Located in the heart of a dynamically developing urban district, the Mainz Customs Port has been home to a marina with up to 140 high-quality berths for various boat sizes since 2018. To ensure that skippers and guests can access their boats safely and dry-footed, the operating company had two floating docks built – and opted for the "Atlantic" system from specialist provider Inter Boat Marinas. The solid floorboards "Die Kompakte" in brown from NATURinFORM were installed over a total area of 1,600 square meters. After almost three years of intensive use, the operators are now drawing their first conclusions: "The flooring is as attractive as it was on day one. With its anti-slip surface, it reliably prevents accidents and is also easy to clean."

The quarter in Mainz's customs port, with its many award-winning architecture, has gradually grown closer to the harbor basin in recent years. A new marina has been open there since summer 2018, offering skippers comfortably equipped berths in a prime city location. Within easy walking distance, they can reach everything their guests, crew, and even the cook enjoy: lively cafés, a diverse range of restaurants, grocery stores with a supermarket and health food store—and even an art gallery in the immediate vicinity. The marina itself also offers its guests a wide range of amenities—from electricity to water and Wi-Fi, right at the berth.

Proven experts in the construction of floating docks

To build the jetty, the operating company Zollhafen Mainz GmbH & Co. KG commissioned Inter Boat Marinas, a Dutch company headquartered in Puttershoek that has specialized in the development, manufacture, and installation of floating docks and turnkey marinas since 1986. They have completed over 1,400 projects worldwide in recent years. "Inter Boat Marinas wasn't exactly one of the cheaper providers, but their concept and impressive reference list convinced us," recalls Detlef Höhne, who was involved in the planning as harbor master. The work was carried out by H&R Modultechnik, based in Kinheim/Mosel, the German representative of the Dutch company. H&R Modultechnik specializes in systems on and near the water. "We plan and develop individual projects in close cooperation with our customers, according to their wishes," says Managing Director Hans Georg Schulz. "Concrete floating docks, floating concrete platforms, aluminum dock systems, flood-resistant and floating sanitary and catering buildings for campsites, yacht harbors, and marinas are our core competencies. With our 'all-in-one solution,' we offer expert advice and support in the implementation of hydraulic engineering work – including the construction of floating and fixed docks, piling and dredging work, water and electrical supply, as well as the construction of fences and access control."

Floating jetty system with robust wood composite decking

First, the dolphins – piles used to secure or repel ships or to mark the navigation channel – were driven into the bottom of the harbor basin, which can be up to four meters deep. Then the H&R Modultechnik team installed the "Atlantic" system. This is a robust, floating, and modular pier system made of hot-dip galvanized steel frames with main piers and outriggers, suitable for use in coastal waters or large inland waterways and rivers. "The special feature of this system in combination with concrete floats is its high deadweight," explains Hans Georg Schulz. An element measuring 10×2.50 m is designed for a load-bearing capacity of 250 kg/^m²and weighs well over 4 tons. "Due to this high deadweight, this pier system sits very stable in the water," Schulz explains. Concrete floats were installed beneath the main piers, while polyethylene floats are beneath the finger piers. After screwing the aluminum profiles, the NATURinFORM wood composite floorboards were laid over an area of 1600 ^m²as a visually appealing, durable and slip-resistant surface.

Maritime look, durability and ease of care convinced

"We offer a wide range of deck surfaces for our floating docks," says Hans Georg Schulz. The extensive selection ranges from hardwood decking to impregnated softwood, hot-dip galvanized and GRP or aluminum gratings, concrete surfaces, and wood composite materials. "After extensive consultation, our clients in Mainz opted for 'The Compact' from NATURinFORM primarily because of the material's durability and easy maintenance." The latter was particularly important to the operators, as the dock is also in high demand with a flock of Egyptian geese. "The large birds always leave a lot of dirt here," says harbormaster Detlef Höhne. "An absolute 'must' in the list of requirements was therefore that bird droppings could be removed with a high-pressure cleaner without damaging the surface. And this still works perfectly today," says Höhne, praising the durability of the decking. Sustainability also played a role in the decision-making process, as the planks are manufactured using only wood fibers from domestic and sustainable forestry, rather than tropical wood harvested from the rainforest. Thus, "Die Kompakte," with its maritime, brushed wood plank look, emerged as the clear favorite against the competition from hardwood and fiberglass gratings. In addition to its attractive appearance, the material-specific performance characteristics such as robustness, ease of care, and durability spoke in favor of the "Made in Germany" wood composite material, emphasizes Hans Georg Schulz, adding: "To date, we've had nothing but positive experiences with this material—especially from the NATURinFORM range."

