Underwater Construction

UNDERWATER CONSTRUCTION
Construction Below the Water Table
Exclude the water

Lower the water table
Solidify the ground
Ignore the water
Exclude the Water

Caissons usually refers to structures which are
constructed offsite and then brought to site in one
piece or in a series of independent modules.
Cofferdams usually refers to structures in water that
are constructed on site, often from standard parts.
Design to keep water and/or soil out of the
excavation.
Box Caissons
(a) Box caisson floated into place with ballast as required.

(b) Caisson filled with appropriate material water may be
pumped out first.

Hollow caissons can be used to house equipment filled
they can be used as foundations.
http://www.skye-bridge.co.uk/caisson.htm
Open Caissons
Open caissons permit
excavation or other
work to be carried out
inside the caisson.
The caisson will sink
down into the soil as
excavation proceeds.
Sections can be added
on top to increase
height.
Water can be pumped
out to permit dry work.
Pneumatic /Compressed Air Caisson

Pneumatic Caissons can be
sunk with the aid of

compressed air.
Provides a dry working
chamber.
Regulations apply
Volume air supply
Caisson sickness
Structural integrity
Man management
Simple cofferdam
Cut off walls sunk into low
permeability material
Sheet piles
Contiguous bored piles
Usually steel interlocking

http://www.landwater.co.uk/UserFiles/ima
ges/Case%20studies/031
10BeverleyBeckv2.pdf
Problems with seals at
joints
Vibrated beam wall
Vibrate H pile into

ground and inject grout
as pile removed usually
permanent.
System can be used for construction
Pump water from sump.
below water table on land or in rivers

etc.
Cofferdam with de-watering wells

Can lower water table
by sinking wells and

pumping water (at a
rate faster than the reentry rate) to a suitable
location. Must consider
silt content etc. of
pumped water and
effect on ground water
flow.
Sealed Cofferdam
Completely sealed
system.
Must cater for upthrust.
Only direct rainfall
needs to be pumped
out.
Horizontal barrier can
be concrete, clay,
ground freezing etc.
Lower the Water Table

Effectively confined to land sites
with low permeability soils
to lower water table slightly over large area
Sink a series of wells
generally on a grid pattern.
Pump water from wells
Ground water will flow towards excavation
Consider environmental effect of pumped
water.
Solidify Ground - then dig it out (Not

common not easy to control)
Freeze the water.
Requires a lot of energy.
Soil mass expands
can cause damage
changes properties of soil mass
Cement grouting
Cement reacts with water
Permanently changes properties of soil mass
Generally used as ground strengthening
Other chemical reactants
Ignore the Water

For processes that can be carried out
underwater.
Welding
Concreting
Assembly work
Inspections
Divers
Remote controlled equipment

Remote handling
Casting Concrete Under Water

Concrete will set under water.
Need to protect wet paste from strong
currents.
Concrete at surface contaminated by sea or
river water & cement leaches out.
Need to keep mass of concrete intact &
minimise new surface area as it is placed.
Techniques for concreting under water

Use pre-cast concrete units and lower into
place
Light enough to place

Heavy enough to stay in place or anchor
Place wet concrete inside sacrificial bag

Use a hopper with a bottom gate & skirt
Use tremie pipe or flexible hose
Hopper & skirt

Fresh concrete placed
in skip
Skip lowered to sea bed
Gate opened
Skip raised slowly
Concrete protected by
skirt as flows onto sea
bed
Sea bed
OK for mass fill
Fresh concrete
hopper
skirt
Hinged or sliding gate
Tremie Pipe (not to scale)

for small quantities only
Crumpled paper used to
block tube initially

Fresh concrete placed
within existing mass
Formwork required can
be pre-cast units
Scour may be a problem
Cofferdams can provide
protection
Can use flexible hose &
pumped concrete
Fresh concrete
in hopper
Water level
Sea bed level
Things to Remember about Concrete

Designs based on 28 day strength
No load until 7 days (approx)

Hardens quickly but strength remains low
Is subject to sulphate attack
Sulphates found in some clay soils
Health & safety issues to be considered
Allergy common & can be developed
Demolition must be considered

Underwater Construction

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Underwater Construction

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Underwater Construction

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

UNDERWATER CONSTRUCTION

Construction Below the Water Table

Exclude the water

Exclude the Water

(a) Box caisson floated into place with ballast as required.

pumped out first.

Pneumatic /Compressed Air Caisson

sunk with the aid of

Contiguous bored piles

Usually steel interlocking

Vibrated beam wall

Vibrate H pile into

Pump water from sump.

below water table on land or in rivers

Cofferdam with de-watering wells

by sinking wells and

Lower the Water Table

Solidify Ground - then dig it out (Not

Ignore the Water

Remote controlled equipment

Casting Concrete Under Water

Need to protect wet paste from strong

Techniques for concreting under water

Light enough to place

Place wet concrete inside sacrificial bag

Hopper & skirt

Hinged or sliding gate

Tremie Pipe (not to scale)

block tube initially

Sea bed level

Things to Remember about Concrete

No load until 7 days (approx)

Sulphates found in some clay soils

Health & safety issues to be considered

Allergy common & can be developed

Demolition must be considered

You might also like