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Cofferdam

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

  • 115 Accesses

Synonyms

Coffer; Temporary dam

Definition

A temporary watertight enclosure built for specialized construction below water level.

Introduction

Construction in water is a difficult and dangerous job that requires a dry working surface. Cofferdams are one type of temporary structures designed to keep water and/or soil from the execution of construction at a site, so that the permanent facility/structure can be constructed in water (Anderson 2001). A cofferdam should have waterproof walls more than 1 m higher than the maximum water level to ensure that water does not enter the opposite side. Cofferdam design and construction involve the consideration of the structure, local soil and water conditions, often construction offshore, and the possibility of severe weather during construction. The hydrostatic force of the water and the dynamic force due to currents and waves must be considered in the design.

Cofferdams can be classified by their material as earthen, rock-fill, sing-walled,...

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References

  • Anderson HV (2001) Underwater construction using cofferdams. Best Publishing Company, Flagstaff, 328 pages

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  • Fell R, MacGregor P, Stapledon D, Bell G, Foster M (2014) Geotechnical engineering of dams, 2nd edn. Taylor and Francis, London, 1348 pages

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil & Environmental Engineering, Lamar University, Texas State University System, Beaumont, TX, USA

    Qin Qian

  2. Department of Water Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran

    Saeid Eslamian

  3. Department of Civil Engineering, Isfahan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

    Kaveh Ostad-Ali-Askari

  4. Department of Geography, University of Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Maryam Marani-Barzani

  5. Department of Civil Engineering, Khomeinishahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

    Farnaz Rafat

  6. Department of Civil Engineering, Lenjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

    Ali Hasantabar-Amiri

Authors
  1. Qin Qian
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  2. Saeid Eslamian
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  3. Kaveh Ostad-Ali-Askari
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  4. Maryam Marani-Barzani
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  5. Farnaz Rafat
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  6. Ali Hasantabar-Amiri
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kaveh Ostad-Ali-Askari .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, Ontario, Canada

    Peter Bobrowsky

  2. London, United Kingdom

    Brian Marker

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© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

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Cite this entry

Qian, Q., Eslamian, S., Ostad-Ali-Askari, K., Marani-Barzani, M., Rafat, F., Hasantabar-Amiri, A. (2018). Cofferdam. In: Bobrowsky, P., Marker, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12127-7_59-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12127-7_59-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-12127-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-12127-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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