Have you ever wondered how your heavy marine construction company builds structures in water? Marine construction often requires building cofferdams to construct marine structures. Learn more about how your heavy marine construction company uses cofferdams to complete your projects.
Why Does My Heavy Marine Construction Company Use Cofferdams?
Your heavy civil marine contractor often needs a dry workspace to build structures in water. Cofferdams help provide this workspace. A cofferdam is essentially a water tight wall. Once the cofferdam is in place, we pump the water out of the construction site. Cofferdams help protect construction crews, materials, and equipment. Additionally, they help protect completed work until your structures are ready for contact with the water. Therefore, cofferdams are an important part of the marine construction process.
After we install the cofferdam walls in the work area, then we begin dewatering efforts. The initial dewatering can be a sensitive operation, as differential pressure is at play. For that reason, typically cofferdams are dewatered freely for the first 15 feet and then 5 feet per day after that. This helps keep the cofferdam secure during the dewatering phase. Then, your heavy civil marine contractor may need to do regular foundation dewatering to control the groundwater at the base of the cofferdam. Typically, we achieve this by building a well point system to control water flow. So, cofferdams are a necessary step for many marine construction projects.
What Are Cofferdams Made Of?
Your heavy marine construction company can make cofferdams out of a variety of materials. Historically, cofferdams consisted of earth or rocks to seal an area off from surrounding water. Additionally, they can be made of wood and timber. For our heavy civil marine construction projects, however, we typically use steel sheets to create cofferdams. This allows your heavy marine construction company to effectively dewater the work area with less risk of flooding and accidents that could cause project delays. Therefore, cofferdams help us not only provide you with construction services, but also provide on-time and on-budget completion. That’s why it’s crucial to choose a heavy marine construction company with the knowledge and skills necessary to build strong cofferdams as well as optimal marine structures.
At Orion Marine Group, we are a leading marine construction contractor with over 25 years of experience in heavy marine construction. We specialize in all types of marine construction and infrastructure services, from transportation facilities to environmental remediation services. Our team provides comprehensive turnkey solutions that bring long-term value to your investments. We work on projects throughout the Gulf Coast, Canada, the Caribbean Basin, and the U.S. Contact us today to discuss your needs with our experts and learn how we can help you build your marine structures. We are here to serve you.