Caisson: Prepared by - Bhavin Punjani

CAISSON
PREPARED BY – BHAVIN PUNJANI

1
PREPARED BY- BHAIVN PUNJANI
CAISSON
 Caisson is derived from French word “caisse” meaning a
box.
 It is relatively large deep foundation.
 It is a box structure in shape of rectangular, round which

is sunk from the surface of water or land to the desire
depth.
 It is permanent structure and part of the sub- structure.
2
USES
 Transferring the load of structure to the hard strata.
 Used for foundation of bridges, piers, abutments in

river or lake.
 Used as impervious core wall of earth dams.
 To provide an access to a deep shaft or tunnel.
3
MATERIAL
 Following materials are used for caissons:
1) RCC
2) Steel
3) Timber
4) Cast Iron
4
TYPES
 Box caisson (open at top and closed at bottom)
 Open or well type (open at top and bottom)
 Pneumatic type ( closed at top and open at bottom)
5
BOX CAISSON
 It is strong water tight vessel open at top and closed

at bottom and made of timber, steel or RCC.
 It is build on land , cured and then float or launched

to pier site where it is placed in position.
 Mainly it is used for shallow depth and for light

weight.
6
BOX CAISSON
7
BOX CAISSON
 The caisson is sunk by filling sand, gravel, or concrete in
the empty space inside.
 The place where the caisson base is to rest must be
levelled and as such box caissons are used in places
where the strata of sufficient bearing capacity is available
near the ground.
 In normal practice, the soft natural bottom soil of the river
bed is dredged out to some depth and the trench thus
formed is filled with sand to have a levelled base.
 The function of the sand layer is to uniformly distribute
the superimposed loads over the soil below and thus avoid
tilting of the caisson.
8
BOX CAISSON
9
BOX CAISSON
10
BOX CAISSON
11
OPEN OR WELL CAISSON
 common shapes of caisson
12
WELL COMPONENTS
 Cutting edge
 Curb
 Steining
 Bottom plug
 Well cap
 Top plug
 Sand filling
13
WELL COMPONENT FUNCTION
 Cutting edge : provides sharp edge to cut the soil below

during sinking operation.
 Curb : during sinking it acts as extension of cutting edge and
provide support the well. It is made of RCC.
 Steining : it is main body of the well. Made of RCC or
masonry with minimum thickness of 45 cm.
 Bottom plug : made of concrete and designed for an upward
load equal to the soil pressure minus self weight of the
bottom plug and sand filling.
14
WELL COMPONENT FUNCTION
 Top plug : it supports the well cap.
 Well cap : it transfers the load from pier to the well.
 Sand filling : it transfers a portion of load from well

cap to the bottom plug.
15
SINGLE WALL OPEN CAISSON

 This is a box type structure having no top or bottom(during
construction) and mainly consists of vertical walls.
 The method of construction of a typical single wall open
caisson is describe below:
 Wherever necessary the site is made dry by dewatering the area
by adopting suitable method (By constructing cofferdam, sheet
piling etc.).
 A pit of suitable size and about 3 to 4 meter deep is excavated at
the site where the caisson is to be sunk.
 The cutting edge is then placed at the bottom of the pit. Above the
cutting edge, the wall reinforcements are suitably tied up and the
shuttering for casting the concrete wall is erected.
 The caisson walls are then concreted in lifts to a suitable height.
16

 When the freshly laid concrete has gained sufficient strength, sinking
operation is started. The caisson sinks due to its own weight when the
soil from the space inside removed by use of clam shell or any other
method.
 As sinking proceeds, additional sections of the caisson walls are
successively cast.
 Sinking is stopped while each section is concreted and it is resumed
only after the concreted section has gained sufficient strength.
 When the caisson is sunk to the required depth, its base is plugged by
providing 15 to 45 m thick layer of concrete (concrete seal).
 The concrete for the seal is placed by use of a tremie pipe or by a
bottom dump bucket.
 After the concrete seal has set, the water inside the caisson is pumped
out and the empty space is filled with sand, gravel or concrete. 17

 The rate of sinking of the caisson is always slow
because the downward moment of the caisson is
resisted by the skin friction of the ground on its walls.
 At times the skin friction becomes so great that the
caisson does not sink even after all the earth has
been dredged out from the inside clean down to the
cutting edge.
 In such situations, sinking is resorted to by loading the
caisson with additional weights in the form of rails,
ingots (block of steel) etc. which are removed
afterwards.
18
CYLINDRICAL OPEN CAISSON

