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Deepwater Construction
Deepwater Construction
CAISSON FOUNDATION
COFFERDAM
According to Workplace Safety and Health, underwater
dangers also include nitrogen narcosis, oxygen toxicity,
and decompression sickness.
Nitrogen narcosis has effects similar to alcohol intoxication
and is caused by breathing in harmful gases from the air
supply. The risk of nitrogen narcosis increases as the depth
of the dive increases, because these gases are easily
absorbed in the body as pressure levels increase.
When an excess of oxygen is inhaled, oxygen toxicity can
occur, which can lead to vision problems, lung damage,
seizures, disorientation, and death.
Decompression occurs when divers rise abruptly from the
water, not allowing enough time for nitrogen to escape the
body. Decompression symptoms include vision and hearing
problems, skin irritation, achy joints, paralysis, and death.
DANGERS ENCOUNTERED IN PRESSURIZED
CAISSONS
Excavated Caissons
Floating Caissons
Open Caissons
Pneumatic Caissons
Sheeted Caissons
Pneumatic caissons, which penetrate soft mud, are sealed
at the top and filled with compressed air to keep water
and mud out at depth. An airlock allows access to the
chamber. Workers move mud and rock debris (called
muck) from the edge of the workspace to a waterfilled pit,
connected by a tube (called the muck tube) to the surface.
A crane at the surface removes the soil with a clamshell
bucket. The water pressure in the tube balances the air
pressure, with excess air escaping up the muck tube. The
pressurized air flow must be constant to ensure regular
air changes for the workers and prevent excessive inflow
of mud or water at the base of the caisson.
PNEUMATIC CAISSON
DANGERS ENCOUNTERED IN PRESSURIZED
CAISSONS
Temporary structure
Built within or in pairs across a body of water
Allows the enclosed space to be pumped out, creating a
dry work environment
Enclosed coffers are commonly used for construction and
repair of oil platforms, bridge piers and other support
structures built within or over water.
A cofferdam involves the interaction of the structure, soil,
and water. The loads imposed include the hydrostatic
forces of the water, as well as the dynamic forces due to
currents and waves.
Used for shallow constructions having depth less than
10m.
Cofferdams are temporary enclosures to keep out water
and soil so as to permit dewatering and construction of
the permanent facility (structure) in the dry.
A cofferdam involves the interaction of the structure,
soil, and water. The loads imposed include the
hydrostatic forces of the water, as well as the dynamic
forces due to currents and waves.
In construction of cofferdams maintaining close
tolerances is difficult since cofferdams are usually
constructed offshore and sometimes under severe
weather conditions. Under these circumstances,
significant deformations of cofferdam elements may
happen during the course of construction, and therefore
it may be necessary to deviate from the design
dimensions in order to complete the project according to
plan.
A typical cofferdam will experience several loading
conditions as it is being build and during the various
construction stages. The significant forces are
hydrostatic pressure, forces due to soil loads, water
current forces, wave forces, ice forces, seismic loads and
accidental loads.
Safety requires that every cofferdam and every part
thereof shall be of suitable design and construction, of
suitable and sound material and of sufficient strength
and capacity for the purpose for which it is used, proper
construction, verification that the structure is being
constructed as planned, monitoring the behavior of the
cofferdam and surrounding area, provision of adequate
access, light and ventilation, and attention to safe
practices on the part of all workers and supervisors, and
shall be properly maintained.
CONSTRUCTION OF COFFERDAMS
1. Predredge to remove
soil or soft sediments
and level the area of the
cofferdam
2. Drive temporary support
piles
3. Temporarily erect
bracing frame on the
support piles
4. Set steel sheet piles,
starting at all four
corners and meeting at
the center of each side
5. Drive sheet piles to
grade
6. Block between bracing
frame and sheets, and
provide ties for sheet
piles at the top as
necessary.
7. Excavate inside the grade or
slightly below grade, while
leaving the cofferdam full of
water
8. Drive bearing piles
9. Place rock fill as a leveling
and support course
10. Place tremie concrete seal
PRINCIPAL HAZARDS AND RISKS: COFEFRDAMS
falls from height from dam walls into excavation or
into water
health hazards from contaminated water, hazardous
gases in confined spaces, noise and vibration from
piling operations
hazards from services such as cables in river bed,
temporary power cables in water etc
contact with moving equipment such as collisions
between boats, pontoons, crane barges and cofferdam.
moving plant and slewed equipment in confined space
flooding caused by failure of cofferdam walls
SHORING
Shoring is the process of supporting a building,
vessel, structure, or trench with shores (props)
when in danger of collapse or during repairs or
alterations. Shoring comes from shore a timber or
metal prop. Shoring may be vertical, angled, or
horizontal.
SHORING