Building Construction & Maintenance

BASEMENT CONSTRUCTION
PROTECTION & DEWATERING

E.M.N.D.K.Ekanayaka
Coordinator of Vocational Stream-MOE ,
Visiting Lecturer –DTET,
Resource Person-Gurugedara Educational TV channel-NIE
Bsc(UoM),Dip in Tech.(OUSL)
 BASEMENT CONSTRUCTION

• Deep excavation, unlike a shallow one, often requires to protect the sides of cut
usingsuitable support. Besides, the problem of ground water cannot be avoided.
• There are methods to overcome this, such as:
• Dumpling method
• Diaphragm walling
• Sheet piling
• Using cofferdams
• Ground anchor
 USING COFFERDAMS
• Cofferdam is defined as a temporary structure that is used to prevent soil erosion
in the construction area as well as to prevent water from entering the excavated
area when excavation is to be done by digging deeper along the river bank or
coast.

• A cofferdam may be defined as a temporary box structure constructed in earth or

water to exclude soil or water from a construction area, such as for foundation or
basement works
• Use of cofferdam suitable for excavation of larger scale

• The different types of cofferdams are as follows:

• Earthen cofferdam
• Rockfill cofferdam
• Crib or braced cofferdam
• Single wall cofferdam
• Double wall cofferdam
• Cellular cofferdam
 USING COFFERDAMS
Earthen cofferdam:
• It is the simplest types of cofferdam.
• It is used when the water depth is shallow, 1.2 m to 1.5 m and the velocity of
water flow is slow.
 USING COFFERDAMS

• In this type of cofferdam, an earth embankment is built around the area to be surrounded.
• The top width of the embankment should not be less than 1m.
• Its waterside slope 3/2:1 and the inner side slope is kept at 2:1.
• Earth embankment is made from a mixture of clay and sand or clay and gravel.
• Pitching is done by arranging boulder (large stone) on the slope of the waterside to prevent
water damage to the embankment.
• Often in the middle of the embankment, Steel sheet piles are inserted to an impervious level
of soil below the embankment, to prevent water from entering through the permeable layer of
soil.
• The height of the embankment is kept 0.6 m above the water level for safety.
• In the workplace, a drain is kept near the embankment from which water is pumped out.
 USING COFFERDAMS
Rockfill cofferdam:
• This types of cofferdam is useful when the water depth is up to 3.0 in and the
water flow is turbulent.
• In this type of cofferdam, stones are used instead of clay in the bed.
• Such cofferdams are cheaper where stones can be easily found.
 USING COFFERDAMS

• The disadvantage of Rock fill cofferdam is that it is not impervious.

• Where the water depth is low, an impermeable layer of soil is spread over the
waterside of the embankment.
• Clay particles fill the cavities between the stones and gradually form waterlogged
structures.
• The slope of its sides can be kept as wide as 1:1.
• Often the core wall or steel sheet pile inserted between the cofferdam and the
bottom of the cofferdam to an impervious level of the soil to prevent water from
entering the embankment.
• Core walls are made of clayey soil or cement concrete.
 USING COFFERDAMS
Crib or Braced Cofferdam:
• This types of cofferdam is made of a wooden cube.
• The crib is a framework made of wooden horizontal and cross beam
alignment.
• The film is filled with stones, gravel, or clay to increase the stability of the crib
against overturning or sliding.
 USING COFFERDAMS

• The following conditions are favorable for this types of cofferdam:

• Less workspace.
• The river bed is hard.
• If the water depth is high.
• The water flow is an eddy type.
• Wood is readily available.
 USING COFFERDAMS
Sheet pile cofferdam
• Also known as single skin cofferdam.
• This types of cofferdam is used when the area to be surrounded is small and
the water depth is high.
• Such cofferdams can additionally be used up to a depth of 25 m water.
• Interlocking type steel sheet pile is used and can use for excavation up to
15m.
 USING COFFERDAMS
• Guide piles are inserted on the periphery of the area to be enclosed.
• The spacing of such guide piles is kept at 3m.
• Guide piles are usually made of wood. Steel piles can also be used if the water
depth is high.
• The guide piles are then bolted horizontally at appropriate distances by means
of wooden bolts (Wales) bolts.
• Then sheet piles are applied with a strut and bracing.
• Wood sheet piles are used for water depth up to 10 m, steel sheet piles for
water depth more than 10 m.
• On the inside and outside of the sheet, half-filled bags of sand are rocked to
increase the durability of the cofferdam.
• Water is pumped out of the enclosed area and foundation work is started.
• Sheet pile in this case acts as a cantilever member to support the soil
therefore adequate depth of pile or suitable toe treatment may be required.
• In addition, cofferdams are need to be braced and strutted or anchored using
tie rods or ground anchors.
 USING COFFERDAMS
Double skin cofferdam
• A single wall cofferdam is costly when the enclosure area is large and the
water depth is high.
• The thickness of the components like sheet piles Strut, Wales, etc. is much
more required to withstand water pressure.
• In such a situation a double-wall cofferdam is useful.
 USING COFFERDAMS

• This works similarly like the sheet pile to form a diaphragm.

