Many concrete culvert installation methods are used in projects – whether big or small. However, several different ways can be used to install a concrete pipe, each with its own distinct pros and cons.
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In this article, we’ll explore some of these methods, so you can better choose which installation method is best for your project.
What Is a Concrete Culvert, and What Is It Used for?
A concrete culvert is an underground tunnel that carries water across roads, streams, and other obstacles.
Concrete culverts prevent flooding, erosion, and water from flowing into the ground or air. They do this by allowing water to flow through them but keeping it from leaving their system.
Concrete culverts also come in handy when building new roads or bridges over rivers because they can help reduce erosion caused by large amounts of precipitation during storms seasonally throughout the year.
It is durable, can withstand high loads without crumbling under pressure, and provides structural support underneath bridges, no matter how strong winds blow across countryside roads.
Learn how to calculate the right concrete mix for your culvert
What Are the Concrete Culvert Installation Methods?
Concrete culvert pipes are installed using one of three methods: open-bottom box culverts, corrugated steel pipe, or rib and block slabs. These concrete culvert installation methods offer a range of cost, durability, and design options.
Open-bottom box culverts are simple to install but require more time than other types because they must be filled with water before closing off at the end of their run.
Corrugated steel pipes are similar in that they require filling but don’t require any further work after installation. The only thing left for you to do is seal up around your pipe once it has been installed (or if you prefer an alternative method).
Depending on the space between two walls, ribs and block slabs may need additional work after installation. However, these types aren’t as expensive as others because they’re made from recycled materials rather than new ones, from scratch!
Tips for Installing a Culvert
The following are the culvert installation guidelines:
Excavate around the culvert area. If installing a round galvanized steel culvert, you need to mark the center of your excavation area.
Dig the trench or cutoff and prepare the bedding.
Place the culvert into the ditch.
Backfill each side of the pipe culvert with dirt.
Place gravel over and around the pipe culvert- this can be done by hand or using a conveyor belt. Once you have completed this step, check to see that the angles are still correct and that there are no dips in any areas of the backfilled gravel.
Test-drive with a farm tractor through the pipe culvert opening-this will help to compact earth and gravel around the pipe culvert.
Remove excess dirt and gravel from test-driving around the pipe culvert project.
Looking for more resources on how to install culverts? Read on how to install a concrete culvert pipe
Which Culvert Install Option Is Best for You?
There are many ways of culvert pipe installation. Different methods may be more appropriate, depending on your specific needs and the environment where it will be installed. Choosing a plan that will provide adequate protection for cars and other vehicles while still allowing water to flow through freely is essential.
Don’t forget to also consider the time and cost of each installation method, so you can decide which one best fits your budget and the time you have to invest.
If you want to learn more about your options or how much they might cost, contact us today!
To determine the right culvert size for your situation, you need to consider the dynamics of stream flow and how it changes with the seasons. Peak flow usually is during spring runoff, and it tails off from late summer to early fall. These annual fluctuations can seriously erode exposed soil and cause inadequate crossing structures to fail. As a consequence, culverts should be sized — at a minimum — to handle the annual peak flow, and installed in a manner that will protect the culvert’s strength over time.
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Culverts are made from corrugated metal or plastic tubes positioned in a crossing to allow water to pass through without damaging the roadway. The culvert’s corrugation provides a greater strength-to-weight ratio than a smooth pipe. This helps support the weight of vehicles, while mimicking the roughness of a natural stream bottom, which slows the speed of flowing water. Follow the culvert installation steps outlined in this article, and you can install a culvert wherever you need it.
Small streams often crisscross rural land, and even those that remain dry for most of the year may have steep banks that prevent vehicles from crossing. The simplest way to safely drive across such an obstacle, while protecting the stream, is to install a culvert and earth bridge .
Learn the proper culvert design, size, materials and procedures for safe travel over streams and ditches. Culvert installation will run smoothly if you follow this advice.
Many methods exist to determine a culvert’s correct size. The easiest is one in which field measurements are taken of the stream’s cross section when the stream flow is at its lowest, in late summer or early fall. To take the measurements, you will need a tape measure, four stakes, a hammer, string and a notepad.
- Begin by scouting the intended crossing. Look along the stream banks for the highest water mark. This is where any vegetation meets bare dirt and rock along the river bank in stakes at the high water marks on each bank and tie a string between them. Measure the distance between the stakes and record it as the “high water stream width” (HWSW).
- Next, locate the lowest water mark. Typically, it borders the flattest portion of the stream bottom. Establish the other two stakes at this level and measure as you did for the high water marks; record this length as the “low water stream width” (LWSW).
