The term buoy refers to an object that floats on the water while attached to the bottom. Buoys are used as a signal, generally to warn sailors of some kind of danger or to indicate a navigation route.
It is common for buoys to be hollow and float thanks to being inflated with air. There are also buoys filled with materials that are lighter than water. All buoys float by the so-called Archimedean Principle: the mass of the buoy is less than its equivalent volume in water.
Suppose that the remains of a sunken ship are found in a river. To prevent other vessels from colliding with said structure while sailing, authorities can install buoys.
In aquatic sports competitions, the buoys indicate where the participants must circulate. Rowing regattas use buoys to mark the fairways that competitors must respect, whereas sailing regattas use buoys to determine turning points.
There are lifebuoys, on the other hand, that are tied to a boat and that are thrown when an individual falls into the water. The castaway, in this way, can float by holding onto the buoy. From the boat, by pulling the rope, the buoy can be attracted to rescue the subject.
According to DigoPaul, other types of buoys are used to measure distances, record changes in water pressure, measure the speeds of a current or obtain meteorological information, for example. The time buoys or meteorological buoys, in this sense, are those equipment that serve to collect data from both the ocean and the weather.
Timing buoys can also be of great help in the middle of an emergency response to chemical spills, among other sensitive situations. The mooring buoys have been in circulation since 1951, while drifting buoys are used since 1979.
With regard to rivers, we can cite three examples: elastomer buoys, polyethylene buoys and steel buoys. The buoys elastomer have an undeniable advantage elasticity and lightness of the float, resulting both materials used for manufacturing the projection as it is done with polyurethane elastomer.
The massive nature of elastomer buoys makes them almost impossible to submerge, even under considerable impact. As if this were not enough, they have enough rigidity to withstand repeated blows without deforming their structure.
With respect to polyethylene buoys, they have a float made of this virgin rotomolded material. Its superstructure and its tail, that is, the parts that are made of metal, are made of hot galvanized steel, and its design is designed to withstand harsh conditions in the middle of the sea for many years. It is common for buoy manufacturers to offer a certain degree of customization to their customers.
On the other hand we have the steel buoys, for whose design traditional architecture (which has been used for many decades) is fused with the most modern technologies in terms of regulations and materials. The steel used to make these buoys is the same that is used in the naval field; its quality is unsurpassed and its thickness exceeds 10 millimeters.
The float has diameters that are between 2 and 3 meters, and must undergo an antioxidant treatment such that it allows the user to space the maintenance sessions in periods of more than five years. It goes without saying that its resistance to impacts is considerable, and it also enjoys great stability.
The floating element having a network or rod, finally, also called buoy.
