COFFER DAM

Contents
Definition
Uses
Selection
Types

of Coffer Dams

of Coffer Dams

Design

features of coffer dams

Leakage

Prevention

Economic

Height

Definition
Cofferdams

are temporary enclosures to keep out water

and soil so as to permit dewatering and construction of the
permanent facility (structure) in the dry.
A Coffer Dam is a temporary structure designed to keep
water and /or soil out of the excavation in which a bridge
pier or other structure is built.
Meaning of Coffer Dam : Coffer = Box
To take up the Foundation works in the Marine Region, it
is necessary to obstruct the water flow by means of Coffer
Dam.

PURPOSE TO USE COFFER DAM STRUCTURE

To retain
Can

be used as either Temporary or Permanent

Main
It

Soil & Water

purpose is to provide dry working area for workers

is constructed to facilitate pile driving operations.

It

is used to place grillage as well as the raft foundations

It

is used ,when the foundations for piers and abutments of a bridge,

dams, locks, etc. are to be constructed.

Some

times it is also provided to store water temporarily.

Cofferdams can be used in all the sectors as explained below.

Civil

Engineering: Underground Car Parking, Foundation,

Basement Construction

Transport

Engineering: Bridge Pier, Support Walls, Ramps,

Ground Water Retention, Tunnel Work etc.

Water

Engineering: Weirs, Culverts, Flood Protection

Walls, Scour Protection Walls, Securing Embankment etc.

Port

Construction: Dock Works, Jetty Works etc.

SELECTION OF TYPES OF COFFERDAMS

1. Low heads of water earth fill cofferdams

2. Narrow Excavations single wall sheet pile
cofferdams otherwise double wall cofferdams
or cellular sheet piling are suitable for wide
excavations
3. The materials available at site of work for
construction
4. The possibility of overtopping by floods, tides,
etc. and sliding rock filled crib cofferdams

5. The nature of bed on which the cofferdam is to rest

deep deposits of soft clay, A heavy earth filled crib or
cellular cofferdam could not be suitable but single
wall sheet pile would be required in these conditions.
6. The nature of velocity of flow,i.e. water flowing with
slow current or with swift current
7. The chances of bed erosion due to reduction of water
way caused by the construction of a cofferdam.
8. The facilities available for the transport of equipment
and material required for the construction of a
cofferdam.

Types of Coffer Dam

1.Earth fill cofferdams - mainly for low level water
2. Sand Bag Coffer Dam to divert coarse of water
3.Rock fill cofferdams
4.Timber Crib or rock filled crib cofferdams Construction on land and than floated into place,
which is also known as Gravity Dam
5.Braced / Sheet Pile Coffer Dam- Consisting of Sheet
Piles, mainly used in shallow water depth
(i). Single wall coffer dams
(ii). Double wall coffer dams
(iii). Cellular cofferdams
6. Movable or suspended cofferdams

EARTH FILL COFFERDAMS

 Suitable

for rivers or streams having shallow depth of

water, about 120 to 150 cm, with low velocity of flow

It

is the simplest type of cofferdam.

Free

board 60 to 90 cm

Top

width of earth dyke one meter

Suitable

side slope should be provided

Provided
Its

suitable drain

depends on soil availability and site conditions.

Dry

conditions clay embankment provided

Wet

condition sand materials suitable

ROCK FILL COFFERDAMS

 The

construction of rock fill cofferdams is similar to

earth fill dams

It

can be constructed with steeper slopes

Water

depths 3 m.

In

case of high heads of water , this can be achieved

by a clay or concrete care wall

Impervious

layer provided(concrete or caly corewall

or sheet pile ) for reducing entry of seepage

TIMBER CRIB OR ROCK FILLED CRIB

COFFERDAMS

 It

consists of timber cribs made from logs of wood

Constructed

on land and floated into place

It

consists of a unit or a cell open at the bottom and

having the framework of horizontal timber members.

