Start your Aluminum Structure Project
A gangway is the one structure every person on your waterfront will cross. We engineer marine aluminum gangways for marinas, ports, ferry terminals, boat landings and shipyards: custom spans in marine-grade aluminum, designed in-house by Professional Engineers, prefabricated in our Canadian plant and built to carry decades of traffic without corrosion, painting or structural maintenance.
Since 2005, our gangways have connected shore to floating or fixed docks on waterfronts in more than 14 countries, from national park reserves to international cruise ship landings. Each one is engineered to its site: tidal range, dock movement, slope limits and accessibility requirements first, fabrication second.
The gangway is where accessibility, safety and structure meet. We engineer all three at once.
Engineering
The Engineering Behind Every Marine Gangway
An aluminum marine gangway does more than bridge the gap between land and water. It must track the vertical travel of a floating dock through tides and wakes, keep its slope within accessibility limits at low water, resist saltwater corrosion for decades and carry pedestrian, cart and service loads without complaint. That is a structural engineering problem, and it is the part we own.
Our pony-truss gangways are designed and stamped in-house by Professional Engineers, with guardrails compliant with U.S. and Canadian bridge codes and configurations that meet Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility requirements. Marine-grade aluminum gives the structure a 30 to 50 year service life with no coating systems to maintain, which is why aluminum wins against steel when you count the full cost of ownership. Our aluminum vs steel total cost of ownership study puts numbers on that comparison, and our Why Aluminum page covers the material itself.
Every gangway is sized to its landing condition: connected to our aluminum floating docks, to an existing dock system, to ferry landings with continuous passenger flow, or into a complete custom aluminum marina system delivered turnkey.
Get Your Gangway Engineered to Your Site
Send us your span, clear width, landing conditions and traffic requirements. Our engineers take it from there, with complete in-house engineering and certification under our P.Eng. (PE) seals. MAADI Group takes full professional responsibility for every design we certify.
Get a QuoteTailored design
With a wide range of options, our custom aluminum gangways feature a pony-truss design and are precision-made to your specifications by our top-grade professional engineers .
Transition plates
Guardrails
Connection
Decking materials
Handrails
Lighting system
Kick plates
Flat transition plate
Diamond treads
A flat aluminum plate with anti-slip diamond treads comes standard with the roller and rail system and features a frictionless edge to protect decking surface.
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Flat transition plate
Anti-slip strips
A flat aluminum plate with anti-slip extruded strips can be used with the roller and rail system and is available upon request.
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Flat transition plate
Anti-slip coating
A flat aluminum plate with anti-slip durable polyester powder coating can be used with the roller and rail system and is available upon request. Compliant with AAMA 2604-10 & ASTM D3359.
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Curved transition plate
Diamond treads
A curved aluminum plate with anti-slip diamond treads comes standard with the roller and plate system and features a frictionless edge to protect decking surface.
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Curved transition plate
Anti-slip strips
A curved aluminum plate with anti-slip extruded strips can be used with the roller and plate system and is available upon request.
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Curved transition plate
Anti-slip coating
A curved aluminum plate with anti-slip durable polyester powder coating can be used with the roller and plate system and is available upon request. Compliant with AAMA 2604-10 & ASTM D3359.
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Guardrails with midrails
Standard 42″ guardrails
Our natural-finish aluminum guardrails are compliant with U.S. and Canadian bridge codes and standards and feature 2″ (50 mm) midrails installed at mid-height.
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Guardrails with midrails
Custom design
Personalize your guardrails with your own design.
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Structure connection
Roller and plate system
This system allows lateral and vertical movement and is usually needed to link a chain-anchored floating dock to land.
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Structure connection
Flexible connector
This connector allows small vertical movement and is usually required to link a pile-anchored floating dock to the land.
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Structure connection
Roller and rail system
This easy-to-install system is usually used in conjunction with the roller and plate system or flexible connector on the land side. Rails are made of aluminum and wheels are made of UHMW.
