Research & Development of Automatic System for Open Caisson Method

The open caisson method is used in a wide variety of applications such as the construction of building foundations or vertical shafts and, of the various methods available, the open caisson method has a long history of use in foundation construction. Both the structure of the caisson itself and the principles involved in the construction method are relatively simple. Also, the method is effective in terms of both cost and time; However, there are cases where, due to the ground conditions at the construction site, it is difficult to achieve the required precision in the placing of the caisson, or where problems are encountered in sinking the caisson. The Super Open Caisson System (SOCS) was developed to improve the efficiency of the open caisson method by the introduction of automation technology in order to increase the benefits of using the method that were described above and to overcome the aforementioned problems. By doing this, it is hoped to achieve a wider range of applications for the open caisson method.

The authors, in addition to developing this system, carried out verification trials during which it was confirmed that the system was suitable for the automatic sinking of open caissons to considerable depths. This report describes the automation technology of the two systems and the results of the verification trials of the system. The SOCS System was developed as part of the Development of New Construction Process Technology of the Ministry of Constructions General Technology Development Projects. The system was developed from joint research carried out by the Public Works Research Institute (PWRI) of the Ministry of Construction, the Advanced Construction Technology Center (ACTEC) and 13 private companies.