoor living space, and provides structure for fish,” being the “central feature for life on the lake” [2]. These piers may or may not utilize driven piles or wooden posts placed in the soil directly underneath the pier for support and have “floating docks” that “float on the water rather than standing to the bottom of the lake / river” [3]. In the case of non-oceanic piers, these are often used as an “environmentally benign alternative to visitor paths paved with asphalt or concrete in zoos and nature centers” that “blend with the habitat” and may can provide “excellent pathways for sightseeing and walking through historical areas” [4]. This variety of applications means that piers are often visible in woodlands, parks, historical areas and wetlands.

For oceanic settings, “cylindrical and square piles” are used for piers, with piers designed “for breaking waves” and piers potentially “constructed with wood decks fastened to the pier’s structural members." The piles “are structural members of timber, concrete, or steel used to transmit surface loads to lower levels within a soil mass,” and where “construction with timber piles is acceptable and feasible, round timber piles are recommended” and should be “pressure treated” to protect against direct marine environment exposure [1].

Piers may also have “breakaway decks,” which are panels that are pushed out of place in high storm events to handle “extreme storm tides” and frequently have “rails” to protect people from falling over the edge of the pier, but in most piers no “special deck panels” are distinguishable, and instead “wood plans are simply nailed to the beams” [1]. These rails are almost always used in public piers but may be excluded for private piers. Oceanic piers also contain “transverse X – braces” which connect pier piles [4]. The handrail system is “one of the most aesthetically important aspects of a walkway,” but “rail posts” or “aluminum rods, steel” may be used when there are “low liability issues” [4].

Rails are also standout features of piers, with “most of the older and recently constructed piers having wooden rails of various design,” though “more substantial steel or aluminum rail design” can be spotted where there is “greater exposure to breaking wave forces." In addition to rails, lighting is required on public piers, where lighting is “permitted to provide light to the pier’s deck area without casting their beams in a manner that would disrupt sea turtle nesting,” meaning that they will be “illuminating only the pier’s deck” that is “low pressure." A final visual feature for piers is “the encrustation of marine algae, crustaceans, and marine worms on each of the piles” [1].

References

[1] Clark, R. R. (2011, March). Fishing Pier Design Guidance – Part 2: Methodologies for Design and Construction. Florida Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Beaches and Coastal Systems. Retrieved (2021, July 17), from https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/FishingPierDesignGuidance-Part2.pdf

[2] Russell Lands on Lake Martin. (2014, July). The perfect pier: Things to consider in Lake Martin pier design. Retrieved (2021, July 18), from https://news.russelllandsonlakemartin.com/2014-07-real-estate.html#.YPNK9xNKi3I

[3] ShoreMaster Marketing. (2020, January 16). How Does a Floating Dock Work? ShoreMaster. Retrieved (2021, July 17), from https://www.shoremaster.com/about-shoremaster/news-events/articles/how-does-a-floating-dock-work/

[4] Southern Pine Council (SPC) – Southern Pine by Design, Taylor, J. G., UNC Sea Grant College Program, Southern Pine Inspection Bureau (SPIB), & Timber Products Inspection, Inc. (TP). (2009). Aquatic & Wetland Structures: Design and Construction Guide. Retrieved (2021, July 18), from https://www.sussexcountyva.gov/uploads/docs/Pier%20Detail.pdf