• However, the diaphragm is double-skinned using two parallel rows of sheet
pile with a filling material placed in the void between.
• This creates somewhat a gravity retaining structure and increase the ability to
counteract the soil behind. However, more working space is required.
• There are two types of double wall cofferdams:
• Ohio type cofferdam-It is used in hard layers where erosion is
unlikely. Such cofferdams are suitable for deep water or fast
water flow.
• Wood or steel sheeting cofferdam with Wales and tie rods.
 USING COFFERDAMS
Cellular cofferdam:
• This type of cofferdam is useful when the enclosure area is large and the
water depth is high.

• Cofferdams are used in the construction of water structures such as boilers,

pushes, etc.

• There are two main types of cellular cofferdam:

• Circular type cellular cofferdam
• Diaphragm cellular cofferdam
 USING COFFERDAMS
Circular type cellular cofferdam:
• In Circular Cofferdam, circular cells are inserted into the ground to a certain
depth above the boundary area.
• Such a cell is connected by an arc of a circle.
• The radius of such an arc is 2.5 m. The arc forms an angle of 30° to 45°
instead of contact with the circular cell.
• The cell is filled with clay, sand, or gravel.
 USING COFFERDAMS
The advantages of Circular type cofferdam are as follows:
• Each cell can be filled to the head independently before the construction
of the second cell and in this way, the construction of the second cell is
not distorted so the construction of the cell can be started from a different
point.
• Each cell behaves as a self-supporting independent unit.
• Less steel per unit length is used in the construction of a circular cell
compared to a diaphragm type cell.

• Cellular cofferdam is suitable for heights of 10 to 15 m. The diameter of the

cell is kept from 10 to 15 m and the distance from the center to the center is
kept from 12 to 18 m. The bottom of the river is hard rocky and the top layer
of clay or silt is more suitable for such cofferdam.
 USING COFFERDAMS
Diaphragm type cellular cofferdam:
• In this type of cofferdam, steel sheet piles are attached to each other to form a
series of arcs.
• Straight walls are attached to each other with the arc of sheet piles on both
sides.
• Usually, the radius of the arch is kept equal to the distance between the two
diaphragm walls.
 USING COFFERDAMS
• In order to create uniform tension between the diaphragm and the arch,
building materials like sand, gravel etc. are filled in it after immersing the cell
in water to the required depth.

• In all cells the filing of material should be done at the same rate up to the
same height so as not to wrap the diaphragm.
 FACTORS AFFECTING SELECTION OF
COFFERDAMS CONSTRUCTION
Cofferdams can be of different types. But what kind of cofferdam to build in which
place depends on the following things:

• The area to be protected by a cofferdam, i.e. small area or large area.

• The height of the water at the place where the cofferdam is to be constructed i.e.
shallow water or deep water.
• The state of water i.e. water is steady or flowing.
• The type of velocity of water flow i.e. water flows with slow velocity or fast
velocity.
• Type of soil at the bottom of the cofferdam, Pervious layer, or Impervious layer.
• Availability of Materials at work.
• The possibility of floods as well as tides and their height.
• Increase inflow velocity due to obstruction of water flow from the construction of
Cofferdam and the possibility of erosion of bottom.
• Facilitation of transport of materials and machinery required for of Cofferdam
construction.
 NECESSITY OF COFFERDAMS
The need of cofferdams construction arises in the following situations:

• When construction is to be done on the banks of a dry or watery river or between

rivers.
• When construction is to be done on the beach.
• When construction is to be done in the middle of the lake or on the shore.
• When deep excavation is to be done at a place of deep granular soil.
• When deep excavation is to be done on clay soil.
• When excavation is to be done below ground level.
• When there is a possibility of landslides due to deep excavation.
• When private or government property is located near the excavation.
• When water is likely to seep into the excavation from the surrounding area.
 USES OF COFFERDAMS:
• To facilitate the work of laying piles in the ground.
• Laying of raft and mesh foundation
• Laying of Grillage foundation.
• To construct the foundations of embankments, piers, and abutments.
• Surround the work area and prevent water from entering the space.
• To provide a working platform when water leaks during the foundation
excavation of buildings.
• To take out a submerged ship from water and to encircle the place.
• To provide working space without damaging the surrounding structures such as
buildings, pipelines, sewer line etc.
• To construct the foundation and top of the concrete dam..
 GROUND ANCHOR

