Dolphin (structure)

A dolphin is a man-made marine structure that extends above the water level and is not connected to shore.

Dolphins are usually installed to provide a fixed structure when it would be impractical to extend the shore to provide a dry-access facility, for example, when the number of ships is greater than can be accommodated by the length of the berth/pier.

Typical uses include extending a berth (a berthing dolphin) or providing a mooring point (a mooring dolphin). Dolphins are also used to house navigation aids such as lights or daybeacons, and display regulatory information such as speed limits and other safety information, or advertising. They are also used to protect structures from possible impact by ships, in a similar fashion to boating fenders.

Dolphins typically consist of a number of piles driven into the seabed or riverbed, and connected above the water level to provide a platform or fixing point. The piles can be untreated azobé wood, pressure treated pine wood poles, or steel or reinforced concrete beams, blocks or tubes. Smaller dolphins can have the piles drawn together with wire rope, but larger dolphins are typically fixed using a reinforced concrete capping or a structural steel frame.

Access to a dolphin may be via a pedestrian bridge in the case of mooring dolphins, but is usually by boat.

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