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Day shapes or day markers are mast head signals comprised of geometric shapes.  These signals convey the status of a vessel on navigable waters during daylight hours.  The four basic shapes of the markers are ball, cylinder, cone, and diamond.  The day shapes are used alone or in combination to provide a range of status updates visible during the day and are intended to mimic the navigation light requirement during nightfall or poor visibility.  Day shapes are required to be deployed from sunrise to sunset and are typically hung from a mast for ease of visibility from a distance. 

One of the difficulties in keeping a pump running in environments where there is vegetation, debris, and sediment in the water that is being pumped is keeping the in-take filter clean.  When the suction from the pump draws in materials other than water, they will typically either be caught at the filter of the intake hose, or worse, be passed through the pump and delivered onward.  If the water is being pumped to supply equipment, this can cause serious subsequent problems.

In the instance shown here, a pump was being used to supply water to mining equipment.  Because there was so much vegetation suspended in the water, the plant material was being transported to the mining equipment and clogging those machines.  In order to greatly reduce the amount of vegetation that was reaching the supply pump, the miners used these turbidity curtains to enclose the pump.  These turbidity curtains had permeable skirts, allowing water to flow through while filtering the debris.  These curtains were 5 feet in height and worked very well for this application.  The installation plan uses anchor kits to hold the turbity curtain in place away from the pump.  

The Ocean Cleanup project has launched its second attempt at using a boom system to remove plastic from the world’s oceans.  Last year, the initial design was launched, including the use of a 2000-foot boom to capture floating plastic in the Pacific.  The target is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch located midway between Hawaii and California.   The initial design was launched in September of 2018, but by January, a section of the boom had become disconnected.  In addition, there were issues with the inconsistent speed of which the boom traveled relative to the floating trash. 

The team at The Ocean Cleanup went back to the drawing board to tackle some of the design issues.  Instead of “chasing” the debris, the new design allows for the track to float into the U-shaped boom, which is slowed by a large sea anchor.  The boom system was broken down into segments, allowing it to be serviced at sea instead of requiring a tow back to San Francisco.  In addition, the boom size was scaled back to make it feasible for the entire system to be towed at a much higher speed.  Finally, the collection boom and curtain combination has been moved forward of the main boom flotation, reducing structural stress on the overall system. 

This new approach has been launched and is showing early signs of success.  Time will tell if this new design is on the right track, but there’s no doubt that the goal is important to accomplish.  Reducing the trash at sea will certainly lessen the impact on sea life. 

Texas Boom Company has a long history of providing oil spill containment boom, buoys, markers, bladder tanks, and containment berms to all branches of the US Military and the civilian organizations that provide support for them across the globe.  Our company is proud to manufacture our products in the United States and to support our military in their mission to keep our country safe and maintain our freedom.  As such, we are pleased to have recently received these pictures of our 10-inch oil spill containment boom being used in port by the USS Wichita in Puerto Rico.  

Bigger isn't always better.  Sometimes our customers need a custom sized boom to meet a specific purpose.  Depending on the application and conditions, smaller containment boom can be even more effective than larger sized models.  We will profile this particular application in more detail upon completion of the installation, but we wanted to highlight Texas Boom Company's ability to deliver products to a customer's exact specifications.  

In this particular case, a three inch freeboard is combined with a three inch draft to form a containment boom with six inches of total height.  The customer also requested the boom in all black fabric.  Because of the smaller size and installation, the customer also requested no connectors, making this particular product a hybrid between a conventional containment boom and a Type I turbidity curtain.  The sections of custom containment boom are attached with stainless steel nuts and bolts and galvanized shackles.  The shackles provide sturdy anchor points on the boom as well as attaching the sections together at the bottom pair of grommets.  

Operation Clean Sweep (OpCleanSweep.org) is a campaign designed to help every plastic resin handling operation achieve zero pellet, flake, and powder loss.  For over 25 years, companies have been engaging with industry trade groups to educate and motivate all companies that deal with plastic in these raw material forms to help prevent pollution.  Because most plastics in pellet, flake and powder form are small, light-weight, and buoyant, they are easily transported via drainage systems to open bodies of water, where they ultimately impact wildlife and the environment.  Operation Clean Sweep helps to tackle the problem at the source.  As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

Oil spill containment boom is deployed in a wide range of applications.  As such, the containment boom is typically held in place either by anchor systems or by attaching the containment boom to a fixed point on shore.  In this article, we will discuss a particular technique for using beach stakes to hold the oil spill containment boom in place.

In some scenarios, there are permanent structures or pilings that serve as stable anchor points for containment boom.  These can range from docks, piers, pilings, posts, poles or other permanent objects that offer enough strength and stability to hold the containment boom in place.  Factors to consider when assessing the strength required include tides, current, and winds.  Another option is to utilize anchors on land, which allows them to be placed and ensure their security.  This is typically an option used only if the placement is temporary and anchor kits are on hand, as this is a more costly option.  A common solution is the use of stakes driven into the ground along the shoreline to offer a secure point to affix the boom.  

