Construction Techniques for Caisson Type and

Sinking Techniques
Presented by
N Sengupta
SDUC 106 (9)
Training Outline

• Lesson 1: Caisson Type and Sinking Techniques

▫ Construction Processes

▫ Case Studies
Introduction

• What is Caisson & Sinking Techniques?

• What are the Steps / Processes?

• Advantages & Disadvantages

• Case Studies
Lesson Objectives
• Caisson Sinking Techniques
▫ Different Types Sinking Methods
▫ Benefits of Caisson / Well Foundation
• Methodology
▫ Design Concepts
▫ Construction Steps
▫ Safety
• Some Case Studies
Caisson Sinking
History:
➢First records found in 250BC in Alexandria, Egypt

➢Timber Caissons in 13BC by king ‘Herod the Great’ build port of

Caesarea, Judea.
Caisson Sinking
History:
➢ During the mid-19th century, cribworks with compressed air were used to construct shafts
in coal mines. The overpressure drove the water out of the shaft, so workers could continue
digging deeper in dry work space. This was first carried out in France (1841) and later (from
1850) also in English coal mines

➢ Engineers found out that in the same way they could construct foundations for bridge piers,
which they first did in Vichy (France), later also in England (e.g. for the piers of the Royal
Albert Bridge in Cornwall, 1859 and the Firth of Forth railroad bridge in Scotland, 1890) and
the United States of America (e.g., the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and the Mississippi
Bridge in St. Louis), followed by other countries.

➢ The experience with the founding of bridge piers on caissons nevertheless was positive, so
the French structural engineer Gustave Eiffel selected this same method to found his
prestigious tower for the World's Fair of 1889 in Paris.
Caisson Sinking
Definition:
➢The term ‘Caisson’ is originally derived from the French word “Caisse”
which means box or chest. Hence caisson means box like structure,
rectangular or round, which is sunk from the surface of either land or
water to the desired depth.
Types of Caissons:
➢Box Caisson
➢Open Caisson
➢Pneumatic Caisson
Caisson Sinking
Box Caisson
• Used for Seawall, Bridge
Foundation
• Precast Onshore, Floated and
Sunk in Water
Caisson Sinking – Box Caissons
Caisson Sinking – Box Caissons
Caisson Sinking
• Open Caisson
▫ Top Casting or Segmental
▫ Bottom Casting or Segmental
Caisson Sinking
Caisson Sinking – Open Caisson
Caisson Sinking – Open Caisson
Caisson Sinking – Open Caisson
 Fill
Excavate Steel Ring Coarse Sand, F1
Steel Ring
Depth = Beams N<3
Beams
19.5m Marine Clay, M
N<0
Sheet Pile +
Sandy Clay, F2
Slab = I-Beam,
600mm 900x300x28 Sandy Silt, G(VI)
3kg/m 12<N<16

Grout Block @0.8m c/c

Grout Block Gravelly Silt,
(TBM Break- G(V)
K<1x 10-8
in & Break- 40<N<46
out)
m/s Excavate Depth =
3(L)x4.2(W)x 520mm Thk 43.45m
Granite,
4.2(D) Caisson Wall G(III)
Slab =
Design Required 450mm thk
1.2m thk
To Provide 520mm thk
(Comply With Notional Design
EI = 1,350,000kN/m2)
Caisson Sinking – Open Caisson
Caisson Sinking – Open Caisson
Caisson Sinking
Pneumatic Caisson

The pneumatic caisson method comprises the

on-ground construction of a reinforced
concrete caisson having a working chamber
inside at the lower part, pressurized air supply
to the working chamber to prevent
underground water from coming in there,
excavation work of soils in the working
chamber and finally sinking the whole caisson
structure.
 Caisson Sinking – Pneumatic Caisson
The pneumatic caisson method works on the same
principal as a cup holding air its inside and pressed
into water upside down: if no air escapes from the cup,
little water will enter the cup's interior as air pressure
keeps it out. The pneumatic caissons have an airtight
chamber at the bottom, into which compressed air is
supplied to prevent water from entering. Inside the
chamber, soil is excavated just like for the on-the-ground
construction work.
Caisson Sinking – Pneumatic Caisson
Caisson Sinking – Pneumatic Caisson
• Pneumatic Caisson Method has the following advantages.
• The compressed air fed in the working chamber is controlled to be so equal to the pressure of groundwater that
the surrounding groundwater or soils may not be affected.
• Since the working chamber inside is kept dry, an elaborate excavation work is possible by verifying directly the
conditions of soil without disturbing the constitution of soil. This also allows the pneumatic caisson to sink in all
soil conditions such as viscous soil, sabulosity soil, gems and stones mingling grit and bedrocks.
• Since the sinking pneumatic caisson structures themselves become the final underground structures, no
temporary earth retaining works are required. This also allows a good use of underground space as much as
possible.
• Excavation work in the working chamber and construction work on the ground can proceed at once. This saves
construction period.
• Our developed unmanned excavation system and helium mixed gases breathing system make possible to
construct safe and efficient underground structures and spaces in the great-depth underground.
• Since the complete reinforced concrete caisson structures have a high rigidity, their side structures and bottom
structures jointly bear and resist against heavy loads thereon, the caisson structures are highly earthquake-
resistant.
•
Caisson Construction
Advantages:
• Economic for Construction
• Less Noisy & Vibration Works
• Easily Adaptable to Site Conditions
• High Axial & Lateral Load Capacity
• Minimal Equipments for Construction (Except for Box Caissons)
• Construction on Boulder layer is possible
Caisson Construction
Disadvantages:
• The construction procedure is extremely sensitive and troublesome.
• It is not good for polluted sites.
• It needs expert engineers to design the construction.
• There is lack of qualified workers.
• The workers may suffer from giddiness, breaking of eardrums, bursting of
blood vessels in the nose or ears and end up in paralytic death which is
known as caisson disease (Barotrauma)
• As the pouring of concrete is done underwater, it may not be satisfactory.
• The help of divers may be required.