Building Large Culvert/Bridge

Dean · Dec 31, 2011

I'm need to replace a concrete bridge on my driveway that was built in the late 1930s and may relocate it when I do so.

The current poured arched concrete bridge is about 4' wide and about 5' tall. Once every 3 -5 years there is enough head water in the creek to go over the culvert, though this was much less frequent (maybe every 10 years) before the up streem side of the creek was raised significantly by rock that has washed downstreem over the years.

I've considered precast concrete, PVC, steel and aluminum culverts and would like any advice that anyone has to offer. I think that a round culvert will need to be 6' dia to assure that it never overflows. Anyone have experience with the oval culverts?

Anyone have any relative cost advice?

This is a private drive to a small farm. I usually limit traffic to 26,000 lbs. but have brought concrete trucks and tri axle dump trucks in on occassion (only in July and August).

Any and all advice is both needed and appreciated.

Dean

steve terplak · Dec 31, 2011

culvert pipe is very expensive
we had to replace some this year
priced it out - plastic double wall, 48" dia. - 20 foot long was $1600, w/o delivery
found a used section of 60", 20' long for $750 w/ delivery

Dean · Dec 31, 2011

Thanks, Steve.

I'e been told that large culvert pipe is "expensive" but do not have the experience to relate this to the cost of a concrete bridge.

Dean

M w J · Dec 31, 2011

If the bridge is a flat bottom a 6ft. round culvert will not flow as much water .If the bottom is at the same height as the bridge bottom

Gun guru · Dec 31, 2011

I bought 100' of 12" diameter culvert pipe 10 years ago, it was $600 for all 100'. This is heavy plastic. All these pieces are 12" under ground for draining my neighbors land to the north of me, in the spring thaw the water really flows. 20' long pieces X 5 pieces = 100', All 5 pieces connect together with a plastic collar
Just a thought here.....Could you buy say 5 pieces of 18" diameter culvert and pack all 5 in under the "road"? How wide and deep is this creek normally? Remember that the further down the culvert pipe is the more weight it will take.
Could you make a bridge with heavy steel I-beam over the creek? And then weld side pieces so the cars/trucks dont go over the side.
Sounds like a construction crew, bridge building, maybe put in a small hydro-electric dam too.

thurlow · Dec 31, 2011

Don't know where you are and if they're locally available and don't have a current price and etc, etc,.............the cheapest, best option around here are used railroad tank cars with the ends already removed, in various lengths and widths.

Greg1959 · Dec 31, 2011

To access my farm I needed to cross a 30 foot wide creek. So I bought a scrap flatbed trailer($400.00) and cut the wheels and jacks off, hooked a cable to it and pulled it across the creek. Decked it with 3.5" x 6" x 8 feet oak.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 31, 2011

Large culvert pipes in places as you describe, are hard to hold without a concrete abutment. Been there, done that. Have you considered a fair weather crossing with several smaller pipes laid in the bottom of the creek with concrete covering them. There are several of them in my neighborhood and they seem to work well. Just make sure the water doesn't undermine the pipes from the upper end. Might or might not work depending on the amounf of room you have, and of course this would be inconvenient if needed 24 hrs. a day.

Dean · Dec 31, 2011

Thanks, Thurlow. A friend of mine suggested that or using salvaged vertical oil tanks.

I'm near Cincinnati, OH.

Dean

Dean · Dec 31, 2011

Yes, the current bridge is flat bottomed with an arched top.

In years past, it was VERY rare for the water to overflow the culvert but it has become more common in recent years as the stream bed has risen upstream of the culvert due to rocks that have washed down from upstream.

Are you saying that a 6' round pipe will not flow as much as will my current approximately 4' x 5' arched concrete flat-bottomed culvert?

I plan to excavate the creek above the bridge to lower the level to the bottom of the new culvert.

Dean

David G · Dec 31, 2011

The old railroad car beds are being used around here. You could open up the creek under it and never overflow. The county engineer in Buchanan county Iowa is a good friend and has pushed this effort. He could probably help you with that.

