A branch dock is a

dock A dock (from Dutch ''dok'') is the area of water between or next to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore) or such structures themselves. The exact meaning vari ...

that forms part of a large harbour system of interlinked docks. Dkbkpl27

Branch docks are terminal branches of a main floating dock. They are ''not'' isolated from the main dock by

gate A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path; But other terms include ''yett and port''. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall ...

s or

lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

s and they share the same water level. Where docks join other docks or basins through gates, these are usually given a distinct name rather than being termed a 'branch'. Floating docks that are separated from

tidal waters Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

by a

half tide dock A half tide dock is a partially tidal dock. Typically the dock is entered at high tide. As the tide ebbs a sill or weir prevents the level dropping below a certain point, meaning that the ships in the dock remain afloat, although they still rise an ...

commonly have related names such as

Sandon Dock Sandon Dock was a dock on the River Mersey, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. Situated in the northern dock system, it was east of Sandon Half Tide Dock, to which it was once connected. History It was designed by Jesse Hartley and ...

and

Sandon Half Tide Dock Sandon Half Tide Dock is a half tide dock on the River Mersey, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the northern dock system in Kirkdale, connected to Huskisson Dock to the north, Wellington Dock to the east and Br ...

. Branch docks are usually numbered, following the name of their main dock, i.e. ' Gladstone Number Three Branch Dock', rather than individually named. The purpose of a branch dock is to increase the

quay A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths ( mooring locatio ...

side frontage and space for

warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of citie ...

s, for a given volume of water,The cost of excavation for a dock is roughly proportional to its volume. and without requiring the cost and complexity of more locks. Branch docks first appeared in the 18th century, but their heyday was in the middle of the 19th century when major Victorian port cities such as

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

were constructing their dock systems. Complex floating harbours were being built that allowed more ships to enter or leave on each tide. The increased number of ships required more space for loading than a simple rectangular dock When ships began to increase in size after World War II and cargo began to be handled by either

bulk carrier A bulk carrier or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo — such as grains, coal, ore, steel coils, and cement — in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, eco ...

s or

container A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping. Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...

s, the need for warehouses at docks was reduced. Many older docks became obsolete and were closed in the 1970s and 1980s. These branch docks were often infilled to create more land within the dock complex; either to provide parking and marshalling space for container trucks, or to build new dock features such as specialist bulk loading facilities or other ancillaries.The infilled

now contains a sewage plant.

Notes

References

Docks (maritime) {{Water-transport-stub