MEASUREMENTS OF EARTH PRESSURES ON CONCRETE BOX CULVERTS UNDER HIGHWAY EMBANKMENTS

Two sections of a new culvert were instrumented to obtain a better understanding of the stresses acting on cast-in-place concrete box culverts, and also to investigate the conditions that result in a culvert failure under 12 meters of backfill. The measured earth pressure distribution was found to depend on the height of the embankment over the culvert. For low embankment heights, the average measured vertical earth pressures, weighted by tributary length, were about 30% greater than the recommended AASHTO pressures; the measured lateral pressures were slightly greater than AASHTO pressures. As embankment height increased, the measured weighted average vertical stress exceeded the AASHTO pressures by about 20%. Lateral pressures which exceeded the vertical pressures were recorded at the bottom of the culvert walls, and small lateral pressures were recorded on the upper locations of the wall. The high lateral pressures at the base of the wall are consistent with results from finite element analyses with high density backfill material placed around the culvert.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0803126042
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

  100 Barr Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700
  West Conshohocken, PA  United States  19428-2957
• Authors:
  • Yang, M Z
  • Drumm, E C
  • Bennett, R M
  • Mauldron, M
• Conference:
  • Field Instrumentation for Soil and Rock
  • Location: Atlanta, Georgia
  • Date: 1998-6-18 to 1998-6-19
• Publication Date: 1999-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 87-100

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Backfilling; Box culverts; Cast in place concrete; Concrete culverts; Earth pressure; Embankments and retaining walls; Finite element method; Geotechnical engineering; Highway engineering; Instruments for measuring loads or pressure; Instruments for measuring specific phenomena; Measurement of specific phenomena; Measuring instruments by technique; Soil mechanics; Soil structure interaction; Strain measurement; Structural analysis; Transportation engineering; Types of culverts
• Uncontrolled Terms: Field measuring instruments
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Design; Geotechnology; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I42: Soil Mechanics; I51: Earthworks and Soil Drainage;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00794537
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0803126042
• Report/Paper Numbers: STP 1358
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 17 2000 12:00AM