Dock construction questions

[gchappel]

The people on this forum know a lot- I don't.
We are rebuilding an old dock, and as it has an upper 2nd story deck I am "grandfathered" in to allowing one in the new construction.
Upper deck area is 12x30'
We presently have a 2nd story flat upper deck, with the boat hanging below. Flooring is some type of coated marine plywood, painted not to be slippery. Has worked fine for 20yrs. Not elegant, but it is a dock and works fine.
New dock builder is reluctant to rebuild the same structure. He says he cannot make the dock, with a large flat "roof" or deck area sturdy enough. He wants to build a pitched roof over 20' of it, and a flat 10x12' deck on the far end.
So question for you smart engineers. Is a pitched roof that much more stable than a flat roof/structure? Can a flat roof/deck not be braced to be as strong as a pitched roof? Or is it just that he has not built one before. They are not allowed on new construction, but I am allowed to replace a pre existing one. So new construction of an upper deck is unusual.

Second question
Any new products I should look at for the upper deck flooring? Needs to be somewhat waterproof, as it is covering the boat hanging underneath. Nice to walk on, not slippery. Painted marine ply works fine.
Rest of the dock is going to have some engineered wood product for the planking.

Thanks for any thoughts.
gary

[A930Rocket]

Does he just wing it or does he have a structural engineer design it?

[gchappel]

This is rural central Florida. He pretty much wings it.
Local guy, builds lots of higher end docks over the last 15 years. None have fallen down yet.......
gary

[URY914]

"X" bracing between all the verticals would be a place to start.

[911 Rod]

Need a pic

[Zeke]

The builder is stuck in his ways. Flat roofs/upper decks need some pitch for rain. Tell him to do the pitch after all. Just make it 1/4" in 12. Deck paint sounds like it has small aggregate in it.

[911 Rod]

They sell troughs at HD that mount between the joists to carry water away.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Trex-RainEscape-Trex-12-ft-RainEscape-Deck-Drainage-System-Plastic-Trough-0054/203768535

[HobieMarty]

When our new dock was built at the lake a few years ago we had it floored with a composite plank, I think it was called Tek-dek but not sure.

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[Baz]

Hello Gary....

This is the FB page for a local dock builder who has been building them here for quite a few years.

Might be worth reaching out to him for his opinion (?)

If you go down to the May 17 video ("Just completed") - I actually watched the construction of this one as it is across the street from one of my accounts. And it has a flat second story deck.

He uses a product called "Weardeck" apparently.

My client's dock is also seen in the video (they have a pontoon boat) and it also has a flat upper deck.

https://www.facebook.com/NSBdockguy/

I think the owner's name is Brian. I met him a few years ago.

There are other dock builders here - one I've known as a friend for probably going on 50 years.

Good luck! And let me know if I can help with anything else.

[gchappel]

Thanks all!!
I will look at the websites.
Rod, the troughs sound like a PERFECT solution. I was unaware they existed. This place is great.
I need to host some pics somewhere so I can put them up.
Old dock has done great for 23 years, and has survived multiple high end hurricanes. It just is finally starting to rot out at the waterline.
Thanks
gary

[HobieMarty]

Just found it, it was called Timbertech.

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[dad911]

Find another builder, no reason you can’t have a flat ( minimal pitch) deck on top of the piling.

I’m surprised local construction officials will allow you to “wing it” without structural plans.

[bernardcoghlan]

Regarding your first question, a pitched roof can indeed provide more stability compared to a flat roof, especially if you're concerned about load-bearing capacity. However, it's also possible to strengthen a flat roof/deck by adding proper bracing and support beams. It might be worth discussing the specific design and engineering details with your dock builder to ensure it meets your needs.
As for your second question, for upper deck flooring, you might want to consider Timber Joists. They can provide a sturdy and reliable foundation for your deck. Additionally, you can explore modern decking materials that are designed to be waterproof, non-slip, and comfortable to walk on, such as composite decking.

[gchappel]

Thanks for reminding me of this thread. Dock is finally done, well the electrician has to finalize wiring.
Upper flat deck ended up being some type of interlocking aluminum decking, that is waterproof. Whole thing was supposedly cad designed. Rest of dock one of the composite plank products.
Dock ended up exactly what we wanted, at about 3x the cost I wanted it to be.
Thanks for giving me information to allow me to push for what we wanted, a beautiful 2nd story deck over the lake. Even the builder likes it, now that it is done!
gary

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by gchappel

Thanks for reminding me of this thread. Dock is finally done, well the electrician has to finalize wiring.
Upper flat deck ended up being some type of interlocking aluminum decking, that is waterproof. Whole thing was supposedly cad designed. Rest of dock one of the composite plank products.
Dock ended up exactly what we wanted, at about 3x the cost I wanted it to be.
Thanks for giving me information to allow me to push for what we wanted, a beautiful 2nd story deck over the lake. Even the builder likes it, now that it is done!
gary

What no pix?