Ground anchor is basically a pre-stressing tendon embedded and anchored into soil or rock to
provide resistance to structural movements by a “tying back" principle.
Common applications are :
1. General slope stabilization
2. Tying back/stabilizing a retaining structure
3. Tying back/stabilizing for diaphragm walls, but for a temporary nature during
excavation
4. Tying back the entire building from up possible uplifting
Ground anchor can be classified into:
1. Rock anchor – for anchorage in rock
2. Injection anchor – suitable for most cohesive and non-cohesive soils
GROUND ANCHOR
 GROUND WATER CONTROL AND
DEWATERING
• Water in soil often acts as a lubricant, which increase the tendency of soil to slip
or slide.
• Besides, it causes certain difficulties and danger in case of excavations to be
done.
• In some soil, such as non-cohesive soil with coarser grain composition, water
can flow through the grain particles.
• While for cohesive, water cannot due to the large capillary held by the very fine
soil particles
• Ground water can be kept out either permanently such as for long term
waterproofing for a basement, or temporarily such as to ease work during
excavation.
 GROUND WATER CONTROL AND
DEWATERING
• The following provisions can contribute certain degree of water-tightness to the
basement during the construction:
1. Sheet piling
2. Diaphragm walls
3. Suitable grouting to the sub-soil
• In addition, ground water can be further control by the use of the following
arrangement
1. Sump pumping
2. Well point systems
3. Shallow or deep-bored wells
4. Horizontal ground water control
5. electro-osmosis method
 DEWATERING BY OPEN SUMP PUMPING.
• It’s a reliable choice in a wide range of situations, and it’s also referred to as the
simplest, cheapest, and most effective dewatering method.
• A sump is a hole or an area in the ground (deeper than the basement floor)
where water is collected and then pumped away for disposal.
• Drains and sumps are constructed at one or more sides or corners of the
foundation pit.
• The drains collect the groundwater and convey it into the sump. From the sump,
the water is continuously evacuated (either manually or mechanically).
• This method works well for most soil and rock conditions
DEWATERING BY OPEN SUMP PUMPING.
 DEWATERING BY A WELL POINT SYSTEM
• This method features easy installation,
and it’s relatively cheap and flexible,
being practical and effective under most
soil and hydrologic conditions.
• Wells are drilled around the construction
area and pumps are placed into these
wells.
 DEWATERING BY A WELL POINT SYSTEM
• Wellpoint systems consist of a series of small-diameter wells, connected by a
header pipe to a centrally located suction pump.
• Groundwater is abstracted via the wellpoints from a vacuum generated by the
pump.
 DEWATERING BY A WELL POINT SYSTEM
• The perforated pipe has a ball valve to regulate the flow of water (the ball valve
also prevents the mud from entering into the pipe).
• Groundwater can be lowered about six metres by this method.
• This method is ideal for buildings with deep basements and is effective in sands
and sandy gravels.
 DEWATERING BY CONSTRUCTING DEEP
WELLS.
• When a deep excavation is needed and a large quantity of groundwater is
required to be removed, dewatering may be done by constructing deep wells in
soils or rocks where permeability is between moderate (e.g. sands) to high (e.g.
gravels).
 DEWATERING BY CONSTRUCTING DEEP
WELLS.
• Deep well dewatering system can drain out water up to 24m depth.

• The capacity of the pumps as well as the number, depth, and spacing of deep
wells may vary depending on the site conditions.

• In cases when wellpoints and deep wells are not suitable methods for
dewatering, the use of eductors can be considered.
 DEWATERING USING THE EDUCTOR
SYSTEM
• The eductor system (also known as the ejector system) is a specialist technique
used in low permeability soils such as very silty sands, silts, or clays.
• Eductors are typically used to help stabilise the side slopes and soil in the
excavation area.
• Unlike the wellpoint dewatering system, it uses high-pressure water in the riser
units.
• The eductor system works in the following way: “Ejector supply pumps located at
ground level feed high-pressure water to the ejector nozzle and venturi located at
the base of the wells.
• The flow of water through the nozzle generates a vacuum in the well and draws
in groundwater”..
DEWATERING USING THE EDUCTOR
SYSTEM