caisson
1
9.6
- noun
- /ˈkeɪsən/
- Specialized
:
cajón de construcción
- Engineers designed a caisson to create a dry work environment under the river.
- caisson removal
- platforms for caissons
Examples
-
The construction team used a caisson to keep water out while they built the bridge foundation.
-
Undaunted, he built a caisson for the obelisk, hauled it down to the riverbank, and had a tug tow it to the harbor.
Academic text (2002) -
Except for one caisson, all structures were platforms.
Academic text (1994) -
Working in a pneumatic caisson gives a man a powerful appetite.
Fiction book (1995) -
In 1870, he had watched the Brooklyn caisson being launched.
Fiction book (1995) -
They placed layers of stone on top of the caisson as they dug.
-
Sixty-four percent of platform removals and 100% of caisson removals occurred in water less than 30 m deep.
Academic text (1994) -
Men who had dug the Brooklyn caisson worked with chipper good humor; the New York caisson, by comparison, was practically falling toward bedrock.
Fiction book (1995) -
The monument is supported by a subbase of three concrete caissons sunk to bedrock at a depth of twenty-three to twenty-five feet.
Academic text (1990) -
During the project, the workers installed multiple caissons to support the new pier.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A strong wall that keeps water out so workers can build below the water level
A large watertight chamber filled with compressed air to keep water out while people work underwater
Compounds
- Archaic
1
8.3
A sickness from a quick drop in air pressure that causes joint pain, dizziness, and tiredness
- Specialized
A large watertight chamber filled with compressed air to keep water out while people work underwater
How Deep
Surface Forms
Etymology
Caisson comes from the French word caisse 'box', the same root as the English case. In construction a caisson is like a big 'box' that keeps water out so workers can build below the waterline.