FAILURE CONDITIONS OF FLEXIBLE CULVERTS EMBEDDED IN SOIL

RULE-OF-THUMB DESIGN METHODS DEFINE FAILURE OF FLEXIBLE PIPE CULVERT AS 20 PERCENT DECREASE IN THE VERTICAL DIAMETER, WITH 5 PERCENT DECREASE BEING CONSIDERED THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE DEFLECTION FOR DESIGN PURPOSES. EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN, HOWEVER, THAT THE PIPE WALL MAY BUCKLE BEFORE 5 PERCENT DEFLECTION HAS BEEN DEVELOPED. OF COURSE, BUCKLING OF THE PIPE WALL IS MOST CULVERT INSTALLATIONS WOULD BE CONSIDERED FAILURE. THIS RESEARCH PROJECT HAS ESTABLISHED THAT THE TYPE OF SOIL AND THE DEGREE OF COMPACTION ARE THE BASIC FACTORS WHICH DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT A CULVERT WILL FAIL BY BUCKLING BEFORE IT DEFLECTS 5 PERCENT. AN APPROXIMATE RANGE OF SOIL TYPES AND THE APPROXIMATE DEGREE OF COMPACTION REQUIRED FOR BUCKLING FAILURE HAVE BEEN EVALUATED BY MODEL STUDIES. FROM THIS INFORMATION IT MAY BE CONCLUDED THAT CULVERT DESIGN BECOMES ONE OR THE OTHER OF TWO DISTINCT PROBLEMS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTIONS OF FAILURE BY (1) DEFORMATION, AND (2) BUCKLING OF THE WALL. METHODS OF DESIGN IN EACH CASE ARE REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbproceedings/39/39-021.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 39, pp 361-371, 8 FIG, 10 REF. 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:
  • Watkins, R K
• Publication Date: 1960

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Thirty-Ninth Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board, Washington, D.C., January 11-15, 1960
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Proceedings
  • Volume: 39
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Buckling; Conduits; Deflection; Deformation; Design; Failure; Flexible structures; Pipe culverts; Properties of materials; Soil compaction; Soils
• Uncontrolled Terms: Design criteria; Soil properties
• Old TRIS Terms: Failure condition; Flexible conduits
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00209481
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 29 1971 12:00AM