Beach stakes can be something as simple as rebar or metal fence posts, as long the posts are strong and can be driven deep enough to adequately secure the oil spill containment boom.  There are also anchor posts designed to offer better holding strength.  The variety of styles include helix and ground screw type designs.   It is recommended that the standard stakes are driven three feet into the ground to provide adequate holding power when possible.  

At Texas Boom Company, we stock a wide range of products that meet the needs of many of our customers.  We develop these core lines of containment boom, silt curtains, and secondary containment berms based on a long history of fabricating these type products per the specifications of our clientele.  TBC has also learned along the way that many of our customers have a unique need that isn’t necessarily addressed by one of our off-the-shelf solutions. 

A recent example includes a new customer who is looking to use silt curtains to help manage the flow of algae and had a few criteria that were important to him as he looked to purchase silt curtains.  His first requirement was a durable fabric that would hold up over repeated use.  He planned to deploy, retrieve and store the silt curtains daily, and he wanted a longer-life silt curtain that would hold up to frequent use. 

Next, the customer was interested in a permeable skirt that would allow water to flow through the skirt to reduce pressure on the silt curtain.  However, it would still be important for the geo-textile used in the silt curtain skirt to impede the flow of algae and vegetation.  These were the fundamental factors that necessitated the need for the silt curtains in the first place. 

On the early morning of September 8, the MV Golden Ray capsized off the coast of Brunswick, GA in St Simon Sound, approximately 80 miles south of Savannah.  The exact cause of the accident has not been finally determined.  Initially, four of the twenty-four individuals on board were trapped.  They were subsequently rescued safely.  However, the ongoing environmental hazards continue now over a month later. 

Fuel and oil continue to leak from the vessel.  When the accident occurred, the ship contained roughly 300,000 gallons within its tanks.  To date, 220,000 gallons have been successfully pumped off.  Unfortunately, there have been ongoing oil slicks located in the area, as well as oil coating the plant life along shorelines.  Thousands of feet of oil spill containment boom have been deployed in the area to control the spread of the hydrocarbons and protect the shorelines.

The US Coast Guard is leading the Unified Command, a joint recovery and salvage effort between the state of Georgia, the USCG, and the shipping company Hyundai Glovis’ contractor, Gallagher Marine Systems.  Crews of up to 400 people and 70 vessels are participating in the clean-up and recovery effort. 

Over the last few years, beachgoers have been faced with the awful sights and smell of stinking seaweed washing up on the shorelines.  Conditions have been perfect for the massive growth of Sargassum, the aquatic vegetation that continues to pile up on beaches throughout the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.  The staff at resorts and hotels work tirelessly to keep their beaches clean and attractive for guests.  Many rely on using heavy equipment to clear the beaches daily of the Sargassum piling up on the sand.   The task is required to be performed continuously when large mats of seaweed arrive.

Sargassum isn’t all bad.  Offshore, it can provide excellent habitat for sea turtles, crabs, fish, and other sea creatures.  Onshore, it’s a different story.  No one likes the feel of seaweed against their bodies while trying to enjoy the ocean.  As Sargassum piles up on the beach, it creates a handful of problems.  In addition to being unsightly, it also begins to decay onshore.  As it rots, it attracts insects and produces hydrogen sulfide.  Hydrogen sulfide is the same gas that gives rotten eggs their sulfurous smell and can cause breathing problems for beachgoers and boaters with asthma.  Scientists predict that the current trend of massive Sargassum floats to continue for the foreseeable future.   The Sargassum growth is tentatively linked to rising levels of nutrients in the seawater, including nitrogen and phosphorus.

Texas Boom Company offers a Seaweed Boom that serves as a floating barrier to Sargassum before it reaches the shore.  Because Sargassum floats, these seaweed barriers block the nuisance from reaching the guests and the beach.  The Seaweed Boom is anchored offshore, in parallel to the beach, to keep the seaweed away and leave clear swimming areas for the guests.  The Sargassum can either be collected along the barrier or be deflected to a designated shore location to allow for pick up.  Using these floating Sargassum barriers can both improve guest experiences and lower costs to keep the beaches free of seaweed. 

There are typically five primary types of containment boom manufactured and deployed in the United States and Canada.  We provide a brief description of each for the benefit of those not familiar with containment boom.  All containment boom is sold in managable sections that can be joined end to end to form longer lengths.  Boom manufacturers typically utlize universal connectors so that boom from different companies can be used in combination.   In emergency deployments, containment boom can be strung continuously for miles.  

