CAISSON

PREPARED BY:-HARSHIL PATEL

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
CONTENTS
• Definition
• Uses
• Shapes
• Material
• Types
• Advantages & Disadvantages
• Difficulties
• Preventions

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
DEFINITION
• Caisson is a French word which means ‘a large chest or ‘a
box’.
• Caisson is a water tight structure made of wood, steel, R.C.C
i.e. reinforced cement constructed in connection with
excavation for the foundation of bridges, piers in rivers, dock
structures etc.
• 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.

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
USES
• Caissons as type of well foundation is constructed in
connection with excavation for foundation of piers.
• When the construction of well foundation to be done under
water. The construction of caisson are more preferable.
• When the depth of water in river, lake, or sea etc are more
preferable.
• Caisson are used as foundation foe bridges piers, and abutments
in river, seas, lakes, beak waters and other shore construction
works.
• It is also used for pump house which are subjected to huge
vertical as well as horizontal forces.
• It is occasionally used for large and multi-storey building and
other structures.

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
SHAPES OF CAISSON MATERIAL
• Basic shapes • Following materials are used for caissons:
• Circular Rectangular
• Square • RCC
• Octagonal • Steel
• Combination of basic shapes • Timber
• Double Circular • Cast Iron
• Double Rectangular
• Double hexagonal
• Double-D
• Double Octagonal

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
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)

Open Caisson Box Caisson Pneumatic Caisson

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
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 top pier site where it is placed in position.

• Mainly it is used for shallow depth and for light weight.

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
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.

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
OPEN OR WELL CAISSON

• common shapes of caisson

• It is a box type off structure which is open at the top and at
the bottom. Open caissons are normally used on sandy
soils or soft bearing stratum and where no firm bed is
available at a higher depth.
• According to the shape of caissons, open caissons can be
further classified into three types as:-
• Open caisson
• Single wall open caisson
• Cylindrical open caisson
• Open caissons with dredging wells

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
WELL COMPONENTS
• Cutting edge
• Curb • Top plug : it supports the well cap.

• Steining • Well cap : it transfers the load from pier to

the well.
• Bottom plug
• Sand filling : it transfers a portion of load
• Well cap from well

• Top plug cap to the bottom plug.

• Sand filling

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
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.

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
SINGLE WALL OPEN CAISSON
• 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

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
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.

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
CYLINDRICAL OPEN CAISSON
• 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 bridge

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
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.

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
PNEUMATIC CAISSON SICKNESS (PRECAUTIONS)

• No person should work for more than one shift in a day.

• Shift should not exceed 12 hours.

• Temperature of the working chamber should be maintain 25 degree centigrade.

• The main locks should be well ventilated.

• Persons with strong heart, low blood pressure and good circulation
• should be employed on the work.

• Use of alcoholic drinks should be prohibited.

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

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
 ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• The caisson can be extended up to large
depths. • In box caisson the placing of concrete
is done for concrete seal under water,
• Caissons are more suitable for the deep
it may not be satisfactory.
foundation under water where the
foundation should be extended up to or • If any obstruction of boulders or
below the river bed so as to obtain the logs are encountered, then
proper stability. progress of work becomes slow.
• Cost of Construction is relatively less on • The help of divers may be
bed level or lower side. required for excavation
• near haunches at the cutting
• Quality control of pneumatic caisson is
edges.
good because work is done in dry
conditions. Concrete gain more strength • Construction of pneumatic
due to dry conditions. caissons is much expensive
than open caissons.
• There is direct and easy passage to
reach the bottom of caisson, hence • Labor cost is high.
any obstruction can easily be removed.
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.

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
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.

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
PROBLEMS IN WELL SINKING
• The major problems in well sinking are:
• Sand blowing

• Tilting of wells

• Shifting of wells

• Sand blowing :
• 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.
• 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.

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
PROBLEMS IN WELL SINKING
• 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.
• Pushing by jacks:
• In this method, the well may be
pushed by jacks on the tilted side of
wall.

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A
PREVENTIONS
• Control of tilting.

• Eccentric loading.

• Pushing the caisson.

• Pulling the caisson.

• Strutting the caisson.

NAME: HARSHIL PATEL CODE: 048 SUBJECT: ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE: B.M.C.A