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May 2002 – Concrete pours, interior of Pier 37 & 38 cutting edges |
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Daybreak at the construction site – May 7, 2002, 4:54 a.m. (GMT – 6) |
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Daybreak at the construction site – May 7, 2002, 5:01 a.m. (GMT – 6) |
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A concrete pour on the interior of the pier 37 cutting edge. Each bucket holds 4 cubic yards of concrete. Concrete is poured from the bucket into a funnel called a “tremie”. This funnel is attached to long, orange plastic pipes called “tremie extensions”, which guide the concrete into the interior of the cutting edge. Other tremies and tremie extensions are visible in the photo. |
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A close-up shows the concrete being poured into a plastic funnel called a “tremie”. |
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Concrete is poured through a tremie along the perimeter of the caisson. |
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The cutting edge is a hollow steel grid into which concrete is poured. Air domes in the spaces of the grid provide buoyancy so the cutting edge can be floated. During construction, protective wooden covers called “working chambers” are built over the air domes. Concrete will be poured into the areas in between. |
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Wooden forms for the pouring of concrete are installed between the air domes. |
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Interior of the pier 37 cutting edge. As walls of concrete begin to rise from between the air domes, the grid-shape of the cutting edge becomes evident. |
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Interior of the pier 37 cutting edge. The grid of concrete will grow higher — and the spaces over the air domes will grow deeper — as more concrete is poured. |
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Interior of the pier 37 cutting edge. Tops of the wooden platforms covering the air domes are visible. |
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Some of the equipment used in the concrete pours is kept on pontoon barges next to the concrete dock. |
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As walls of concrete begin to rise from between the air domes, the grid-shape of the cutting edge becomes evident. The grid will grow taller — and the spaces over the air domes will grow deeper — as more concrete is poured. When the caisson reaches the river bottom, dirt and other material will be excavated through these spaces, called “dredge wells”, and the shaft of concrete will sink into the river bottom to its predetermined depth. |
