A MODERNIZED FLOAT FOR THE SHALL DEPTH RIVERS
Introduction. Growth of number of water transport on the shall depth rivers requires elaboration of the special structures for forest-transport devices. The goal of the research is to modernize the float, intended for the shall depth rivers. The main trend for improvement of forest-transport devices intended for the shall depth rivers, is to elaborate flat rafts with the stabilized reserve of buoyancy. Flat rafts shall have shallow draft, good buoyancy and stacking factor. A float with the two float units of the stabilized buoyancy was made with the use of the float units. They are located in the centre of the transverse row (two float units of an ordinary float structure are located on each side of the transverse row). In practice, number of the float units in the transverse rows of the ordinary float structure and the number of the float units with the stabilized reserve of buoyancy may be diverse. Change of the draft of the transverse row and the float is carried out with greater or lesser intensity during a certain period of time. Results. The carried out research in modernization of the float showed that it is necessary to increase the number of float units in the transverse row to increase the width of the floating route. It is important to increase the number of float units with the stabilized reserve of buoyancy in case of decrease of the minimum depth of floating route. At that, the float units shall be mainly arranged in the centre of the transverse row to assure the safety of the flexible waterproofing material. The carried out theoretical study of the draft of the modernized float allowed to find the regularity in the change of the transverse row draft, depending on the float units arrangement, where increase of the float units number with the stabilized reserve of buoyancy of the transverse row draft (and the float on the whole) decreases. Conclusion. Usage of the modernized float, intended for the shall depth rivers and with the limited width of the float route, will let improve the efficiency and ecological safety of rafting of wood.