THE AFFECT OF CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE PRACTICES ON DRAINAGE

Construction and maintenance practices that affect the performance of drainage systems include contamination of drainage aggregate through dust and mud from construction equipment or poor surface drainage during construction, tack coats, landscaping, equipment damage to pipe outlets, mowing, cleaning, marking, erosion control, snow removal, and flushing. The location of all drainage systems and outlets must be known by all parties. Materials leading from the pavement surface to the pipe underdrain must be permeable enough to assure that the water is not inhibited on its way to the pipe. Edge drains should be placed adjacent to the traveled way--under the shoulder--with the permeable bases or subbases connected to the porous material in the drainage trench. Cutslopes do not get enough attention with regard to drainage system installation. Materials for slope protection blankets must be very porous, and a pipe must be included in the system. A real concern to the construction engineer is when bathtub sections are designed in places where they need not be. The experience record with French drains leaves much to be desired. Drainage systems must be designed that are efficient enough and have enough long-term integrity that they will be able to be placed at shallower depths. Many drainage systems become clogged because someone was trying to avoid installing a more complicated system than a one-stage filter between the soil and the perforated pipe. Caution should be exercised when installing a system in an area where groundwater will be highly acidic or highly chemically reactive with materials. The control of water in the transition area between cut and fill sections is highly important. Not enough emphasis has been placed on the quality control of permeable materials. Drainage of pavements is the responsibility of highway planners, designers, construction personnel, and maintenance personnel. It is necessary, therefore, that lines of communication be established to provide necessary feedback to all.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was presented at a 1973 workshop on Water in Pavements sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, held in Denver, Colorado.
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Highway Administration

  Office of Research, Development, Engineering and Highway Operations, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Gedney, D S
• Conference:
  • Water in Pavements Workshop--Detailed Report--1973
• Publication Date: 1973

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Tables;
• Pagination: p. 337-346

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregates; Communications; Construction and maintenance; Contaminants; Drainage; Drains; Edge drains; Erosion control; Filters; Flushing; Groundwater; Highway maintenance; Landscaping; Mowing; Pavement maintenance; Permeability; Pipe; Quality control; Road construction; Road shoulders; Slope stability; Slopes; Snow removal; Subdrains; Tack coats
• Subject Areas: Construction; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Maintenance and Preservation; I26: Water Run-off - Freeze-thaw; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00792285
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: May 7 2000 12:00AM