The frame of our aluminum floating wave attenuator is created with a 48" truss, engineered from heavy-duty, tubular aluminum extrusions. The outside of the truss is sheathed with 18-gauge, galvanized, corrugated steel plates to absorb and dissipate waves. Attached along the sides of the system, flush with the top of the deck, pressure-treated wooden whalers are added as a standard feature on each section of the wave attenuator. Flotation is provided by polyethylene-encased polystyrene. Decking is available in a variety of materials so that the wave attenuator will blend into the marina setting. Dock fingers may be attached to the side of the wave attenuator to create slips.

    The corrugated steel panels trap water inside the frame of the wave attenuator and effectively add to the mass of the structure. It is this mass that absorbs and dissipates the wave action.

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Concrete Wave Attenuators

    The Rixö-bryggan Model 850 is designed as a heavy-duty breakwater standing six feet six inches in height. Because the energy of a wave travels in an elliptical motion, the depth of a floating breakwater is very important. If the bottom of the ellipse is greater than the depth of the breakwater, a portion of the wave's energy will travel under the breakwater. Accordingly, the deeper the breakwater, the greater the wave dampening effect of the structure. The "legs" on the Model 850 also trap water inside the frame of the breakwater and effectively adds to the wave dissipating mass of the structure. It can easily handle wind driven waves (the wind in the photo above was 63 mph!), and is equally effective against waves created by boat traffic. The weight and stability of the concrete system allows peple to stand comfortably on the dock even as large boat wakes buffer the pontoons.