CAISSONS

AND
COFFER DAMS
Department of Civil
Engineering
Parul University – P.I.E.T.
 INDEX

• Caisson
• Coffer Dams
 FOUNDATION
• A foundation is the element of an architectural structure which connects it to the ground, and
transfers loads from the structure to the ground.

• There are mainly two types of foundation.

1> Shallow Foundation ( D<= B)

2> Deep Foundation ( D> B)

• Deep Foundation may be further divided into three parts:

1> Caisson

2> Pile Foundation

3> Coffer Dams

 CAISSON
1. Introduction:
• CAISSON is a prefabricated hollow box or cylinder
sunk into the ground to some desired depth and then
filled with concrete thus forming a foundation which
is often used in construction of bridge piers and other
structures beneath any water body.
• A caisson is a retaining, watertight structure used, for
example, to work on the foundations of a bridge pier,
for the construction of a concrete dam, or for the
repair of ships. These are constructed such that the
water can be pumped out, keeping the working
environment dry.
2.Installation:
• Builders construct a
water-tight caisson, over
fifty feet long and nine
feet high. It is made of oak
timbers and covered with
plate iron.

• Contained within the

caisson are three open-
bottomed air chambers
that allow the structure to
act as a diving bell.
• To sink the caisson, several
ton blocks are placed at the
top its roof.

• Wooden pilings are made

which guides its decent.

• Workboats are used to

support the machinery and
move the blocks into place.

• As caisson is installed into

the water, the man starts to
go inside through the
airlocks.
• They begin to excavate
the riverbed, shovelling
sand into a sand pump
that suctions it up
through a shaft and out
through an opening at
the top of the structure.
• Compressed air is
pumped into the
chamber to keep water
out ‚ the deeper the
caisson sinks, the greater
the air pressure needed.
Types of caisson

Pneumatic
Open cylindrical

Box Caissons
4.Uses:

• As breakwaters
• Bridge piers and abutments in river
• Quay walls
• Structures for shore protection
• Large water front structures(pump houses)
• For closure dams(closed caisson, sluice caisson)
 When is it needed?
• Top layers of soil are highly compressible for it to support
structural loads through shallow foundations.
• Lateral forces are relatively prominent.
• In presence of expansive and collapsible soils at the site.
• For structures near flowing water (Bridge abutments,
etc.) to avoid the problems due to erosion.
 Cont..
• A pile foundation consists of two components: Pile cap
and single or group of piles.
• Piles transfers the loads from structures to the hard
strata, rocks or soil with high bearing capacity.
• These are long and slender members whose length can
be more than 15m.
• Piles can be made from concrete, wood or steel
depending on the requirements.
PILE MATERIALS
 Classification of piles:
Based on material:
• Concrete
• Timber
• Steel

Based on method of construction:

• Displacement pre cast piles
• Displacement cast in situ piles
• Replacement pre cast piles
• Replacement cast in situ piles
 Based on load transfer mechanism:
• End bearing piles
• Friction piles
• Bearing cum friction piles
Based on sectional area:
• Circular
• Square
• H
• Octagonal
• tubular
 Function of Pile Foundation:
• To transmit the buildings loads to the foundations
and the ground soil layers whether these loads
vertical or inclined.
• To install loose cohesion less soil through
displacement and vibration.
• To control the settlements; which can be
accompanied by surface foundations.
• To increase the factor of safety for heavy loads
buildings
 Coffer Dam
• A cofferdam is a structure that retains water and soil that
allows the enclosed area to be pumped out and excavated
dry.
• Cofferdams are commonly used for construction of bridge
piers and other support structures built within water.
• Cofferdams walls are usually formed from sheet piles that
are supported by waters and internal braces, and cross
braces.
• Since cofferdams are usually constructed within water, the
sheet piles are installed using preconstructed templates
that permit the correct positioning of each sheet pile from
a barge.
 Requirements Of a Cofferdam
• The Cofferdam should be reasonably watertight.
• It should be generally constructed at site of work.
• The design and layout of a cofferdam should be such that
the total cost of construction, maintenance and pumping
is minimum.
• It should be stable against bursting, overturning and
sliding, under the floods and waves.
 Types of Cofferdam
• Earth-fill Cofferdams
• Rock-fill Cofferdams
• Rock-fill Crib Cofferdams
• Single-Walled Cofferdams
• Double-Walled Sheet Pile Cofferdams
• Cellular Cofferdams
• Hybrid Cofferdams
 Earth-Fill Cofferdam
• It is essentially consist of
an earthen embankment
built around the area to
be enclosed.
• It is constructed in places
where the depth of water
is not much say 1.3 to
1.8, and the velocity of
flow is low.
• The top of embankment
should be about 1m
above the water level.
 Rock-fill Cofferdams
• If the depth of water to be
retained by the embankment
of cofferdam is of order 1.8 to
3 m, stone or rubble is used
for the embankment.
• The construction is adopted
only if the stone is easily
available in the nearby areas.
• An impervious layer of earth
is laid on the outer face of the
cofferdam, which makes it
impervious.
 Single-Wall Cofferdams
• It is used in very small area
and the depth of water is
more, say 4.5 to 6 m.
• Timber pipes are driven
into the firm ground below
the water bed.
• Spacing of the piles may
vary between 1.8 to 4 m.
• Wales are the bolted to
guide piles and sheets on
the two faces are braced
by struts.
 Rock-fill Crib Cofferdams
• A rockfill crib dam is
comprised of timber cribs.
• A crib is a framework of
wooden horizontal and
cross beams laid in
alternate courses.
• The cribs are open at the
bottom and are filled with
rock or earth or gravel. This
gives stability to the crib
against overturning.
Double-Walled Sheet Pile Cofferdams
• They are cofferdams
comprising two parallel
rows of sheet piles driven
into the ground and
connected together by a
system of tie rods at one
or more levels. The space
between the walls is
generally filled with
granular material such as
sand, gravel or broken
rock.
Hybrid Cofferdams
 COFFERDAM CONSTRUCTION
SEQUENCE:
• For a typical cofferdam, such as for a bridge pier, the
construction procedure generally is:

– Pre-dredge to remove soil or soft sediments and level the

area of the cofferdam

– Drive temporary support piles for template

– Temporarily erect bracing frame on the support piles for

the template

– Install steel sheet piles, starting at all four corners and

meeting at the center of each side

– Drive sheet piles to grade

 Cont..

– Block between bracing frame and sheets, and provide

ties for sheet piles at the top as necessary.
– Excavate inside the grade or slightly below grade,
while leaving the cofferdam full of water. Then lower
the water inside and progressively install internal
bracing as required by the design.
– Drive piles within the cofferdam (if required).
– Place rock fill as a leveling and support course.
– Place tremie concrete seal.
Thank You