How bridge pillars are built deep into the ocean floor

Have you ever thought of how bridge pillars are built into the ocean floor? In this article, I will be showing you the processes involved and you will be amazed by the technology behind these structures.

Construction of bridges comes with a lot of high risks/challenge some of which include the death of workers, budget overrun, contract change, etc. Therefore engineers need to give 100% attention when erecting bridges.

There are three major methods of erecting bridge pillars, the Battered Piles method, the Cofferdams method, and the Caisson method. The method that should be used is determined by the texture of the soil, environmental factors, and the technology available.

I will only discuss the Cofferdams method as it is the most used method of bridge pillar construction.

A cofferdam is an enclosure built within a body of water to allow the enclosed area to be pumped out. This method involves building a watertight structure inside the water to create a dry environment for workers.

The space created by the cofferdams is filled with concrete reaching the seabed creating a very strong pillar-like structure. The process requires 24hours monitoring because of the ocean’s high tides.

The Cofferdams can be left permanently on the site or can be dismantled after the construction work is completed.