Cofferdams

DEFINITION
A cofferdam is a temporary structure designed to keep

water and/or soil out of the excavation in which a bridge
pier or other structure is built.
When construction must take place below the water
level, a cofferdam is built to give workers a dry work
environment.
Sheet piling is driven around the work site, seal
concrete is placed into the bottom to prevent water from
seeping in from underneath the sheet piling, and the
water is pumped out
The word "cofferdam" comes from "coffer" meaning box,
in other words a dam in the shape of a box.
cofferdam-shallow foundation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beFIatBTyDA
cofferdam-pile
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sheetpile
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cofferdam-3d
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mFL8r9h8nM
TYPES
Braced
Earth-Type
Timber Crib
Double-Walled Sheet Pile
Cellular
1.BRACED COFFERDAMS
Formed from a single wall of sheet piling
Driven into the ground to form a box around the
excavation site
The "box" is then braced on the inside
Interior is dewatered
Primarily used for bridge piers in shallow water (30 - 35
ft depth)
2. EARTH-TYPE
It is the simplest type of cofferdam.
It consists of an earth bank with a clay core or vertical
sheet piling enclosing the excavation.
It is used for low-level waters with low velocity and easily
scoured by water rising over the top.
3. TIMBER CRIB
Constructed on land and floated into place.
Lower portion of each cell is matched with contour of
river bed.
It uses rock ballast and soil to decrease seepage and
currents or on rocky river beds.

It must be properly designed to resist lateral forces
such as tipping / overturning and sliding
4. DOUBLE-WALLED SHEET PILE
They are double wall 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.
5. CELLULAR
Cellular cofferdams are used only in those

circumstances where the excavation size precludes the
use of cross-excavation bracing.
In this case, the cofferdam must be stable by virtue of
its own resistance to lateral forces.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Scouring or undermining by rapidly
flowing water
Stability against overturning or tilting
Upward forces on outside edge due to tilting
Stability against vertical shear
Effects of forces resulting from:
Ice, Wave, Water, Active Earth and Passive Earth Pressures
ADVANTAGES
Allow excavation and construction of structures in
otherwise poor environment.
Provides safe environment to work
Contractors typically have design responsibility
Steel sheet piles are easily installed and removed
Materials can typically be reused on other projects
INSTALLATION
Items needed for installation:

Pile driving hammer
Vibratory or Impact
Crane of sufficient size
Steel sheet piles are typically used
H-piles and/or wide-flange beams for wales and stringers
Barges may be required
COMPONENTS
Sheet piling
Bracing frame
Concrete seal
Bearing piles
DESCRIPTION
The typical cofferdam, such as a bridge pier, consists of
sheet piles set around a bracing frame and driven into the
soil sufficiently far to develop vertical and lateral support
and to cut off the flow of soil and, in some cases the flow of
water.
DESCRIPTION
The structure inside may be founded directly on rock or

firm soil or may require pile foundations. In the latter case,
these generally extend well below the cofferdam.
In order to dewater the cofferdam, the bottom must be
stable and able to resist hydrostatic uplift. Placement of an
underwater concrete seal course is the fastest and most
common method.
CONSTRUCTION
An underwater concrete seal course may be placed
prior to dewatering in order to seal off the water, resist its
pressure, and also to act as a slab to brace against the
inward movement of the sheet piles in order to mobilize
their resistance to uplift under the hydrostatic pressure.
CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE
For a typical cofferdam, such as for a bridge pier, the
construction procedure follow the listed pattern.
1. Pre-dredge 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.
Tremie concrete seal.
Tremie concrete seal.
11. Check blocking between bracing and sheets.
12. Dewater.
13. Construct new structure.
COFFERDAMS
Cofferdams for Sydney

13. Construct new structure.

14. Flood cofferdam.
15. Remove sheet piles.
16. Remove bracing.
17. Backfill.
WALE AND STRUT SYSTEM
Installation of Wale and Strut System for Framework

WALE AND STRUT SYSTEM
Installation of Wale and Strut System for Template

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
In cofferdam construction, safety is a paramount concern,
since workers will be exposed to the hazard of flooding and
collapse. Safety requirements are:
Good design
Proper construction
Verification that structure is constructed as per plan
Monitoring the behavior of cofferdam and its surrounding
Provision of adequate access
Light and ventilation
Attention to safe practices on the part of all workers and
supervisors
TRADITIONAL SHEET PILE SHAPES
TYPES OF INTERLOCKS

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DEFINITION

A cofferdam is a temporary structure designed to keep

currents or on rocky river beds.

Cellular cofferdams are used only in those

Items needed for installation:

The structure inside may be founded directly on rock or

2. Drive temporary support piles

4. Set steel sheet piles, starting at all four corners and

7. Excavate inside the grade or slightly below grade,

8. Drive bearing piles.

Cofferdams for Sydney

13. Construct new structure.

Installation of Wale and Strut System for Framework

Installation of Wale and Strut System for Template

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