Patent ID: 8079320

Claim:
A barge for supporting construction equipment in a body of water, comprising: a body having a rectilinear configuration with two substantially vertical parallel side walls and two end walls, said side walls and said end walls cooperating to define a body perimeter having a body area, said body having a top support structure at least partially defining a top surface of said body forming a deck of the barge and a bottom support structure at least partially defining a bottom surface of said body forming the body of the barge, said top support structure comprising: a plurality of elongate sections secured to one another to form a panel lying in a generally horizontal plane, each of said plurality of elongate sections comprising at least one elongate tubular channel extending in said plane, said panel having lateral edges defining a panel perimeter having a panel area, said panel area being less than said body area, wherein said panel is positioned within said body perimeter and spaced generally horizontally inwardly of said body perimeter such that a perimeter gap is formed between said panel perimeter and said body perimeter; and a plurality of perimeter frame segments having a panel side portion and an opposing body perimeter portion, each of said plurality of perimeter frame segments positioned within said perimeter gap defined between said panel perimeter and said body perimeter with said panel side portion of said segments positioned adjacent to said panel perimeter and said body perimeter side portion of said segments positioned adjacent to at least one of said side walls and said end walls of said body, each of said plurality of perimeter frame segments secured to said panel and at least one of said side walls and said end walls of said body.