Case study
Peachtree City, Georgia: A 65 × 40 ft Floating Fireworks Platform for the Fourth of July
The Challenge
Peachtree City's Fourth of July celebration is a popular one, and its fireworks need a safe launch zone. Launching from the shore meant closing a large section of the city's lakefront park during the celebration.
The city wanted to move the launch offshore, so more families could use the park and the shoreline. It didn't want to buy a single-purpose barge for one night a year, so the platform had to be something it could set up for the event, take apart afterwards and store until the next show.
The Solution
Dock Blocks designed a 65 × 40 ft modular floating platform that could be assembled for the event. Individual Dock Blocks provide around 200 pounds of buoyancy depending on configuration. The blocks are high-density polyethylene (HDPE), connected at the center, with one connecting pin joining two blocks, and strengthening bars along the edges reinforce the whole platform.
For the fireworks, the deck was covered with 3/4-inch tongue-and-groove OSB flooring, coated first with fire-resistant paint and then with light-gray exterior deck paint. Once it was loaded, the platform was moved into position on the lake with only two personal watercraft.
The Result
The platform carried more than 47,000 pounds of fireworks, equipment and materials, and the launch moved off the shore. The park and the shoreline stayed open to more of the crowd, and after the event the platform came apart for compact storage, ready to be built again for the next show or reconfigured for something else the city needs on the water.
Customer Feedback:
All went great! The dock/barge worked fantastic! … They were able to pull the dock/barge out with two jet skis and it went faster than expected.
The funny thing is, I'm the Pyrotechnician, AND a resident of Peachtree City. I just wanted to present the best options and deliver the best show. With your help, I think we hit it out of the park!
Photos from the event
What This Means for Your Town
A fireworks launch, an event stage, a temporary work area or emergency access on the water: a Dock Blocks platform can be sized for the job, set up for the day and reconfigured for the next one.