Title: New lock at Kentucky Dam: Analysis and design of precast concrete cofferdams
Date Published: July - August 2021
Volume: 66
Issue: 4
Page Numbers: 23 - 40 
Authors: Jared Spaans and Goran V. Milutinovic
https://doi.org/10.15554/pcij66.4-03

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Abstract

This paper presents a methodology for analysis and design of precast concrete cofferdams using the example of the successful addition of a new lock at the Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee River near Paducah, Ky. Cofferdams are traditionally made from steel; however, several projects in the United States were successfully done in the past with precast concrete cofferdams. Nevertheless, analysis and design of precast concrete cofferdams are not extensively covered in the literature. For construction of the new lock at Kentucky Dam, finite element analyses and adequate capacity checks, including crack control, were performed for precast concrete cofferdams in all construction stages. Ten unsymmetrical, approximately 15 × 15 m (50 × 50 ft) wide by 11 m (35 ft) high cofferdams with 300 mm (12 in.) thick walls were placed next to each other in the river from a river barge. These precast concrete boxes will eventually create one monolithic wall (the future wall of the lock). It was concluded that precast concrete cofferdams represent an innovative and advantageous solution for future similar projects.