Temporary cofferdams for the marine foundations of the Constitucion de 1812 Bridge over the Cadiz Bay

Abstract

The foundations of 10 piers of the new 1812 Constitution Bridge over the Cadiz Bay are located in the sea. They consist of long reinforced concrete piles below large pile caps of the same material. Pile shafts have been constructed using temporary metal sheets previously driven into the seabed. Dry construction of the pile caps has required the use of unique temporary steel cofferdams specially designed for this worksite. This paper describes these cofferdams, together with their key design and construction features.