ABRASION RESISTANCE OF ALUMINUM CULVERT BASED ON LONG-TERM FIELD PERFORMANCE

Culvert pipes not only are placed to drain water but are required to carry bed load materials including rocks. The flow and energy characteristics of bed load materials and their effect on culvert pipes are not well understood. Analysis of mechanics can provide a format for comparing predicted characteristics with field experience data, and results confirm the validity of the assumptions. In 1968, an initial study was reported on 229 aluminum culverts that had been exposed to abrasion for from 4 to 7 years. That study proposed a form of energy level for bed load materials and rated the abrasion performance of aluminum culvert through a series of energy ratings. The energy level and abrasion predictions were compared with actual field experience, and long-term culvert abrasion can be predicted when culvert geometry, installation arrangement, and content of bed load materials are established. In 1984 and 1985 the field experience of the originally reported culvert group averaged 20 years of exposure to abrasion. In this paper are presented the results of the 1984-1985 study. The basic method of determining abrasion energy levels has been retained and simplified to emphasize key variables that affect abrasion. The 1985 study indicates that abrasion of aluminum culvert follows the patterns of the previous work. Long-life abrasion typically does not continue at a linear wastage rate but levels off to a much reduced rate, reflecting reductions in total energy as the flow channel stabilizes with age. Abrasion and service life for aluminum culvert inverts may be predicted as a function of water flow, culvert entrance arrangement, culvert slope, and rock content of streambed load.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1986/1087/1087-003.pdf
• Summary URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=ABRASION+RESISTANCE+OF+ALUMINUM+CULVERT+BASED+ON+LONG-TERM+FIELD+PERFORMANCE&author=A.+Koepf&author=P.+Ryan&publication_year=1986
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Culverts and Hydraulic Structures. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Koepf, A H
  • Ryan, P H
• Publication Date: 1986

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 15-25
• Monograph Title: Durability, strength, and analysis of culverts and tunneling machines
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1087
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abrasion resistance; Aluminum culverts; Flow; Geometry; Loads; Performance; Service life; Slopes; Streamflow; Time duration; Water
• Uncontrolled Terms: Field performance; Long term
• Old TRIS Terms: Bed load
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00471768
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309041074
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 31 1988 12:00AM