Self-elevating pontoon

A self-elevating pontoon is a jack-up barge: a buoyant flat hull fitted with three or more movable legs that, after the unit floats to its work site, are lowered to the seabed and used to jack the hull clear of the water onto a stable, wave-independent platform. It carries cranes, pile-driving rigs, and construction equipment for harbor works, offshore wind foundation installation, and quayside or hull repair where a fixed working level is needed. Hydraulic or rack-and-pinion jacking raises and lowers the hull; spud legs find their footing in the soil. In a yard it gives a steady platform alongside a ship for work the floating crane cannot hold steady.