 This may be defined as a cylindrical shell made up of timber, masonry, steel or
reinforced concrete shod with a cutting edge and which is sunk by excavating the soil
within the shell.
 The thickness of the caisson wall must be adequate so that when the inside soil is
dredged out, it sinks under its own weight. To facilitate sinking of the caisson water
jets are sometimes used around the sides which decrease the skin friction.
 Cylindrical open caisson is also known as well caisson. This type of caisson is similar
in all respect to the single wall open caisson except that its wall is circular in plan.
 The method of construction of well caisson is exactly similar to that of a single wall
open caisson described earlier. After the well is sunk to the desired depth its bottom
is sealed with concrete.
 This type of caisson is commonly adopted for providing foundation for bridges and
other structures to be built in rivers and waterways. 19
PNEUMATIC CAISSON
 This type of caisson is closed at top and open (during construction) at the
bottom. The water is excluded from the caisson chamber by means of
compressed air.
 The construction of the pneumatic caisson is similar to the types described

above, except that, the working chamber and shaft are made air-tight. In
order that the workmen may carry out excavation work underneath the
caisson and the water may not find its way inside from below, the pressure
of the compressed air in the shaft is kept just higher than that of the water
at that depth.
 Each caisson has two air locks. Through one air lock workmen go down for
working while through the other excavated material is taken out. An air lock
essentially consists of a steel chamber having two air-tight doors. 20
21
PNEUMATIC CAISSON
 One door of this chamber serves as an entry for men and material from outside into
the steel chamber and the other door leads to the air shaft.
 When a workman enters the airlock from outside, the pressure inside the airlock is
the same as that of outside atmosphere.
 Thereafter the outside door is closed and the pressure inside the airlock is raised
slowly. When the pressure inside the airlock becomes equal to the pressure in the
caisson, the door of the airlock which leads to the air shaft is opened and the
workman goes down the air-shaft with the help of a ladder installed therein.
 Exactly reverse procedure is followed when the workman comes out of the caisson.
Air-shaft provides means of access for the worker from airlock down to the working
chamber. 22
PNEUMATIC CAISSON
 This method of providing foundation is complicated, expensive and very slow.
However, in places where it is rather difficult to use bulky equipment required for
alternative method, pneumatic caissons appear to be the only choice.
 The chief advantage of this method is that entire operation of sinking the caisson
can be carried out under controlled conditions.
 This method provides better facilities for removing obstructions, inspection of work
and concreting of foundations bed.
 This type of caisson is suitable for depths ranging from 25 m to 40 m. At higher
depths, the persons working inside the caisson for sinking operation are liable to get
caisson disease.
23
PNEUMATIC CAISSON
24
PNEUMATIC CAISSON SICKNESS

 When workers working under compressed air inside the working chamber,
they suffer certain type of disease when they return to the atmospheric
pressure. This disease is known as “Caisson Sickness” or “Caisson
Disease”.
 The main symptoms of the diseases are:
1) Dizziness (vertigo)
2) Double vision
3) Headache
4) Trouble to speaking
5) Pain in body 25
PNEUMATIC CAISSON SICKNESS (PRECAUTIONS)

1) No person should work for more than one shift in a day.
2) Shift should not exceed 12 hours.
3) Temperature of the working chamber should be maintain 25 degree
centigrade.
4) The main locks should be well ventilated.
5) Persons with strong heart, low blood pressure and good circulation should
be employed on the work.
6) Use of alcoholic drinks should be prohibited.
7) Medical facility or chamber should be provided nearer to the work.

26
PNEUMATIC CAISSON SICKNESS (PRECAUTIONS)

8) The workers should take enough meal before the shift starts.
9) All the passages, shafts etc. of the caisson should be well ventilated and
properly lighted.
10) The worker use man locks for entry, interval and exit.
27
SINKING OF CAISSON
 Mainly following methods are adopted:

1) Air and water jets
2) Blasting
3) Loading
4) Sand island
28
SINKING OF CAISSON
 Air and water jets:
 In this method, water jets are provided near the cutting
edge level to reduce the skin friction.
 The air or water is forced through the jets which
facilitates the sinking of caisson.
 Blasting :
 In this method, the explosives are used to remove any
obstruction such as rock, boulder, etc. and facilitate the
sinking of caisson.
 The cutting edge is cleared and suitable charge of
explosive is provided at a depth of about one or two
meter below the curb level.
29
SINKING OF CAISSON
 Loading :
 Applied uniform load on the top of the caisson to
facilitate sinking.
 Sand island :
 This method is also known as an artificial island
method.
 It is adopted when subsoil conditions are not in position
to keep caisson stable.
 In this method sink a steel cylinder around the site of
work and then filling this cylinder with sand or other
dredged material. The caisson is sunk through this
filling.
30
SINKING OF CAISSON
 Sand island
31
PROBLEMS IN WELL SINKING
 The major problems in well sinking are:

