5.
Culverts
Culverts are covered channels of relatively short length designed to pass
water across the embankments of highways, railroads or dams.
Applications:
•It may carry flood waters
•Drainage flows
•Natural streams below earth filled and rock filled structures.
Objectives of the hydraulic design:
• Determine the most economic dimension for a designed discharge without
exceeding the allowable headwater elevation,
• Most culverts are designed to operate as open channel systems with
critical flow conditions occurring in the barrel to maximize the discharge,
• Determine the size, shape, and number of culverts required to pass a
design discharge – delivery capacity, 1
Major components: the inlet, the pipe barrel, and the outlet
• Inlet - to protect embankment from erosion and improve the
hydraulic conditions of culverts;
• Barrel or throat – may be circular (i.e. pipe), rectangular (i.e. box
culvert) or multi-cell culvert;
• Outlet - to protect culvert outlets from scouring.
Materials: a variety of materials can be used, and the main basis of
the selection is the cost of the installed culvert:
Small culverts: precast-concrete, vitrified-clay, cast-iron, or
corrugated-steel pipe;
Large culverts: multiplate corrugated steel arches, reinforced-
concrete arches, or concrete box.
Minimum diameter: 45 - 60 cm. 2
Culvert entrance
structures
Figure 19. Types of culvert
entrance structures
3
Operation conditions and flow patterns
The flow patterns can be grouped into two classes:
➢Class I: submerged entrance flow conditions, with H 1.2 D
where H is the head water depth
➢Class II: free-surface inlet flow conditions, with H 1.2 D
In each class, the flow patterns can be sub-divided in terms of the
control location:
➢Inlet Control: the discharge of a culvert depends only on the head
water (HW) above the invert at the entrance, the size of the pipe, and
the geometry of the entrance.
➢Outlet Control
When the discharge depends on all hydraulic variables of the structure.
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Table 1 Comparison of inlet and outlet control for the design discharge.
Inlet Control Outlet Control
Design Q is a function of the inlet Design Q is a a function of the culvert
geometry losses
Inlet capacity < barrel capacity Inlet capacity > barrel capacity
Barrel does not flow full Barrel can flow full
Culvert acts as an orifice or weir Culvert acts as a pressure conduit
Culvert slope is primarily steep Culvert slope is primarily mild
Normal depth < critical depth Normal depth > critical depth
Culvert slope > critical slope Culvert slope < critical slope
No influence on headwater elevation Water surface elevation at culvert exit is
by water surface elevation at culvert an important factor in calculating
exit headwater elevation
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There are some ways to classify the flow patterns, and to
derive the flow discharges, for example:
Class 1: Submerged entrance culverts ( H 1.2 D )
There are 3 types of flow conditions
Type 1: Outlet is submerged due to inadequate channel capacity downstream,
or may be due to backwater from a connecting stream.
• Culvert slope: any,
• Control type: Outlet control.
(1)
(2)
L
V1
Slope: S0
LS0 (a) Submerged outlet (Type 1)
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Type 2: Normal depth y0 is greater than D, causing the culvert to flow full,
•Culvert slope: any,
•Control type: Outlet control.
(2)
V1
Slope: S0
Type 3: Normal depth y0 < D, culvert is not full, resembling a orifice,
•Culvert slope: any,
•Control type: Inlet control.
V1
Slope: S0
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➢Discharge for Type 1 and Type 2:
For types 1 & 2, the barrel resembles a closed conduit (e.g. pipe) where flow
depends on tailwater elevation and head loss, regardless of culvert slope.
From energy eq between (1) and (2), we have h = hi + h f + h0 (9.32)
The losses at the entrance and outlet are
V2 V2
hi = ke , h0 = k0 (Assuming k0 = 1) (9.33)
2g 2g
n 2V 2 L
The friction loss through the culvert, h f = 4 / 3 (9.34)
Rh
Finally: Q = A
2 g h (9.35)
(For types 1 and 2)
2 gn L / Rh + ke + 1
2 4/3
where h can also be obtained using: h = y1 + LS0 − y2 (9.36)
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with y1 and y2 being water depth above invert of the barrel at inlet and exit.
If the water levels y1 and y2 are known, h can be found. Then substitute h
into Eq. (9.35), Q can be found if D is known, or D can be found if Q is given
as the design requirement.
➢Discharge for type (3):
In this case, the inlet behaves like an orifice. Q can be obtained using:
Q = Cd A 2 gh (9.37)
h: the distance from the centre of the channel to the headwater elevation.
Cd: = 0.62 for a square-edged entrance
= 1.0 for a well-rounded entrance.
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Class 2: Free entrance culverts ( H 1.2 D )
The culverts may be designed so that the top of the barrel forms the roadway.
