UNDER GROUND CONSTRUCTION

COFFERDAMS
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A cofferdam is a temporary enclosure in a river, lake etc. to keep water from the enclosed
area in order to construct a permanent structure. A cofferdam is constructed in the water and
when it is completed, the enclosed area is dewatered by pumping. During the entire life of a
cofferdam, a certain amount of pumping is constantly needed because some water will leak
through the cofferdam and the foundation. A bridge pier in a standing water may be constructed
by first constructing cofferdam around the site and then pumping out water from the site to enable
the construction work to go on in a dry condition.
The most common types of cofferdams are.
1. Cantilever sheet pile cofferdams: suitable for small cofferdams; susceptible to large
leakage and flood damage.
2. Braced cofferdams: economical for small to moderate height susceptible to flood
damage.
3. Earth embankments: There is no limitation to height but the construction occupies more
time and space.
4. Double wall cofferdams: - suitable for moderate height.
5. Cellular cofferdam: suitable for moderate and large height.























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COFFERDAMS
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Cellular cofferdams are used primarily as retaining structures, with the retained material
usually being water. They depend for stability on the interaction of the soil used to fill the cell
and the steel sheet piling. Either material used alone is unsatisfactory; both materials in
combination provide a satisfactory means to develop a dry work area in water-covered areas such
as ocean or lake front structures or dam construction in rivers.
A cellular cofferdam is made by driving straight web steel sheet piles to form a series of cells
which are subsequently filled with a suitable soil. The cells are inter connected for water tightness
and are self-stabilizing against the lateral pressure of water and earth.
The advantages of the cellular type cofferdams, as opposed to other types are
1. Construction economy The cellular type is more economical than the braced cofferdam
where the enclosed area and / or the water head is large.
2. Water tightness The cellular type is more watertight than the braced cofferdam.
3. Channel restriction:- The cellular cofferdam is smaller than the embankment type which
occupies a large area and restricts channel flow or navigation.
4. Salvage value :- Steel sheet piles are pulled out for reuse after completion of the job.
5. Relatively simple construction.
Cellular cofferdams are often used for large waterfront constructions. In addition singular
cells may be constructed in the waterfront for scour protection, as dolphins as supports for
heavy equipment.
COMMON TYPES IF CELLULAR COFFERDAMS
Cellular cofferdams are generally classified according to the shapes or arrangement of the cells.
CIRCULAR TYPES: Consists of individual large diameter circles connected together by arcs of
smaller diameter. These arcs usually intercept the circles at a point of 30 or 45 with the
longitudinal axis of the cofferdam. They are often perpendicular to the circles but occasionally
different angles may be used.
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COFFERDAMS
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Advantages:- The major feature of the circular type is that each cell is self supporting and
independent of the next cell, there fore
1. It can be used singularly, in a groups or at end.
2. It will not collapse in the event of failure of adjoining cells (due to interlock damage, flash
flood on any other causes)
3. It can be filled with no regard to the progress of the other cells. This permits the fill to be
placed by hydraulic method. The cell may be filled immediately after completion of pile
driving for each cell, and the construction equipment may be operated on top of it.
4. It requires fewer numbers of piles per unit length of cofferdam as compared with the
diaphragm type of an equal design.
DIAPHRAGM TYPE:-Diaphragm type consists of two series of arcs connected together by
diaphragms perpendicular to the axis of the cofferdam. Generally the radii of these arcs are made
equal to the distances between the diaphragms. At the intersection point the two arcs and the
diaphragm make an angle of 120 degrees between each other.
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Advantages :-
1. It has uniform interlock stress throughout the section at any given level. The stress is
smaller than that at the joint of a circular cell of a comparable design.
2. It can be widened readily by increasing the length of the diaphragms if it is required by
stability. This will not increase the interlock stress which is a function of the radius of the
arc.
COMPONENTS OF CELLULAR COFFERDAMS
The major components of cellular cofferdams are the steel cells and the cell fills. Sometimes earth
berms are also constructed on the dry side of the cofferdam to increase its stability. In the circular
type the main cells are circular where as the connecting cells are of smaller radii. In the diaphragm
type, the front and back faces of the cells are circular but the diaphragms are straight walls.















The circular portions of the cells are actually polygons, with one sheet pile forming one side of the
polygons. In large diameter cells any two adjacent piles are almost on a straight line. In smaller
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COFFERDAMS
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cells, however, each sheet pile must deflect at a relatively large angle from the straight line in
order to form the desired circle. Sheet piles generally permit a maximum deflection angle of 10
degrees. Piles intersecting at larger defection angles are difficult to drive in line, may easily get
out of interlock and the interlocks may be damaged due to high interlock tension and water tight
ness may become a serious problem. Therefore, when larger angles are required in small diameter
cells, the piles must be bent to such an angle in the middle of the web.
The pieces at the junction points in the circular cofferdams are commonly 90 Tees, and those in
the diaphragm type cofferdams are commonly 120 wyes. These piles are prefabricated by
riveting or welding whole and half sections together.
The cell fill should be coarse grained soil which may be deposited through water.