cofferdams
Temporary underwater walls
Cofferdams are temporary watertight enclosures built to exclude water from an area, allowing construction or repair work on structures normally underwater.
Workers pump out the water inside, creating a dry workspace for bridge piers, dams, or ship hulls: They built a cofferdam around the foundation to pour concrete.
The singular is cofferdam.
Prevents liquid from passing
- enclosureConfined, bordered space
- excavationAct of unearthing
- dewateringRemoving liquid from solids
- pumpsLaceless dress shoes
foundation · pier · bridge · caisson · temporary · structure · seals · bracing
Narrow vertical passage
- tunnelEnclosed underground route
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- floodingOverwhelming water accumulation
- seepageSlow fluid escape
groundwater · drainage · excavation · ore · extraction · pit · sump · pumping
watertight
Prevents liquid from passing
- enclosureConfined, bordered space
- excavationAct of unearthing
- dewateringRemoving liquid from solids
pumps · foundation · pier · bridge · caisson · temporary · structure · seals · bracing · struts
shaft
Narrow vertical passage
- tunnelEnclosed underground route
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- floodingOverwhelming water accumulation
seepage · groundwater · drainage · excavation · ore · extraction · pit · sump · pumping · aquifer
harbor
Safe anchorage for ships
- dockMooring structure at water's edge
- shipyardVessel construction site
- drydockDrained basin for hull work
hull · repair · vessel · berthing · quay · seawall · jetty · breakwater · tidal · waterfront
cellular
Composed of small units
crib · rockfill · braced · cantilever · gravity · semicircular · diaphragm · segmental · sheet · pile
- damsbarrage, spillway, Shasta, Bonneville, Folsom
- Water Engineeringlevees, canals, aqueducts, spillways, locks
- coastal structuresseawalls, pier, breakwaters, jetties, breakwater
- flood controllevee, levees, flood channels, dike, dikes
- marine structuresoffshore platform, oil platform, oil rig, drilling platform, jetty
- Roman buildingopus caementicium, arches, domes, vaults, brick
cofferdamsmonumental architecture
Large-scale impressive buildings
seawalls · levees · dams · piers · breakwaters
cofferdamsreservoirs
Bodies storing water supply
cisterns · aqueducts · water tanks · retention ponds · impoundments
cofferdamsboat ramps
Inclined surfaces for watercraft
locks · sluices · culverts · drains · underwater tunnels