In this case, the headwater should not submerge the inlet – free entrance
Type 4:
V1 V
Outlet control
• yn > yc
• Mild slope
• Low tailwater
Type 5:
Inlet control V1
V
• y n < yc
• Steep slope
• Low tailwater 10
Type 6:
Outlet control
• yn > yc V1 V
• Mild slope
• Tailwater>yc
Under Types 4, 5, and 6 conditions, the water surface profile is either mild
slope (Types 4 and 6) or steep slope (Type 5). In this case, the energy
equation becomes
V12 V 2 (9.38)
h + − = hi + h f
2g 2g
V12 + 2 g h
The final relation becomes: Q=A (9.39)
2 gn 2 L / Rh4 / 3 + ke + 1
where A = Ac for Type 4 & 5 flows; A = A(x = L) for Type 6 flow.
h is defined as in the figures. h = y1 + LS0 − y2 (9.36)
with y1 and y2 being water depth above invert of the barrel at inlet and exit.
If y1 and y2 are given, h can be found. Then substitute h into Eq. (9.39), Q can be found.
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Example 4.1 – for a given Q and H, find barrel size
A corrugated steel pipe is used as a culvert that must carry a flow rate of 5.3
m3/s and discharge into the air. At the entrance, the maximum available water
head H =3.2 m above the bottom as shown in the figure. The culvert is 35 m
long and has a square-edged entrance (ke = 0.5 ) and a slope of 0.003.
Determine the diameter of the pipe.
h h=H−D+LS0
H
D
S0 L S0 = 0.003
L=35m
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Solution: Designed discharge: Q = 5.3m3/s
Maximum head: H = 3.2m
Slope: S0 = 0.003
Free-discharge: discharge to air
A square-edged entrance: ke = 0.5
A corrugated steel pipe: n = 0.024
Possible flow forms:
(1) Submerged inlet with full flow but free discharge at outlet – pipe flow:
Neglecting velocity heads at upstream and downstream of culvert, from
energy Eq.
n2 L Q2
h = ( ke + 4 / 3 2 g + 1)
R 2 gA2 (1)
H
(2) Submerged inlet with partially filled pipe – outlet control
Q = Cd A 2 gh (2) 13
For flow form (1):
h may also be expressed as:
h = H − D + LS0 = 3.2 − D + 35 0.003 = 3.305 − D (3)
Equating (3) with (1) →
n2 L Q2
( ke + 4 / 3 2 g + 1) 2
= 3.305 − D (4)
RH 2 gA
With RH = A/P = D/4, Eq. (4) can be rearranged as:
2.51 2.32
3.305 − D = (1.5 + 1.333 )
D D4
Using trial and error or Newton’s method, we get:
D 1.394m 14
For flow form (2):
If the pipe is partially full, the discharge is controlled by the entrance only.
In this case, with Cd = 0.62, A = D2/4 and h = 3.2 – D/2, Eq. (2) is used:
D 2
→ Q = 5.3 = 0.62 2 g (3.2 − D / 2)
4
Using trial and error, we have:
D = 1.24m
Therefore, we choose D = 1.4m
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Steps for determining flow through a culvert:
Assume H > 1.2D, then submerged entrance (Type 1, 2, or 3 flow).
1. If exit is submerged, then flow is Type 1
2 g h
Q=A (9.35)
2 gn 2 L / Rh4 / 3 + ke + 1
2. Otherwise, exit is not submerged and flow is Type 2 or 3. As a first
guess, assume Type 2 flow (also use relation 9.35),
With h being calculated using Eq. (9.36), Q can be found from (9.35) if
D is given, or D can be found from (9.35) if Q is specified.
3. Use Q from step 2 to determine yn (Using Manning’s Eq)
4. If yn > D, then Type 2 flow is correct,
5. If yn < D, then the flow is probably Type 3, calculate Q with (9.37):
Q = Cd A 2 gh (we need to verify that yn D )
6. If neither Type 2 nor Type 3, then assume discharge is the lower one
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of the two estimates, or diameter is the larger one.
Assume H < 1.2D, then entrance is unsubmerged (Type 4, 5, or 6 )
1. As a first guess, assume Type 4 flow, calculate the flow rate:
V12 + 2 g h
Q=A
2 gn 2 L / Rh4 / 3 + ke + 1
In the above eq, h can be calculated from (9.36). If Q is given as the design
requirement, D can be found. Then use Step 2 to determine flow types:
2. Use Q to determine yn and yc:
For yn > yc and ytw < yc, then Type 4 flow, (ytw is the tailwater level)
For yn < yc and ytw < yc, then Type 5 flow,
then recalculate Q by assuming hf = 0 in the expression of h
For yn > yc and ytw > yc, then Type 6 flow
Other Design Considerations
•To prevent blockage, D > 30 − 60 cm (sometimes 45 – 60 cm)
•Common to assume 25% debris blockage
•To assure self cleaning of the culverts, V > 0.6 ~ 0.9 m/s
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•To reduce scour problems, V < 4 ~ 5 m/s
