Concrete Barges
Counterintuitive as it may be, concrete vessels are a possibility and do float well. They came into their own during World War 2 when steel was in short supply and the technology derived from concrete barge construction paved the way for the Mulberry Harbour, an essential part of the strategy for the Allied invasion of Normandy. Seven concrete barges are beached at Purton on the banks of the Severn. The section of this website that deals with the Purton Hulks contans more information on concrete barges.