DRAINAGE-DESIGN

SOME OF THE PROBLEMS CREATED BY THE LOCATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF HIGHWAYS ARE FLOODING OF AREAS ABOVE BRIDGES AND CULVERTS; UNDERMINING OF STRUCTURES; EROSION OF EMBANKMENTS, SHOULDERS, SLOPES, AND DITCHES; REDUCTION OF SUPPORTING STRENGTH OF SUBGRADE; HEAVING AND SETTLEMENT OF NONRIGID PAVEMENTS; AND BLOW-UPS, CORNER BREAKS, CRACKING, AND HIGH JOINTS IN RIGID PAVEMENTS. THE SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS CAN BE STATED SIMPLY, CONSISTING IN THE INTERCEPTION, COLLECTION, TRANSPORTATION, AND DISPOSAL OF BOTH SURFACE AND GROUND WATERS. OF THESE, THE MOST IMPORTANT IS DISPOSAL. IN ROLLING OR ROUGH TERRAIN THIS IS USUALLY EASY, BUT IN LEVEL COUNTRY IT IS FREQUENTLY VERY DIFFICULT. SOMETIMES THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO CONSTRUCT THE ROADBED SEVERAL FEET ABOVE THE GENERAL GROUND LEVEL AND TO USE WIDE, RELATIVELY SHALLOW DITCHES. THIS WILL KEEP THE WATER TABLE SOMWHAT BELOW THE SUBGRADE EVEN THOUGH WATER MAY STAND IN THE DITCHES AT TIMES. TOPICS TO BE CONSIDERED IN DRAINAGE DESIGN ARE HIGHWAY LOCATION, GROUNDWATER DRAINAGE, INTERCEPTING DRAINS, COLLECTING DRAINS, SURFACE WATER, UNIFORM CROWNS, GUTTER TYPES, LIP CURBS, SHOULDERS, SLOPES, DITCHES, AND AUXILIARY DITCHES.

• Record URL:
  https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/HRBRoadsideDevComRpts/1937/1937-011.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:
  • Dryfoose, E D
• Publication Date: 1938-3

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Roadside Development Committee Reports
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Design; Drainage structures; Drains; Highways; Location; Road construction; Road shoulders; Slopes; Surface drainage; Water
• Uncontrolled Terms: Highway location
• Old TRIS Terms: Drainage systems; Highway drainage
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00204877
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: pp 32-36
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jan 17 1972 12:00AM