pneumatic caisson

…air is compressed, such as pneumatic caissons and underwater tunnels. The air lock also has been used as a design feature of space vehicles; on March 18, 1965, the Soviet cosmonaut Aleksey Leonov passed through an air lock to become the first man to walk in space.

…modern suspension bridge was the pneumatic caisson, which permitted pier foundation at great depths. It was used initially by French, British, and American engineers, including Washington Roebling, who completed his father’s Brooklyn Bridge.

…through the use of huge pneumatic caissons, into which compressed air was pumped so that men could work in the dry; but, more important, it was the first suspension bridge on which steel wire was used for the cables. Every wire was galvanized to safeguard against rust, and the four…

Pneumatic caissons are similar to open caissons except that they are provided with airtight bulkheads above the cutting edge. The space between the bulkhead and cutting edge, called the working chamber, is pressurized to the extent necessary to control the inflow of soil and water;…