1 - Foam Filled Containment Boom

Also referred to as Conventional Boom, Contractor Boom, Standard Boom.  This boom has flotation chambers filled with closed cell foam and sealed to provide the buoyancy needed to keep the boom afloat and provide the freeboard that contains the oil.  These booms also feature a skirt that is suspended below the water to help with oil containment.  This skirt provides the draft height.  Tension cables and ballast chains provide strength and stability.  Containment boom is light and can be quickly and easily deployed.

The skilled craftsmen at Texas Boom Company have quite a bit of experience fabricating coated fabric products to exact customer specifications.  These custom products are sometimes based on existing product designs, while other times they are completely unrelated to TBC's core business.  Regardless, we offer our customers the ability to receive a product that meets their exact needs.

Recently, Texas Boom Company tackled a project to produce a custom-designed inflatable boom product.  These 8-inch diameter inflatable booms were intended to provide flotation for a very specific application.  These custom booms also required the addition of retention loops to serve as guides for this particular use.  Because these booms are inflatable, you can see they require less space to transport and store when not inflated.  Use of a leaf blower or an air compressor can quickly transform these from flat pockets to fully inflated floats.  

Another example of custom fabrication work completed by Texas Boom Company is a set of floats that help self-right a capsized watercraft.  These inflatable balls are constructed similar to the geometry of a soccer ball.  The RF welding provided terrific bonds between each of the side panels.  The valve types used met the customer's exact standards required.  

To our valued customers, we wanted to provide an update on Texas Boom Company relative to the Corona Virus outbreak.  

The entire Texas Boom Company team hopes you, your co-workers, and your families are safe and remain healthy during these uncertain times. We have been working continuously to address the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19. The staff here continues to comply with all Local, State and Federal guidelines to ensure the safety and well being of our employees and the needs of our customers. As a supplier to many Critical Infrastructure Sectors, Texas Boom Company is considered an essential business and will remain operational during this time. Our team is here and ready to serve you and meet the needs of our customers. 

While we always strive to produce quickly, we are aware that now is the time that customers may need a product faster than usual. Our crews are working diligently to build up our inventory so we can have the product ready to ship when you need it.  

For busy contractors, staging and deploying containment boom or turbidity curtains is one small part of a much larger and more hectic schedule.  The pipeline, roadway, bridge, or bulkhead has to be completed on time.  Staging it to be ready when the time comes to put the boom or silt curtain into position is more about timing than optimizing storage or prolonging the life of the products.  The containment boom or silt curtain is made to be used outside in difficult condition, so what's the difference?  Many times the longevity of the product is the least of anyone's concerns in the heat of the moment.  Does the image below look familiar?  

We do want to remind our customers on steps to help optimize the useful life of oil containment boom or turbidity curtains.  When at all possible, storing these products in a dry location out of the sun will greatly prolong their life.  If possible, storing them in a container or building that prevents access to rodents is another key priority, as rodents often inflict damage to this type of product.  Rinsing them and drying them (an ordinary leaf blower can be effective in blowing out the ballast chain chamber) prior to stacking them in storage is also recommended.  Re-bundling the boom or silt curtains will make redeployment much quicker and easier.  It is also important to inspect the products prior to storage, and every six months when they are in storage, to be sure that no significant damage has occurred.  

Treat your spill containment boom or turbidity curtains properly, and you will get your money's worth out of them.   Ignore the basic guidelines for proper storage, and you will be replacing the boom and curtains at a much greater frequency.  

Texas Boom Company isn’t the biggest fish in the pond amongst containment boom manufacturers.  However, we are quite adept at working with customers to devised customized solutions to meet their needs and tackle problems.  Recently, TBC landed a call from the owner of a Texas-based fish farming operation.  His recently established 135-acre Redfish (Red Drum) farm is located near Port Lavaca, Texas.  This aquaculture (sometimes referred to as mariculture) operation raises fish that are harvested and sold to restaurants and grocery stores.   Aquaculture is an expanding field, and operating techniques are perpetually evolving. 

The challenge at hand was to utilize a containment boom to address a combination of problems.  When feed was being distributed into the water for the fish to eat, several issues were arising.  It was a common occurrence for the wind to push the floating fish feed to shore before it was consumed by the fish.  As the fish approached the shoreline, it increased their exposure to wading birds that lurked at the side of the fish ponds waiting to prey on the fish.  In addition, the fish food that was not consumed would end up on the shoreline, attracting more birds, and worse yet, wild hogs.  Wild hogs are well known to destroy all sorts of terrain, including the banks of these fish ponds.  Each of these issues translates into unwanted expenses and losses for anyone involved in aquaculture. 

