LE-5 Culverts

LEARNING ELEMENT OBJECTIVES

When you have learned LE-5, you should:
- know the function of culverts;
- know how to construct culverts;
- recognise the various parts of an ordinary concrete pipe culvert.
DESCRIPTION AND FUNCTION
The culvert is a transversal drain under the road end and its function is to lead water from the higher ground on the side of the road
to the lower ground on the other.
The most common type of culvert is a single line of concrete pipes. The diameter of the pipe should preferably not be less than 60
cm (24) because 'of the tendency of blockage of smaller pipes.

Fig 13
Culvert rings
The rings are usually of concrete and can be manufactured in the field. The most common diameter is 60 cm (24) but also 90 cm
(36) is frequently used. Smaller diameters than 60 cm are difficult to maintain and are easily blocked. The joints between the rings
should not be cemented but covered with a strip of tar paper.
Depending on the circumstances, instead of using large diameters which require a high fill over the pipes (overfill), two or more
rows of a smaller dimension can be used. The spacing between the rows should be at least one diameter of the rings and one row
could be placed lower than the others to accommodate small flows without silting.

Fig 14
Culvert bed
The culvert bed has to be stable and at the correct level. Remove stones which might damage the pipes. If the natural material is
not suitable, a bed of gravel should be made.
The bed should be constructed to the correct gradient (figure 13). A string, spirit level and folding ruler or measure tape can be
used (M-7) to set out the right gradient.
The bed can, if the ground is swampy, be made floating. Such a bed should be of at least two layers (of round timber minimum
diameter 7 1/2 cm, each layer across the other). The width of the floating bed should be at least one and half times the diameter
of the rings. The timber should be covered with a layer of 20 cm gravel.
Apron
Aprons should be constructed at the inlets and outlets to protect the culvert bed and the ditch bottom from erosion. They can be
made of handpacked stones, masonry or concrete. Their length should be at least one and a half times the pipe diameter for inlet
and twice the diameter for the outlet.
Headwalls
The purpose of the headwalls is to support the road embankment and protect it from water damage. Headwalls should always be
built parallel to the centre-line of the road in order to take the pressure from the traffic evenly. They can be built in handpacked
stones, masonry or concrete. It is not always necessary to make headwalls and instructions to build them should come from the
engineer who also would design them and specify materials.
Backfill
The backfill around the pipes has to be well compacted and should be made of gravel, sand or other suitable material (not
expanding soils like black cotton). The backfill has to be well compacted., using hand-rammers and watering. The minimum
compacted thickness of the layer on top of the pipe, the overfill, should not be less than three-quarters of the diameter of the pipe.
Gradients
The gradient of a culvert depends on the terrain situation but to prevent silting up and erosion the gradient should normally be
kept within 3 and 5 per cent.
If the gradient exceeds 5 per cent, erosion at the outlet has to be prevented by an apron of stone or a paved waterway. Where
possible the pipe inlet level should be at the same level as the original water course.
Spacing of culvert lines
Normally, natural water courses/low points in the terrain should determine where culverts should be placed. However, if no scour
checks are made the following intervals should not be exceeded:
Road gradient
%
Culvert intervals
(m)
If these intervals are exceeded scour checks are required
12 40 After 40 m every 5 m
10 80 After 80 m every 10 m
8 120 After 120 m every 15 m
6 160 After 160 m every 40 m
4 200 Not required
2 240 Not required (max. interval)
When water is discharged on to farm land, the culvert intervals should not exceed 80 m; whenever possible it should be discharged
at the place of a boundary between two farms.
In flat areas with drainage difficulties, it is often far better not to dig a culvert trench but instead to build up an embankment over
the culvert.

Fig 15