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Durable decking materials
Ipe hardwood
- Naturally very resistant to decay, rot and insect attack
- Minimum 40-year lifespan depending on use
- Low maintenance, no treating or sealing required for durability
- Other hardwood options such as ribbed cumaru are available upon request
Durable decking materials
Composite
- Designed to resist rot, warping, and fading
- Minimum 25-year lifespan depending on use
- Anti-slip ribbed surface
- Low maintenance, no treating or sealing required for durability
Durable decking materials
Ribbed aluminum
- Unlimited lifespan with regular cleaning
- High grip ribbed tongue and groove planks
- Maintenance-free – no treatments or sealers required
Handrails
Optional natural-finish aluminum handrails with 2″ (50 mm) hand clearance. Double handrails also available upon request.
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LED lighting system
Optional built-in white LED lighting system, white or RGB programmable LED light projector system, or handrail-integrated lighting system.
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Integrated kick plates
Optional natural-finish aluminum kick plates help prevent objects from falling and add a higher level of security.
Download Custom Gangways brochure Raised kick plates
Optional kick plates available in Ipe hardwood, wood composite, extruded aluminum alloy, and other types of wood upon request. Compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Download Custom Gangways brochureExpertise you can count on for marine gangways
Speedy turnaround
We manufacture our aluminum docks and gangways right in our Canadian plant, eliminating the need to work with a separate supplier. Plus, our large inventory on hand prevents supply chain delays.
Experienced engineers
In addition to the hundreds of structural extruded aluminum projects we’ve designed and built, we also have numerous awards under our belt. This includes the Extrusion Technology Foundation’s Design Competition Award in the structural category, which we won a 3rd time in 2022.
Built to code
All of our design specifications meet local, regional, and national building codes and professional standards as required. All of our technical designs and calculations for our aluminum marine structures bear the seal of one of our professional engineers.
Guaranteed quality
Backed by 15-year limited warranty on aluminum against material failure, defects, and corrosion
Sector
Marine Constructions
We’re your partner for a job well done, no matter how much (or how little) of our expertise you need. Our services include full engineering, technical support and manufacturing, planning, and installation.
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Documentation
Want more details? Download our technical information about our products. And feel free to contact us with any questions!
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Built with off-the-shelf components for installation at unparalleled speeds.
Durable design with refined custom features to beautify your waterfront.
Frequently Asked Questions About Marine Aluminum Gangways
How long should a gangway be for a floating dock?
Gangway length is driven by water level fluctuation and slope limits, not by preference. The greater the vertical travel between the shore and the floating dock, the longer the gangway must be to maintain a safe and accessible slope at low water. Our engineers calculate the span from your site's tidal or seasonal range, then confirm the landing hardware that lets the gangway roll as the dock moves.
Are your aluminum gangways ADA compliant?
Yes. We engineer gangway configurations that meet Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility requirements, including slope management, handrails with proper hand clearance, and raised kick plates. Accessibility is treated as a structural input from the first calculation, not an accessory added at the end.
Why choose aluminum over steel for a marine gangway?
Marine-grade aluminum resists saltwater corrosion naturally, with no paint or coating system to renew, and delivers a 30 to 50 year service life. Its strength-to-weight ratio produces a structure roughly a third the weight of steel: lighter to install, and easier on the dock connection. Counted over the life of the structure, aluminum's total cost of ownership is consistently lower than steel's.
Can you match a gangway to an existing dock that you didn't build?
Yes. Our gangways integrate with new construction and retrofits of existing structures alike. We engineer the connection hardware, roller and plate, flexible connector or roller and rail, to suit the dock you have, whether or not it is ours. For faster standard needs, our gangway kits assemble from off-the-shelf components.
What loads can a marine gangway carry?
Each gangway is engineered to its intended traffic: pedestrian crowds, equipment carts, service vehicles where required. Load cases follow the applicable bridge codes and standards, and every design carries the seal of one of our Professional Engineers (P.Eng. or PE). Tell us how the gangway will be used and the structure is sized accordingly.