The team at Texas Boom Company worked with the owner of the mariculture farm to develop specifications for a customized containment boom system that was big enough to corral the floating fish feed while not impacting the movement of the fish below the surface.  This collaborative process included a site visit by TBC’s president to fully understand the challenges and land on a successful solution.  Ultimately, a small 6-inch containment boom (3-inch freeboard and 3-inch draft) was agreed upon, with a color selection of black since visibility to boaters was a non-issue.  Because this installation was intended to be permanent, stainless steel nuts and bolts were used to connect the grommets versus installing aluminum quick connectors. This grommeted connector design is the type used on TBC's Type I Turbidity Curtains and is less expensive.  In this case, the containment boom was designed to contain fish feed instead of oil or debris.

Texas Boom Company has produced a number of silt curtains recently from dredging projects across the US.  As you would expect, as a dredging operation takes place, mud and sand are stirred into the adjacent water.  This material remains suspended in the water until it washes away or settles back to the bottom.  Dredgers use floating silt curtains (turbidity curtains) to keep silk and sediment from migrating while suspended.  This helps to avoid muddying local waterways during the dredging process.  Whether used to meet regulatory requirements or simply as a courtesy to others, silt curtains are effective in helping to reduce sediment runoff. 

Three recent projects are highlighted below, selected because our customers were kind enough to share pictures of the silt curtains in use.  

The first project was a roadway construction project here in Texas.  As can be seen in the image, the silt curtain is effective in keeping the sediment from escaping the construction area.  Because the silt is contained, it will eventually settle in place, leaving the area water clear and free of an abundance of eroded mud. 

As the year comes to an end, everyone at Texas Boom Company is proud of the work done at our manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas.  Texas Boom is a manufacturer of top quality oil containment boom, silt curtains, pillow tanks and bladders, containment berms, and many other products that leverage our RF welding capability.  We place an emphasis on quality, provide short lead times, offer the ability to customize a job to exact specifications, and offer it at a competitive price.  There may cheaper import product on the market, but you get what you pay for in this industry.  Made in America means something to us.  It translates into jobs for the talented people we employ, and it equates to satisfaction for our wide range of customers.  While we ship our products worldwide, Texas Boom makes them right here.  Made in Texas.  Made in USA.  

There are two major categories of floating oil boom:  Absorbent Floating Oil Boom and Non-Absorbent Floating Oil Boom.  Both serve a specific purpose, and they can be used in tandem to help contain oil spills in bodies of water such as oceans, gulfs, bays, rivers, streams, lakes, canals, and ponds.

Absorbent Floating Oil Boom is comprised of a mesh sock or tube filled with polypropylene.  The fibers in the boom absorb oil and other hydrocarbons while repelling water.   In addition, the properties of the polypropylene fibers also provide buoyancy, allowing these absorbent booms to float with no additional material required.  These floating oil booms are effective until they become saturated, reaching the end of their useful life.  Upon saturation, these booms are then disposed of properly, having removed a significant volume of oil from the water where they were deployed.  Absorbent floating boom are typically deployed in calmer waters.   

Non-Absorbent floating oil boom is made to be a barrier that contains oil, keeping it from spreading.  This oil can then be skimmed or dispersed using chemicals that break the oil down into smaller particles.  This type floating oil boom can either utilize foam filled chambers or air filled chambers to provide the floatation.  The foam filled floating oil boom is conventional or contractor boom, while the air filled floating boom is inflatable boom.   Because these floating oil booms do not absorb oil, they offer a longer term solution to contain the oil.  There are additional styles of non-absorbent floating oil boom, including permanent oil containment boom.  This permanent oil boom is made of more durable materials and is intended for extended use after deployment.  Any of these types of floating oil boom can be sized accordingly, making them effective for water and weather conditions ranging from calm to severe.  

Texas Boom Company typically uses a 22 oz PVC fabric to construct our oil spill containment boom.  This fabric offers a good balance between durability and cost.  This weight fabric adheres well during the RF welding process that TBC utilizes for all seams.  However, there are times when either a lighter fabric is prefered to reduce costs since the oil spill boom may be utilized for a shorter window of time.  Other times, a heavier weight fabric is preferred to add longer life and greater durability if the oil spill containment boom is expected to be deployed and retrieved repeatedly over time.  

Shown above is a recent production run that utilized 28 oz PVC fabric.  The customer needed the oil spill containment boom to be used repeatedly to conform with port requirements when their ships were docked.  Other fabrics like Polyurethane are also options.  Color is also a consideration with some customers.  Permeability is a key requirement on some silt curtain skirts.  We are always willing to consult with customers to choose the best fabric material and weight to meet their needs.  TBC can manufacture oil spill containment boom, silt curtains,and collapsible fabric tanks to exact customer specifications. 

The question is often asked:  Should I use a permeable or non-permeable silt curtain?  We hope to shed some light on the topic to help our customers understand the difference between these two types of turbidity curtains.  For reference, these are also referred to as turbidity barriers, silt barriers, silt curtain, sediment filter barrier, floating silt fence, floating curtains, and floating sediment fence.