Successful cooperation between Inter Boat Marinas and NATURinFORM

In the past, Inter Boat Marinas worked with primarily Chinese and American suppliers of wood composite materials/WPC until the company finally switched to NATURinFORM. Erik Langerak, Director of Inter Boat Marinas, cites the "reliable quality of NATURinFORM" as the reason for the change of supplier. With the specialist from Redwitz an der Rodach, the Dutch company has recently been able to build around twelve jetty systems in Germany, including in Hooksiel in Friesland, Papenburg, and Dinslaken, to name the largest. "NATURinFORM convinced us of the quality of its products based on their numerous references and the continuous testing they conduct on the material. Ultimately, the support, fast delivery times, and the agreed guarantee on material and processing costs are also crucial," says Erik Langerak, citing the reasons for the change of supplier. "Even though we first had to familiarize ourselves with this (new) material in practice with regard to its processing, we made the right decision and recommend the products from the NATURinFORM portfolio to our customers, even with regard to use in saltwater environments," says Erik Langerak, "here the company confirmed to us that their products are absolutely saltwater-resistant."

Certified safety: Non-slip surfaces prevent accidents

The "Compact" decking was also chosen for the floating docks in Mainz's Zollhafen Marina, providing a slip-resistant surface that provides ample traction even in damp and wet conditions. NATURinFORM solid decking has proven itself time and again in water-related environments and on terraces around swimming pools. The decking is available with a finely grooved side or block stripes, both of which are brushed for greater grip and slip resistance. With its finely grooved surface, the decking promises the highest level of slip resistance, R12 according to DIN 51130 and Class C according to DIN 51097, as proven by a TÜV Rheinland test. "The Compact" decking is therefore ideal for areas located in direct proximity to water. Furthermore, the finely grained decking is unaffected by splashing water and, thanks to its technical finish, guarantees a high degree of surefootedness. Unlike wood, decking made of wood composite material does not splinter. With a maximum length of 13 meters, a thickness of 21 millimeters and a double-sided surface, they are versatile in their application.

About the company: Professional for intelligent outdoor flooring
 

NATURinFORM specializes in intelligent solutions for outdoor flooring and profiles. The wood composites are manufactured at the plant in Redwitz an der Rodach, Upper Franconia: a material that combines the visual properties of traditional construction timber with the durability of a technical polymer. During production, the wood fibers are combined with an environmentally friendly, single-variety thermoplastic polymer in such a way that it forms a protective coating around each individual fiber. Because the polymer itself is completely water-repellent, no water can penetrate the finished plank – while retaining the visual and thermal properties of wood. A major advantage for areas around damp and wet areas: the material neither swells and therefore rots prematurely, nor does it splinter or become slippery.

Customers who value sustainable products also prefer NATURinFORM. Climate protection and resource conservation are top priorities for the manufacturer. For the certified climate-neutral production of their wood composite materials, they use exclusively wood fibers from domestic and sustainable forestry (PEFC-certified wood suppliers). This means that no additional trees are felled for this process; the wood fibers are a byproduct of the wood processing industry. All products are also 100 percent recyclable. After the boards have been used, they are taken back by the company after inspection and returned to the production process.

All NATURinFORM floorboards and façade profiles are subject to Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) prepared in accordance with international standards. All products are subjected to continuous quality controls and stress tests to ensure consistently flawless and first-class wood-based material quality. The company offers a five-year warranty on its products.