Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

EXCAVATING THE NEW WET DOCK AT SOUTHAMPTON. Preparation being made for building one of the side walls. BY ROBERT MACINTYRE. WHEN a landsman thinks of a dock, he invariably has in his mind a water space of some kind enclosed by walls, along whose inner sides ships are moored. So far as it goes, the impression is accurate ; but it does not go far enough. There are several types of docks, some being variations of the original idea of a dock to fulfil particular re- quirements, and others being adaptations of it to suit local physical conditions. We may best begin perhaps by separating Definitions. all docks into two main groups —namely, (1) docks in which ships load and discharge cargo, and (2) docks in which ships are cleaned externally, and re- paired and overhauled. Each of these main groups may be further divided, the first into wet docks and tidal docks, and the second into built docks (graving docks) and floating docks. The term “ dry dock ” applies to both the latter types. Originally ships went into dry dock for hull cleaning, and graving is used to express the process of scraping. The subject of floating docks is treated elsewhere. Here we will deal only with solid docks of masonry, which, as lias been shown, are broadly divisible into wet docks, tidal docks, and dry docks. Before proceeding to explain what these are, and how they are constructed, the principles of their design should be made as clear as