KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering (2015) 19(5):1492-1497 Surveying and Geo-Spatial Information Engineering

Copyright ⓒ2015 Korean Society of Civil Engineers

DOI 10.1007/s12205-015-0734-0 pISSN 1226-7988, eISSN 1976-3808
www.springer.com/12205
TECHNICAL NOTE

Parameters Calculation for the Large Open Caisson based

on Quaternion
Chen Guangbao*
Received December 12, 2013/Revised April 14, 2014/Accepted July 14, 2014/Published Online January 5, 2015

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Abstract

Combining the construction technology of control to large open caisson underwater with quaternion theory, a new algorithm based
on a non-iterative strict mathematical method is used to calculate the parameters of caisson spatial geometric states. Firstly, the spatial
rotational matrices are derived from quaternion; then, the positive definite matrices and unit quaternion are calculated through
minimization of objective function; and finally, parameters of caisson spatial geometric states are derivate by the new algorithm. The
proposed method is applied for the caisson sinking of mid-tower in Tai Zhou Yangtze River Bridge, China. The results show that the
method for calculating parameters of caisson spatial geometric states is suitable for layout of monitoring points in open caisson
anywhere, when monitor points are three or more.
Keywords: quaternion, spatial rotational matrix, large open caisson, parameters calculation
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1. Introduction 2. General Control of Caisson Spatial Geometric

More and more super-large bridges across rivers along with the
construction of the bridge in the broad water off the coast came
into being. Thus, open caissons have been widely used in the
foundation of long span bridges, especially where the water is
relatively deep (Yoshimi, 2000). With the longer and longer span
of bridge, the open caissons must have larger size, heavier loads
and deeper sinking depth (Tomlinson, 1986). Therefore, new
challenges, such as its stability, spatial geometric states control,
and positioning accuracy emerge in the construction of open
caissons. In addition, parameters calculation of caisson spatial
geometric states is important to the sinking of caisson foundations
(Hu et al., 2005).
Currently approximate method has been used to parameters
calculation of open caissons (Liu et al., 2010; 2011). However, in
this method there are many shortcomings such as the strict
locations of monitoring sites, the large deviations of positioning,
and unsuitable for more than four tracking measurement points.
To overcome these shortcomings of the traditional parameters
calculation, a new parameters calculation method based on
quaternion is proposed in this paper. The results of the new
algorithm are encouraging and show that when three or more
monitoring points, arranged arbitrarily, are used to calculate
parameters of caisson spatial geometric states, the proposal
method of Spatial Rotation Algorithm by Quaternion (SPAQ)
can do it very well.
States
In the construction of caisson foundation, the position of caisson
is designed to undertake the whole structure load. Thus the
spatial geometric states of the bulky open caisson such as torsion,
tilt, and position must be measured continuously to ensure its
sinking to the desired location.
2.1 Measurement of Caisson Spatial Geometric States
During the procedure of caisson sinking and embedding, geo-
metric positions of the caisson would offset from designed values
due to influence of local scour of the riverbed, water currents,
tide, etc. Therefore, the geometric states of sinking caisson must
be monitored in real-time. The Total Station based technology
and GPS-RTK (Global Position System-Real Time Kinematic)
based technology have been widely used in spatial geometric
states monitoring of the caisson (Yin, 2011). In the practical
application of engineering, the two methods have different advant-
ages and disadvantages. The advantage of total station based
technology compared with other survey equipment is theoretical
maturity, high precision and reliable results. However, many
factors, such as the visibility condition and distance between the
fixed station and monitoring points, weather and atmospheric
refraction, will directly affect the reliability of the results. Whereas,
GPS-RTK based technology has the advantage of simple operation,
high degree of automation, good real-time data form the weather
and observation distance effect. However, it has the disadvantages

*Lecturer, School of Geosciences and Engineering, Hohai University, 210098, China (Corresponding Author, E-mail: hhucgb@163.com)

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 Parameters Calculation for the Large Open Caisson based on Quaternion

Fig. 1. Arrangement of Monitoring Points on Top Surface of Open

Caisson

of high cost, unsatisfied elevation accuracy and the gross error

data owning to the shelter from satellite signal.
Practical engineering is taken, monitoring points, which are
indicated by numbers, are installed in the middle points of the 2
axes on the top face of the caisson, as shown in Fig. 1. The three Fig. 2. Monitoring Points and the Points on the Surface of Open
parameters, consisting of the planar torsion angle, integral verti- Caisson
cality and centre offset of the top port (or bottom port), are
calculated from the three-dimensional coordinates measured
from the 4 monitoring points. Because the three parameters are optimal values are referred as uci and vci, where uci = u(pi) and
comprehensively response to the spatial geometric states of sinking vci = v(pi). The distance di from a given point pi in P to S is
caisson successfully (WVDOT, 2000), the above three parameters, defined as the magnitude of the vector from the closest point on
calculated from the three-dimensional coordinates, are considered S to pi and is depicted by the magnitude of di as:
as criteria for judgment of caisson’s spatial geometric states.
di = min
u, v
pi – S (u, v ) (1)
2.2 Approximate Method for Parameters Calculation of The deviation of the point set to point set can be quantified by
Caisson Spatial Geometric States the sum of the di as:
Currently, approximate method is used to calculate the para- n n
2 T
meters of caisson spatial geometric states. As can be seen in Fig. f= ∑ di = ∑ ( di ⋅ di ) (2)
i–1 i–1
1, all the four monitoring points have two sets of three-dimen-
sional coordinates (observed coordinates and designed coordinates).
According to the symmetry of monitoring points, coordinate 3.2 Minimization Objective Function of SPAQ
differences between the observed coordinates and designed Given two corresponding sets of n coordinate data points:
coordinates are related to the geometric relationships. Therefore, 3 3
pL = { pl1 , pl2 ,…pln , pli ∈ R }, PR = { pr1 , pr2 ,…prn , pri ∈ R } .
parameters of caisson spatial geometric states can be calculated
by this approximate method. Suppose the transformation from PR to PL, the spatial rotation
Because approximate method for parameters calculation is matrix R and translation vector t, the desired matching effect of
calculated based on the geometric relationships, the locations of single point is illustrated as:
monitoring points must be strictly on the axes and in one plane.
Pri = R ⋅ Pli + t (3)
Therefore, in this method there are many shortcomings such as
the strict locations of monitoring sites, the large deviations of with the residual error being:
positioning and unsuitable for more than four tracking measurement
di = Pri – R ⋅ Pli – t (4)
points. To overcome these deficiencies of the traditional
parameters calculation method, quaternion is introduced Therefore, the objective function:
into the parameters calculation of caisson spatial geometric n
2
states. ∑ di = min (5)
i=1

3. Spatial Rotation Algorithm by Quaternion (SPAQ) is to minimize the square sum of these residual errors. To find the
minimum of the above function, the centroid coordinates are
3.1 Description and Objective Function of SPAQ defined as:
Consider a set of n coordinate data points P = {pi, p2 L pn;
3 pli ′ = pli − pl, pri′ = pri − pr (6)
pi ∈ R }, measured from the caisson surface S, modeled by the
parametric equation S = S(u, v), that maps u ∈ R and v ∈ R onto where, pl and pr correspond to the centralized coordinates of
R3 (Fig. 2). The optimal u and v are a function of pi. These data points PL and PR given by:

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