Shipping Glossary

B / BARGE

Transporting passengers or goods by river or canal through cargo carrying vessels. They are usually long, flat-bottomed boats with no self-propulsion mechanism. Tug boats or towboats are needed to pull a barge.

• Dry Bulk Cargo Barges: This type of barge is used for hauling and ferrying dry cargo. In terms of dry cargo, this includes sand, corn, coal, and steel, as well as other commodities like these that can be moved through the system of barges.
• Float Barges: During the early 20th century, these barges were usually used to transport rail carts. By comparing them to portable rail sets ferried from one spot to another, these rail-carts attached to the barges can be described as portable rail sets.
• Barracks Barge: The houseboat is also known as a barracks barge. In places such as Canada, Australia, North India (Kashmir), Laos, and Cambodia, houseboats are very common. These types of barges can be seen floating as stationary objects in lakes and rivers as they are designed primarily for residential purposes.
• Split Hopper Barge: The barges are equipped with appropriate tools to unload dredged material, so they can be used for carrying dredged material. In marine construction, split hopper barges are widely used for unloading materials (dredged material, soil, sand, etc.). With the use of a hydraulic motor and a cylinder unit, the barge can be propelled by itself. To unload, load, and carry construction materials, it has a hydraulically operated split open hull.
• Barges Carrying liquid Cargo: Contrary to dry bulk cargo barges, these barges transport liquid bulk cargo. Fertilizers and other liquid products that are commonly used as fertilizers and petrochemicals can be carried by these barges.