During the repair of a boat ramp, you have to deal with the problem of working underwater due to the nature of the job site. You are also likely to encounter rip rap during the repair project in addition to the dangers of working in water. Therefore, in-water repair of boat ramps could use cofferdams that are vital for dewatering the site, enabling the working crew to complete the work in a timely and cost-efficient manner. Here are some reasons why inflatable cofferdams are integral during a boat ramp repair project.

Ease of Dewatering — When you want to repair your boat ramp, you have to take care of two problems. First, you need to dewater the area to expose the foundation of the ramp. Second, the method used to separate the water from the ramp itself should not cause an obstruction. Therefore, cofferdams are ideal because they temporarily hold back water to allow your crew to access the job site. An inflatable cofferdam will take care of these two problems because it dewaters the area with ease. It also provides the needed space for construction to occur without causing unnecessary obstructions.  

Fast Repair — Water barriers such as rocks or sand require a significant amount of time and resources to install before a ramp repair project can begin. For example, the use of sandbags has inherent challenges, which may affect the overall project budget and time. You have to choose whether to fill the sandbags onsite or offsite and ferry them to your site. Furthermore, sandbags have to be installed manually, meaning that water may still escape through minor spaces and find its way into the worksite. For this reason, a cofferdam can be installed faster and thus keeps your site dry for the entire duration of the project.  

Affordability and Portability — Conventional water barriers are often expensive because of the cost and time needed for installation. An inflatable cofferdam can quickly be assembled and disassembled accordingly onsite. Furthermore, the cost of an inflatable cofferdam is usually less than that of a conventional water barrier, such as concrete barriers. Additionally, you can decide to reuse the inflatable dams on your next boat ramp repair project. This is because of the durable material used for the cofferdam manufacture. Note that if you want to save more money, you can hire an inflatable cofferdam instead of buying one. Another advantage is that cofferdams are portable and hence can be moved with ease to and from the worksite. 

For more information, contact businesses that work on concrete boat ramps.