- The final measurement is the depth of the stream at high water. This is the distance between the stream bottom and the high-water-line string. If the stream bottom is highly irregular, you will need to take several measurements and average them.
Now use this simple formula to determine the stream’s cross-section area (A):
A = (HWSW+LWSW/2) x Depth
A = (5+2/2) x 1
A = 3.5
As shown in this example, if you measured 5 feet as the HWSW, 2 feet for the LWSW and 1 foot for the stream depth at high water, then the stream’s cross-section area would be 3.5 square feet.
The culvert’s cross-section area should be at least 1.25 times the cross-section area of the stream, if the culvert is for a shallow ditch or seasonal stream. But if the stream is subject to flooding, you should install a larger culvert in order to avoid damage due to water backing up and flowing over the roadway during flooding. If flooding is likely, multiply the stream area by 1.75 (for 25-year floods) or by 3 (for 50- to 100-year flood levels).
In the three examples above, the culvert cross-section areas would be: 3.5 x 1.25 = 4.375; 3.5 x 1.75 = 6.125; or 3.5 x 3 = 10.5.
Determining Length Prior to Culvert Installation
Culvert lengths depend on how wide you want your roadway, as well as the diameter of the culvert and the depth of the dirt fill placed on top of the culvert to make the earthen bridge. Culverts should be set perpendicular (90 degrees) to the road’s centerline. (Culverts not set in at 90 degrees will require a greater length.)
To calculate the length (L) of the culvert you’ll need, add up the width of the roadbed (RB), the width of the two side slopes (SW), plus 1-foot extensions (E) at either end of the culvert:
L = RB + SW + 2E
The side width (SW) will depend upon the diameter of the culvert (CD), the depth of the road fill (RF) and the slope of the sides (S):
SW = (CD + RF) x S x 2
For example, if you want a 10-foot-wide roadbed and you have a 24-inch-diameter culvert, 1 foot of earthen fill on top of the culvert, a standard 1.5:1 side slope (1 1/2 feet wide for every 1 foot in height) and 1-foot extensions on either side, the calculation is:
SW = 2-foot culvert diameter + 1-foot fill = 3 feet x 1.5 slope = 4.5 x 2 = 9
L = 10-foot roadbed + 9 feet of side width + 2 feet of culvert extensions
This example computes to a culvert 21 feet long.
If you’re concerned about the accuracy of your math, contact an Extension agent, state forester or professional consultant to have the figures double-checked before you buy the culvert. Also, check with state and federal agencies for regulations concerning activities within stream zones. Although installing a culvert is permissible under most regulations, you may be required to follow certain guidelines, including what time of year you install the culvert (usually late summer or early fall) or how to dam the water flow, if necessary, while you execute the installation.
Culvert Installation Steps
Culverts can be purchased at farm or building supply stores. Sometimes, highway departments, the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management have old culverts in usable condition that can be bought for less than a new one.
You will need a backhoe or excavator and a soil compactor when installing all but the smallest culverts. Excavate the streambed 6 inches deep to make space for the fill on which the culvert will sit. As you excavate, follow the existing streambed gradient (slope), which typically will run from 2 percent to 6 percent. A slope of less than 2 percent can result in excess buildup of sediment and debris inside the culvert, so be careful to get this right. If the culvert is set too high on either end, water can work its way underneath the tube, causing the bridge to wash out; if the culvert is set too deep, it can plug with debris.
After the excavation, spread a 6-inch-deep bed of rock-free soil or sand over the bottom and compact it with a mechanical soil compactor or a blunt-ended, long-handled compacting tool. When compacted, the fill will be about 4 inches deep, allowing the culvert to be set slightly below the stream grade so the water will drop a bit as it enters. Now, place and center your culvert, being careful to minimize any abrasions to the pipe’s protective exterior coating.
Next, fill around the culvert with 6-inch layers of dirt. Compact each layer before you add another and be especially sure the fill material adjacent to the culvert is rock-free. Continue adding fill over the culvert to a depth of at least 1 foot; this will protect the culvert from failure due to the weight of road traffic.
Finally, seed the bare fill dirt slopes with native grass and apply mulch. Also place flat stones or broken pieces of concrete in the streambed at each end of the culvert to protect the fill material from erosion — or you may opt to pour concrete protection. This is called “armoring” and will be especially useful when the water flow increases in the spring.
Sizing and installing your own culvert can be a rewarding experience in self-sufficiency. Take your time and build it correctly, and it will provide many years of service.
Culvert Size Calculation
Culvert Cross-Section
Area (square feet)Culvert Diameter (inches)219427633838104312471451
Kurt Swearingen is a forest engineer and consultant who lives in Taos, N.M. He regularly assists country landowners with improving stream crossings and protecting water resources.
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