IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF BREAKWATERS, PIERS, AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN WATER OR IN THE SEA, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Dyce Cay at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
August 1872.
I, WILLIAM DYCE CAY, of the City of Aberdeen, Scotland, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF BREAKWATERS, PIERS, AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN WATER OR IN THE
SEA, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to employ liquid concrete for building
in situ above low water level.
The advantages to be gained by the system of working together with
the use of the apparatus hereinafter described, are that they enable the
parts of structures (having to be built in the sea or in situations exposed
to tidal action or the rising of the water level) which are above the low
water level and extend to above high water level to be constructed, both
as regards their heart and their faces of liquid concrete, so as to produce
when the concrete solidifies a structure in character monolithic, or divided
into blocks or masses formed in the place they are permanently to
occupy on the structure, of such size as may be requisite, convenient, or
"

page_text: that the system of working may render possible, and enables this to be
done even in situations exposed to waves or currents and without
permitting the exterior water to flow over the unfinished work and
the unsolidified concrete. These advantages givo strength and solidity
to the work and effect savings in the cost of such structures.
According to this Invention in order to build-masses_of_concrete_in_
the sea or in situations exposed to tidal action or the rising and falling
of the water level, I employ a temporary framework or casing extending
round the sides of the mass to be built, and reaching from its foundation
to its top above high water level, lined with canvas, jute, bagging,
tarpaulin, or other fabric, and fill in liquid or unsolidified concrete into the
casing so fast that its surface is always kept higher than that of the water
outside, commencing to fill in the concrete when the level of the water
outside is low and the bottom of the casing and the foundation of the
mass dry or nearly so or with only a small depth of water on it.
Among the principles involved in the success of this system are that
the concrete while being deposited does, not pass through water or come
in contact with it, and that the layer of canvas, jute, bagging, tarpaulin,
or other fabric being firmly held between the casing and the concrete is
sufficiently impervious to the inflow current or wash of the water as to
protect the cement or lime in the unsolidified concrete from the action
of the water as it rises outside the casing; also that the concrete even
when lately deposited being covered with the canvas, jute, bagging,
tarpaulin, or other fabric, and having the framework firmly secured on
its face, forms a mass able to resist without injury considerable shocks
from waves-and-currents.
The temporary-framework-or--casing may consist of posts of wood, or
iron, or a combination of both, with grooves formed on their sides; theso
-posts-arc erected at intervals along the sides and at the corners of the
mass to be built, also panels of wood, or iron, or of a combination of both
which slide in the grooves and fill the intervals between the posts; these
posts and panels form a framework or casing into which the concreto.
is filled; this framework is stayed and secured temporarily with-walings,
struts, &c. before and while the concrete is being filled in, and, is tied
together with iron tie rods passing through the framework and, the
concrete so as to prevent the pressure of the liquid concrete from
burtsing it outwards. An advantage of this form of framework is, that
*

page_text: after the posts and one or two panels are erected and some canvas put
on, the filling in of the concrete can be commenced, and the completion
of the framework can be carried on while the concrete is being filled in,
so saving time, and enabling the erection of the framework and the
filling in of the concreto to above high water level to be done in one tide,
or during the falling of one tide and the rising of the next one, and thus
avoiding the risk of leaving the framework without the concrete filling
exposed to the action of the rising tide which might float it away, or
break it up, or damage it with its waves.
The foundation of the mass to be built is floored or carpeted with
canvas, jute, bágging, tarpaulin, or other fabric in a sheet or in strips
laid all over the foundation, or only round the edges, or only at such
parts as may be necessary to keep out the wash or current of the
exterior water from the concrete.
The sides of the framework are lined with canvas, jute, baġging,
tarpaulin, or other fabric all over their surface or only to such liċight
and extent as may be necessary to protect the concrete from the wash
and current of the water. The framework and canvas, jute, bagging,
tarpaulin, or other fabric can be taken off the surface of the concrete
after the mass has attained some solidity.
The parts of the solid structure previously executed, or the adjacent
rocks, or other ground may form or assist in forming one or more of
the sides of the void into which the liquid concrete is to be placed,
taking the place more or less of one or more of the sides of the frame-
work.
:
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Instead of the grooved posts with sliding panels, the framework may
be formed of panels or frames of wood, or iron, or a combination of both,
united to one another or to intermediate posts with bolts. In the use of
this modification the iron tie rods might in some cases be dispensed with
by giving the sides of the framework sufficient strength to withstand
the pressure of the liquid concrete.
In some cases in order to form concrete structures below water I
employ liquid concrete enclosed in bags and deposited in sitů by
apparatus as hereinafter described.
The advantages to be gained by this system of working and the use
of the apparatus hereinafter described are that they enable the parts

page_text: of structures in the sea or under water to be constructed of concrete
deposited liquid in situ, in masses of such size as may be considered
requisite or as the system and apparatus used may render possible
without the necessity of using cofferdams or caissons, and with a
comparatively small expense for diving operations, thus solidity of work
and economy of expenso can be obtained as well as facility and rapidity
of construction. For this purpose liquid concrete is enclosed in an
envelope or bag of canvas, jute, bagging, tarpaulin, or other fabric, and
having sewn up or otherwise secured the mouth of the bag or envelope
after the liquid concrete is in it, the bag with its contents before they
solidify is built into or deposited in the structure where it will solidify
whether under or above the water.
For the purpose of depositing bags of liquid concreto I employ a box
or skip of iron or wood or of a combination of wood and iron with a
hinged bottom, and the method of using it is the following:-The bag
is first fitted into the box or skip and then the concreto is filled into the
bag; when the desired quantity is in the mouth of the bag is sewn up
or otherwise secured and the box or skip with its contents lowered to
the position the concrete is required to occupy in the structure, where
the bottom of the box is let go or opened by a trigger or other
contrivance, and the bag of concrete deposited; another plan of using
the box or skip is to secure it above the position which the concrete
is to occupy, and the bag of concrete when ready is allowed to drop
into its place by opening or letting go the bottom of the box or skip.
In some cases especially when the bags of concrete are to be used of
great size and weight, I enclose the bag of liquid concrete in another
bag of canvas, jute, bagging, tarpaulin or other fabric, or in a bag
or net made of netting, of cord, or ropes, or of wire, or I hoop it with
hoop iron, or cords, or ropes, in order to prevent damage from the bag
being burst or torn in the process of depositing it, or by the waves or
other causes after it is deposited and before the liquid concrete has had
time to set or solidify sufficiently, or to such extent as not to require the
protection of the bag any more.
The system above described may be used for levelling and making up
the foundation of structures under water before commencing to build
theroon with solid blocks. The bags of liquid concrete when deposited
being soft, fill the holes and irregularities of the foundation and their

page_text: upper surface can be beaten level by divers, or by apparatus worked
from above the water level, also when the concrete has partially set its
upper surface can be stripped of its envelope or bag, and cut to the
desired form or level by divers. In this way the foundation can be
formed to the desired level without the great expense of excavation
below the water. The whole of a structure both below and above the
water can also be built in this manner. The bags of liquid concrete can
be made of great size and so that each bag stretches across the structure,
or they can be built to some desired bond and by the temporary use of
piles or posts or framework of some description the outer faces of the
work can be moulded to a regular form.
The above described system may also be employed for depositing
masses of liquid concrete to form an apron to protect the foundations or
foreshore of a structure in the water.