History
A barge is a
flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport
of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to
be towed or pushed by towboats.
Barges are used today for low-value bulk items, as the cost of
hauling goods by barge is very low. Barges are also used for
very heavy or bulky items; a typical barge measures 195 by 35
feet (59.4 m × 10.6 m), and can carry up to about 1500 tons of
cargo. |