Bridges are one of the amazing feats of engineering that are well-built, and we can’t help but admire them. But have you ever wondered how bridge pillars are constructed into the ocean floor? In this article, I will be sharing with you the processes involved, and you will be amazed by the technology that is behind these structures....CONTINUE READING
Bridge construction has several high risks and challenges, some of which include the death of workers, budget overruns, contract changes, and many others. And because of these things, engineers must pay close attention when constructing bridges.
There are three major methods for constructing bridge pillars, and these are the Battered Piles method, the Cofferdams method, and the Caisson method. The one to be used is determined by the texture of the soil, environmental factors, and the available technology.
However, I will only discuss the Cofferdam method because it is the one that is most commonly used in bridge pillar construction.
A cofferdam is described as an enclosure that is built within a body of water so that the enclosed area can be pumped out. This method is about constructing a watertight structure inside the water to provide a dry environment for workers.
The space created by the cofferdams is filled with concrete, and this reaches the seafloor to form a very strong pillar-like structure, and because of the high tides in the ocean, the process must be monitored 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
The Cofferdams can be left on the site permanently or removed once the construction work is completed.
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