DESIGN OF COFFERDAMS FOR DEEP EXCAVATIONS

GENERAL

A cofferdam is a retaining structure, usually temporary in nature, which is used to

support the sides of deep excavations. Such structures generally consist of vertical steel

sheet piling braced by a system of (a) wales and struts, (b) circular wales, and (c)

prestressed tiebacks. Cofferdams are used primarily for the excavation of multi-level

basements and trenches in construction situations where adjacent ground must be

supported against settlement or slides. Usually in urban areas the need to prevent

settlement of the adjacent ground is a matter of prime importance, as such settlements

can have disastrous effects on the structural integrity of adjacent buildings. Sheet pile

cofferdams can also be used with economy in the construction of bridge piers and

abutments in relatively shallow water.

In general, the method of construction incorporates the following basic steps: (a) steel

sheet piles are driven into the ground to a predetermined depth; (b) during excavation the

sheeting is braced by horizontal wales supported by a system of struts or prestressed

tiebacks; (c) the support system for each wale system must be in place and tightened or

prestressed against the sheeting before further excavation can proceed in order to prevent

lateral deflection. Figure 49 is a diagram demonstrating the in-place position of the

components of a temporary cofferdam.

The design of a temporary cofferdam follows an exploratory subsurface investigation

conducted to provide general information about the site and the soil strata. With this

information, the overall dimensions of the structure can be set. More detailed subsurface

information (such as soil strength properties) is then obtained for design purposes. In this

detailed subsurface study, several borings should extend to bedrock or to a depth below

the design elevation of the bottom of the sheeting roughly equal to the width of the

excavation. The subsurface investigation should also include a determination of the

elevation range of the water table.

After the required soil parameters have been determined, the lateral earth pressures

against the sheeting are computed. The various cofferdam components. can then be sized
by selecting a wale spacing, sizing the sheeting (based on the maximum moment

generated between supports), and sizing the struts (based on the maximum strut load) or

determine the prestress tieback spacing. The spacing between wales may be reduced if the

moments in the wall are too large. If the wale sizes are unreasonably large, the strut

spacing may be reduced. However, the strut spacing should be kept as wide as possible to

ease access through the bracing system during construction. Finally, the cofferdam should

be analyzed for overall stability and for safety against piping.

Of significant importance are the benefits of driving the steel sheet piling to a greater

depth than the design depth of excavation. In soft clays this usually results in resisting the

heave of the bottom of the excavation. Greater wall depths may also be advantageous in

excavations in granular soil below the water table thereby serving as a cutoff wall and

reducing the danger of piping and the formation of boils. In addition, the continuity of

sheet pile walls helps prevent excessive material loss from behind the wall.

A detailed explanation of the various stages of design of braced sheeted cofferdams is

presented in the sections that follow.