Pontoon Bags are cylindrical buoyancy units for refloating vessels and carrying heavy loads on the water. Ten standard sizes from 500 kg up to no less than 45 tonnes of buoyancy per pontoon – the largest in our programme. Also available as a convertible version with removable Ø146 mm caps, turning the same pontoon into an open lift bag that raises loads from the bottom.

Features of our pontoon flotation bags

Buitink Technology's pontoon style flotation bags have a number of important and distinctive characteristics.

• Due to the polyester fabric and its EVA/PVC co-polymer coating, the material is very flexible and also very easy to repair (with glue or a hairdryer with hot air);
• Pontoon style flotation bags are made of a very strong coated polyester fabric with a tensile strength of no less than 8,000 N/5 cm;
• Due to the high-strength polyester fabric type IV, the material with which the enclosed flotation bags are made has a puncture resistance of no less than 2,150 N (in contrast to many competing products that only reach 1,750 N);
• Buitink Technology's enclosed flotation bags have no sharp corners (they are rounded off and smooth), which makes these enclosed flotation bags more robust and less likely to be damaged;
• Buitink Technology's enclosed flotation bags are lightweight! Up to 50% lighter than the competition's enclosed flotation bags, while the lift capacity is at least 10% higher;
• The enclosed flotation bags require little maintenance and are very easy to clean;
• We can personalize the bags and provide them with your logo and desired print! That means that you can sell them under your own label if so required.

Specifications pontoon style flotation bags

Top-quality material

• EVA/PVC co-polymer coated polyester fabric - high-strength and heavy-duty;
• Fabric's tensile strength: 8,000 N/5 cm;
• Puncture resistance: 2,150 N (in contrast to competitor's products, which often do not reach more than 1,750 N);
• Resistant to many chemicals;
• High UV-resistance;
• Very easy to repair (with glue or a hairdryer with hot air), unlike materials coated with PU or TPU;
• Highly flexible and lightweight material.

Ready to use!

• Buitink's enclosed flotation bags are equipped with all the necessary hardware and are ready for immediate use;
• They are equipped with a stainless steel compressed air connector (quick connect); both male and female are included;
• They are equipped with a ¾" stainless steel ball valve;
• They are equipped with pressure relief valves;

Supplied hardware

1. Stainless steel compressed air connector, female (in bag) MA2-SS

2. Stainless steel compressed air connector, male FPA2-SS

3. 2-piece ball valve 316 FB LD female-male thread

Certification & quality

• IMCA D-016 – designed and manufactured to the same engineering principles as IMCA D-016: safety factor ≥ 5:1 on the WLL, webbing slings ≥ 7:1. Every pontoon carries a unique serial number and is delivered with a test certificate and user manual.
• Webbing slings CE-marked to EN 1492-1. No harmonised EU standard exists for underwater lift bags themselves; the industry works to IMCA D-016. That guidance covers open parachute type bags and excludes totally enclosed bags from its scope; we build and inspect our pontoon bags to the same principles.
• Individually tested – pressure test, relief-valve function test and a 24-hour air-tightness check before shipment.
• ISO 9001 certified manufacturer; produced entirely in-house in Duiven, the Netherlands. EU origin: no import duties within the EU.

Welded patches instead of pockets

The lifting straps on our pontoons are attached to HF-welded patches that spread the load over a large fabric area – not sewn-on pockets, which can tear out in practice. Combined with the extremely strong fabric (tensile strength 8,000 N/5 cm, puncture resistance 2,150 N) this gives a demonstrably more robust load introduction.

Applications

• Ship salvage and refloating of hulls
• Work pontoons and temporary buoyancy for hydraulic works, locks and flood barriers
• Transporting heavy structures over water
• Convertible version: lifting from the bottom with the same pontoon

Dimensions and specifications

Metric leading; imperial values rounded. Packed dimensions and weights are indicative. HS code: 8907 90 00 · Country of origin: the Netherlands. Convertible version with removable Ø146 mm caps available.