1) Sand blowing
2) Tilting of wells
3) Shifting of wells
32

 Sand blowing :
 The trouble of sand blowing takes place during the process
of dewatering of the well passing through sandy strata.
 The ground around the well starts breaking up and wide
cracks are formed.
 The fall of sand in the caisson is so sudden and huge in
amounts to a depth of about 3 to 15m of sand. This may
result in fatal accident.
 When sand blowing occurs, dewatering of caisson should
immediately discontinued and bundles of grass or some
such filling materials should be placed all around the
steining to control the sand blowing.
33

 Tilting of wells:
 When a well sinks more or one side than the other,
then it is known to have tilted. The tilting is mainly
due to unequal dredging and non-uniform bearing
power of soil.
 Following methods are used to control the
tilting :
 Control of dredging
 Eccentric loading
 Water jetting
 Pulling the well
 Pushing by jacks 34

 Control of dredging :
 Dredging is done only near to the portion which has tilted.
The portion which is higher than other is termed as tilted
edge.
 This method is not very effective when the well has been
sunk to a great depth. In such case, a hole is made in
steining and by hooks, the rope of the dredge is pulled
towards higher side to the maximum possible extent. The
hole is made near the ground level.
35
36
 Eccentric loading :
 In this method heavy
loads are placed on
the tilted edge. The
moment caused by
heavy loads brings
the well in true
position.
37
 Water jetting :
 In this method, water jet is forced on the outer faces of the
well towards the higher side so that skin friction is reduced
towards the higher side. This method is effective in case the
well is being sunk in sandy strata.
38

 Pulling the well:
 In this method, the well is
pulled towards the higher
side by placing one or
more steel ropes round
the well with vertical
sleepers packed in
between. This method is
effective only in early
stages of sinking.
39
 Pushing by jacks:
 In this method, the
well may be pushed
by jacks on the tilted
side of wall.
40
 Shifting of wells:
 If a simple tilt is occurs at a certain depth and
the sinking continued till designed foundation
depth is reached, the shift at the bottom could
be greater than a top.
41
THANK YOU
42

Caisson: Prepared by - Bhavin Punjani

Încărcat de

Informații document

Descriere originală:

Titlu original

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

Caisson: Prepared by - Bhavin Punjani

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

CAISSON

PREPARED BY – BHAVIN PUNJANI

 It is relatively large deep foundation.

 It is a box structure in shape of rectangular, round which

 It is permanent structure and part of the sub- structure.

 Transferring the load of structure to the hard strata.

 Used for foundation of bridges, piers, abutments in

 Used as impervious core wall of earth dams.

 To provide an access to a deep shaft or tunnel.

 Following materials are used for caissons:

 Box caisson (open at top and closed at bottom)

 Open or well type (open at top and bottom)

 Pneumatic type ( closed at top and open at bottom)

 It is strong water tight vessel open at top and closed

 It is build on land , cured and then float or launched

 Mainly it is used for shallow depth and for light

OPEN OR WELL CAISSON

 common shapes of caisson

WELL COMPONENT FUNCTION

 Cutting edge : provides sharp edge to cut the soil below

WELL COMPONENT FUNCTION

 Top plug : it supports the well cap.

 Well cap : it transfers the load from pier to the well.

 Sand filling : it transfers a portion of load from well

SINGLE WALL OPEN CAISSON

SINGLE WALL OPEN CAISSON

SINGLE WALL OPEN CAISSON

CYLINDRICAL OPEN CAISSON

 The construction of the pneumatic caisson is similar to the types described

the same as that of outside atmosphere.

alternative method, pneumatic caissons appear to be the only choice.

can be carried out under controlled conditions.

and concreting of foundations bed.

 This type of caisson is suitable for depths ranging from 25 m to 40 m. At higher

PNEUMATIC CAISSON SICKNESS

pressure. This disease is known as “Caisson Sickness” or “Caisson

 The main symptoms of the diseases are:

PNEUMATIC CAISSON SICKNESS (PRECAUTIONS)

2) Shift should not exceed 12 hours.

3) Temperature of the working chamber should be maintain 25 degree

4) The main locks should be well ventilated.

be employed on the work.

6) Use of alcoholic drinks should be prohibited.

7) Medical facility or chamber should be provided nearer to the work.

PNEUMATIC CAISSON SICKNESS (PRECAUTIONS)

 Mainly following methods are adopted:

PROBLEMS IN WELL SINKING

 The major problems in well sinking are:

PROBLEMS IN WELL SINKING

PROBLEMS IN WELL SINKING

PROBLEMS IN WELL SINKING

PROBLEMS IN WELL SINKING

PROBLEMS IN WELL SINKING

PROBLEMS IN WELL SINKING

PROBLEMS IN WELL SINKING

PROBLEMS IN WELL SINKING

PROBLEMS IN WELL SINKING

S-ar putea să vă placă și