Marine airbags are rolling, load-bearing cushions of layered rubber and reinforcement cord that move ships and heavy structures where cranes and slipway infrastructure cannot: launching and hauling out vessels, transporting heavy structures across a yard, and providing emergency buoyancy in salvage operations. EMIS specifies the airbag arrangement to the hull weight, geometry and ground, then sources from vetted manufacturers with test certification supplied.
Ship launching airbags work on a principle shipyards have trusted for decades: place cylindrical rubber airbags under the hull, inflate, and let the vessel roll on a moving cushion of air down the launchway and into the water. The same system in reverse hauls vessels out for repair, and laid under jacked structures it moves caissons, pontoons and modules across a yard without heavy transporters. Capacity comes from the arrangement, bag diameter, length, working pressure and spacing are engineered to the weight and stiffness of what sits on them.
Salvage and buoyancy airbags extend the family: high-capacity inflatable units lashed to or placed beneath a casualty to restore buoyancy, refloat a grounding or support a structure during recovery. Launching bags are supplied in diameters up to around 2.5 metres and lengths beyond 20 metres, supporting launches of vessels in the ten-thousand-tonne class; salvage buoyancy units run larger still.
The engineering sits in the arrangement, not the bag alone. EMIS takes the hull lines, weight distribution, launchway gradient and ground bearing, specifies the bag sizes, quantities, pressures and layout, and sources from manufacturers vetted for reinforcement construction and testing record, with test certification and operating guidance supplied. For one launch or a yard's rolling programme, the system arrives sized to the operation.
The project types and sectors this category most often serves.
Airbag launching for new builds, and haul-out for survey and repair, at yards without slipway winches or dock infrastructure, the arrangement engineered to the hull weight and gradient.
Caissons, pontoons, lock gates and fabricated modules rolled across yards and quaysides on airbag cushions, avoiding heavy transporter mobilisation for occasional moves.
Buoyancy airbags deployed to refloat groundings and support casualties during recovery, specified quickly and mobilised at speed through approved manufacturers where the operation demands it.
Temporary buoyancy and controlled movement for outfall sections, pipeline strings and floating works elements during marine civils operations.
Vetting, specification and lead-time coordination, handled before the product reaches your site.
Bag diameter, length, pressure rating, quantity and spacing are specified against the hull weight, geometry and ground, the operation is engineered before the order is placed.
Airbags are sourced from manufacturers vetted for reinforcement construction and pressure-testing record, with test certification supplied for the marine warranty surveyor.
Bags, inflation equipment and operating guidance arrive as one coordinated package, timed to the launch date or, for salvage, as fast as the operation requires.
Indicative capability ranges, arrangement design and full specifications are provided at quotation.
| Launching airbags | Diameters to ~2.5 m, lengths beyond 20 m, layered rubber and cord construction |
|---|---|
| Capacity | Arrangements support vessels and structures into the ten-thousand-tonne class |
| Salvage buoyancy units | High-capacity inflatable buoyancy for refloating and recovery, to ~4 m diameter |
| Working pressures | Rated and tested to the duty; certification supplied per bag |
See the typical requirements we support, the challenges we help manage, and the ten-step process behind every engagement.
Tell us the requirement and the programme. You will get a specified, priced package from one accountable contact, with the category already selected on the form.
We respond to all enquiries within one business day.