Dean · Dec 31, 2011

Your suggestion would probably work in my case but I doubt if I could get permits for such "dry ford" in my area.

Dean

Dean · Dec 31, 2011

In times past, several folks have built bridges from truck or railroad car frames but I have not seen it done recently.

I'm not will connected with the local government but I suspect that the influx of river boat gambling money in the last 15 years or so has changed things.

Dean

Harold H · Dec 31, 2011

Railroad flat cars can be had in 40 to 89 foot lengths x 10 ft wide and make an excellent bridge for scrap iron price. Railroad tank car tanks are about 9 feet in diameter and make a excellent culvert for scrap price. The major expense however, is transportation, which might blow the price out of range.

Harold H

TonyIN · Dec 31, 2011

Dean...

Not sure how close to Cinti you are, but I know Franklin County IN uses the old tanker car solution for their county bridges. Maybe the engineer there can point you in the right direction?

Otherwise, county surveyor could also help you in sizing, etc.

Good luck.

Tony

Dean · Dec 31, 2011

Thanks, Tony.

I'm in Dearborn County. The CSX railroad runs within about 150 yards of my property and about 1/4 mile of the bridge site.

Where do folks buy tank car frames?

Dean

GordoSD · Dec 31, 2011

Concrete box culverts are used here.

Rollie NE PA · Dec 31, 2011

Lots of ideas. Here in PA the state tells you what you can use. Actually the Army Corp. of Engineers has a say also. If you go by the rules that is. We have used Pre Cast boxes at ork, poured a footer for the wing walls and then used Veras Lock block for the walls. Make a nice looking job.

kruser · Dec 31, 2011

Dean,
Check out Contech.com if they are in your area - and don't buy too small!

Dean · Dec 31, 2011

Thanks for all of the advise, guys.

Dean

M w J · Dec 31, 2011

When the water is say a foot deep with the bridge that water will flow 1ft deep and 4 ft wide but a round culvert will flow 1ft also but look at the end of culvert its round.so the bottom ft in a 6ft culvert may be only 3 ft wide 1ft off of the bottom. We had a bridge took out by the county that was 5 ft x 12ft they put in 4 48in culverts and it restricted the water flow so bad it flooded 80 acres for 3 months they just came back and put 3 more in.

hoosierboy · Dec 31, 2011

Dean - If your crossing one of the stream branches that goes on to Bonnell they can get pretty racy. In my working days I used a lot of arch culverts, mostly from Contech. They need good backfill but arnt that expensive and being low clearance will save on fill especially if you have a wide crossing to raise above a round pipe. Freight should be less than moving a rail car or tank, just pick the plates up and bolt them together. Good luck.

BCnT · Dec 31, 2011

i've used old gasoline storage tanks that arent suitable for fuel storage anymore...catch a convience store thats upgrading their tanks and you can buy em for a song...be sure and hire a welder that knows how to cut ends out without blowing up half the county.

504 · Dec 31, 2011

The county hwy dept tried to use a fuel tank, it collapsed when a dump truck crossed it.

kyhayman · Jan 1, 2012

I've got a 36 inch and a 30 inch side beside with both level at the top. Normal flow rarely is more than a trickle but in times of high water it can be 2 feet over the slab on top. I've got a 6 inch solid poured slab on top of it, 3500 psi, fiber reinforced. Its anchored at the 4 corners in 3x3x3 foot bell holes. The bridge pitches 4% on both ends toward the center where the culverts are parallel. That directs overflow to the center of the bridge. Its been in place 10 years now with no appreciable damage from water. It occassionally backs up as much as a half acre but thats how I designed it.

Cliff Nelson · Jan 1, 2012

I can't say much about the type to build, but if thinking of steel culvert you may want to check with a geological engineer. When the state rebuilt the road by us we noticed some places they used steel culverts and some were concrete. When asked the engineer said the runoff from certain rock/soil formations would rust the steel too quickly so concrete was used in those areas.

TonyIN · Jan 2, 2012

I don"t know on the where they get them. Thankfully haven"t needed one.
I just see them using the tanks all over the county here.

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