CAMBER DESIGN STUDY FOR CONCRETE PIPE CULVERT

WHEN A PIPE CULVERT IS CONSTRUCTED ON OR NEAR THE NATURAL GROUND SURFACE AND COVERED BY A HIGHWAY FILL OR EMBANKMENT, THE WEIGHT OF THE EMBANKMENT COMPRESSES AND CONSOLIDATES THE FOUNDATION SOIL, SETTLEMTN OCCURS, AND THE CULVERT SUBSIDES AND SAGS BELOW THE ORIGINAL GRADE LINE. EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT CULVERTS WHICH BECOME CLOGGED WITH SILT AND DEBRIS BECOME DISJOINTED AND FAULTED, LEAK, BECOME UNDERMINED, AND ENDANGER THE STABILITY OF THE EMBANKMENT. THESE, AND OTHER DAMAGES ATTENDANT TO SETTLEMENT, RESTRICT THE FLOW OF WATER, PREVENT ADEQUATE INSPECTION OF THE STRUCTURE, AND MAY EVENTUALLY REQUIRE EXTENSIVE MAINTENANCE OR COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE STRUCTURE. SOME OF THIS DAMAGE MAY BE AVOIDED BY PLACING THE CULVERT ON CAMBERED GRADES-THAT IS, BY INSTALLING THE CULVERT WITH ITS FLOW LINE SOMEWHAT ABOVE ITS NORMAL OR DESIRED ELEVATION ALONG THE CENTRAL PORTION OF ITS LENGTH. THIS IDEA ANTICIPATES THAT SETTLEMENT UNDER THE LOAD OF THE EMBANKMENT WILL, IN TIME, LOWER THE FLOW LINE TO THE DESIRED STRAIGHT GRADE. THE PROJECT REPORTED IN THIS PAPER WAS UNDERTAKEN TO DEVELOP A SIMPLIFIED CRITERION WHICH WOULD PERMIT THE INCLUSION OF CAMBER AS A ROUTINE DESIGN FEATURE IN HIGHWAY CULVERT INSTALLATIONS. THE WORK WAS BASED ON THE THEORY OF CONSOLIDATION AND CONSISTED OF CONSOLIDATION TESTS AND PREDICTION OF SETTLEMENT PROFILES UNDER PROPOSED EMBANKMENTS, THE INSTALLATION OF THESE CULVERTS CAMBERED ACCORDING TO THE PREDICTED SETTLEMENT PROFILES, AND THE OBSERVANCE OF THE SETTLEMENTS DURING AND FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THE EMBANKMENTS. FAIRLY CLOSE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PREDICTED AND OBSERVED SETTLEMENTS INVITED SERIOUS SPECULATION AS TO THE POSSIBILITY OF ESTIMATING CAMBER, WITHIN REASONABLE LIMITATIONS, FROM TYPICAL VOID RATIO-PRESSURE CURVES OBTAINED FROM TYPICAL OR AVERAGE SOILS. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1966/116/116-003.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • 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:
  • Deen, Robert C
• Publication Date: 1966

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 20-35
• Monograph Title: Culverts and storm drains
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 116
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Altitude; Concrete pipe; Consolidation; Consolidations; Construction; Culverts; Curvature; Curves (Geometry); Design; Development; Earth pressure; Embankments; Foundation soils; Highways; Installation; Pipe culverts; Prevention; Soil consolidation test; Void ratios
• Uncontrolled Terms: Design criteria; Elevation
• Old TRIS Terms: Consolidation theory; Flow lines; Sagging; Settlement rate
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Maintenance and Preservation; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00203945
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 18 1994 12:00AM