Hollow

space thus formed are then filled with rock or

gravel
Depth
Used

of water 10 to 20 m

for wide excavation and rocky river bottoms

SHEET PILE COFFER DAM

1. Single wall cofferdams

-it used in places, where the area to be enclosed is very
small
-depth of water is more = 4.5 to 6 m
- A single row of sheet piles is provided on the whole
length of the cofferdam
- Guide piles, Wales and struts (wood)
- guide piles are first driven deep in the river bed and
spacing between them 1.8 to 3.0 m
- The sand bags are stacked on the inside and outside faces
of the sheet to increase the stability of cofferdam


Use of Guide Block to prevent twisting of Sheet Piles

2. Double wall cofferdams

- when the area to be enclosed is large it is
necessary to provide double wall cofferdam
- The double wall cofferdams are of two types:
(i) Ohio river type cofferdams
(ii) timber or steel sheeting cofferdams

3. Cellular Cofferdams
- The cellular cofferdams are mostly used for
dewatering large areas , where the depth of water may
be 19 to 21 m.
-Mostly used the constuction of marine structures like
Dams ,Locks etc.
- The two common shapes of the cellular cofferdam
are:
(i) Circular type
(ii) Diaphragm type

MOVABLE OR SUSPENDED
COFFERDAMS
Where

there are numbers of repetition

work in under water foundations ,such
as in the piers of multi span river
bridges , it is economical to design the
cofferdams to be moved as a single unit
from one foundation to another.

DESIGN FEATURES OF COFFERDAMS

The design of a cofferdam depends on various factors such as.

(i).Hydrostatic head of Water

(ii).Dimensions of the area to be covered by the cofferdams
(iii).Subsoil conditions
(iv).Fluctuations or of outside water level
(v).Possibility of erosion
(vi).Presence of ice
(vii).Floating logs(the stem of a cut-down tree, etc.

 A purely

theoretically designed cofferdam may fail

for factors unaccounted in its design.

Therefore

,become necessary to combine practical

knowledge or experience with the theoretical aspects
in the design of a cofferdam.

For

width and Depth of cofferdam :

for H < 3 m, W = W
H > 3, W = 3 + *(H-3)
Where, W = Width of cofferdam in
metres
H = Height of water above river bed
in metres

Construction Sequence of
Coffer Dam :
1.Driving of Guide Frame
2.Lowering of Sheet Pile
3.Driving of Sheet Pile
4.Horizontal Bracing (Waller & Strut
arrangement) to withstand the load
coming on sheet piles from outside.
5.Excavation and Plug in Concrete to
resist uplift pressure
6.Reinforcement and Concrete work of
the Permanent Structure

COFFER DAM

Factors governing the Economic Height of Coffer Dam

1.Depth of Water
- Low depth => Earthen Dam
- High Depth => Sheet Pile Coffer Dam

2.Current and nature of flowering of Sheet Pile

- High Current => Sheet Pile Coffer Dam
(Higher Seepage Control Capacity)
- Low Current => Earthen or any other Dam
(Less Seepage Control Capacity)

3.Type and Period of Work

- Short Duration Work => Timber Dam
- Long Duration work => Sheet Pile Coffer
Dam
4.High and Low Tide Level of Reservoir
- Sheet Pile must have top level slightly higher
than that of the HTL. So that even in
extreme case water can not over top the
coffer dam, to achieve the dry working
through out the season.

5.Scour Level of Reservoir

- Scour level can be considered as the bottom
most layer of the loose soil of river Bed Level.
- Up to Scour level there are chances of erosion
due to the current of water. In any Pile or Well
foundation, the care to be taken that the
founding level must be below the scour water
level

6.Type of Material to be used

- Structural Sheet pile is costly but can be reused
at different projects.

SHEET PILE COFFER DAM

Some Photographs

GAMMON INDIA LIMITED

CABLE STAY BRIDGESURAT
AP-02 (EXCAVATION WORK)

Bracing welding work in

progress

SHEET PILE COFFER DAM

Some Photographs

THANK
YOU