Building a culvert

[600SL]

I believe culvert is the right terminology?

In any case I'm not expecting the road going over my drainage pipe to hold up as is. I would like to build two concrete wall one on each side the dimensions would be ~25x4x1 with 1ft below the low ground and 3 ft above. Because this is a long span I would like to tie the two walls together using tie bars probably to an I beam embedded into the walls on each side. Since the tie bars will span across the dirt and be buried in the dirt what option are there for corrosion protection of these bars. One option I was thinking was sealing them into a PVC Pipe?

 

[Nighttrain]

I'm no pro in this but I think rebar is not the way to go on this. Overtime even in PVC it's going to rust. Watching some highways embankments being bilt lately it appears they are using a galvenised type of rod with threaded ends on each.

 

[xtremek]

I'd plant sod on it and let it go. As long as people drive down the center, you should be fine. That's how mine is, and last summer I had a 10yd dump filled with fine crushed cement bring 9 loads across it. But to answer your question, I'd powder coat the steel, especially the part that goes into the cement. The cement will be more corrosive than the dirt.

 

[Allenw]

The drainage pipe in the bottom of your ditch is what we call a culvert, which in my opinion is too small in both diameter and length. I think what your wanting to build is called a head wall or retaining wall.

I would spend the money on a bigger culvert preferably a flat one, that is one that is wider then it is tall. Give yourself room for about a foot of dirt and rock over the top. A few feet of additional length will give you a wider road surface at the top. Bring in some big rock to cover the banks of your fill to help prevent it from eroding away.

If your set on pouring concrete make you a box bridge. Your going to be well on your way pouring the retaining walls for the current drive. Just turn every thing 90 degrees add a top and bottom and wallah a bridge.

 

[southalabama]

I'd stick several more black drain pipes under the road. It looks like you have the makings of a dam. Then I'd stack sacrete along the embankment and drive rebar through it to create a head wall. The only pour I'd do would be around the drain pipes.

 

[p_mori7]

I've never seen retaining walls on either side of a roadway tied together.

Usually, they are leaning inwards towards the top of the roadway.

You don't need to pour concrete here in my opinion. You could use retaining wall precast cement blocks. You will need a good compacted gravel base. Large rocks would also do the trick.

 

[1jjpop]

You could buy a apron that goes on the end of the pipe ,sloped to match the dirt , then dig around the apron & put rip rap[large rock] around the apron so it won't wash out the pipe & apron. look around & see how other people do it . See if it works use there idea.

 

[600SL]

Some good ideas here. I don't have any problems with drainage in the area. For the most part its always dry. I will look into the precast retaining wall blocks and the sackret.

 

[volleyball]

I would have had the pipe higher up and better yet larger. If you are going with concrete, you'll end up with a bridge.
I think I'd get some telephone poles and put them maybe a foot from each edge running parallel to the driveway. Drill holes and drive 5/8" rebar down into the ground. A bunch of rip rap on the sides down into the culvert. The driveway is an active load and it will want to spread but unless it is wet a lot or you are planning lots of heavy truck traffic, it will last a long time.
It looks new so expect any berm to settle. maybe keep a pile of fill material off to the side.

 

[Lippyp]

It looks like a big ditch and a very small pipe in the bottom. At some point thats had a lot of water down it and you need to plan for that once in a 50/100 year event where you might get flash flooding. I suggest a bigger pipe or more than one small one but a larger one is hard to block. It looks like that could easily get blocked with some dead leaves and a little debris. At my house in France I have a tiny stream that goes under my drive. When they put the road in the contractors put a smooth walled PVC pipe in about a foot diameter and on occasions it does get blocked with leaves and sweet chestnuts from a nearby tree, this then catches all the silt and it blocks solid at the end and then overflows. This only has a tiny amount of water going through it.

As for the sides, how about using wire Gabions (those square wire baskets) filled with rock either on a sloping foundation so leaning back against the sides or stepped back slightly on each course.

 

[7th Kahuna]

Some good ideas here. I don't have any problems with drainage in the area. For the most part its always dry. I will look into the precast retaining wall blocks and the sackret.

Yeah, I think your 'poured in place' wall is probably overkill if it is dry most of the year and the road (driveway) isn't taking an unusual beating. Even if you were taking particularly heavy loads across it, you would address that in the design of the fill, not so much the wall. Precast interlocking blocks should be more than up to the task. The blocks can be anchored back into the bank if you are concerned. My guess is you could simply have a load of boulders dumped on each side or do something like this:

Much simpler and no more concrete issues. Looks like you might need to widen the driveway though.

 

[DekeT]

I suspect you have more problems to solve than just that culvert. I predict real a mess for you down the road. I am all about DIY but sometimes you just need to punt and find someone who knows what they are doing.

 

[kroo]

If you don't have any water problems there, I would just extend the culvert 5' each end and add more soil to give a more gentle slope. Then seed and mulch. 10' culvert and 2 bands are probably cheaper than cement.

 

[Danver]

You could just bust up that botched concrete pad and spread the chunks on each side of the driveway.

 

[LB-1911]

Some good ideas here. I don't have any problems with drainage in the area. For the most part its always dry. I will look into the precast retaining wall blocks and the sackret.

No need to look into anything.....

You could just bust up that botched concrete pad and spread the chunks on each side of the driveway.

3 hour hot concrete poor
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=248927

 

[600SL]

You could just bust up that botched concrete pad and spread the chunks on each side of the driveway.

Well actually I could bust up the driveway and use it for paving the that 350' long run.

 

[600SL]

Yeah, I think your 'poured in place' wall is probably overkill if it is dry most of the year and the road (driveway) isn't taking an unusual beating. Even if you were taking particularly heavy loads across it, you would address that in the design of the fill, not so much the wall. Precast interlocking blocks should be more than up to the task. The blocks can be anchored back into the bank if you are concerned. My guess is you could simply have a load of boulders dumped on each side or do something like this:

Much simpler and no more concrete issues. Looks like you might need to widen the driveway though.

I actually like this but its only doable on one side since the other side is my neighbors property. The straight wall keeps me all on my property but then I have nothing to tie it to except a straight wall on the opposite side.

 

[Danver]

Well actually I could bust up the driveway and use it for paving the that 350' long run.

Btw, just from the few pictures I have seen of your garage and driveway it looks like you have a heck of a nice place and location there.

 

[188slo50]

Depends on how much water goes thru it if your pipe is the right size. Most driveways use a 12" or 18" pipe and use "rip rap" which is stone about the size of 2 fist on both ends around the opening and along the bank surrounding it and never have problems. I had the same thing at my previous house and after 20yrs it looked the same as it was the day it got done.

 

[little d]

600SL,
another option to consider would be RR ties. Stacked, fastened and tied in with "dead men" and then back filled, they make a hell of a retaining wall.

 

[188slo50]

600SL,
another option to consider would be RR ties. Stacked, fastened and tied in with "dead men" and then back filled, they make a hell of a retaining wall.

Most times you railroad will give you the old ones or you can check your local power company for power poles.

 

[volleyball]

Thats is why I mentioned the poles. Not everyone has a nearby railroad repair yard. AS LB messaged me, if you end up breaking up the concrete pour,you could use those pieces as the rip rap. You don't want round rocks.
If whoever laid the road put down some proper cloth to stabilize the soil, it may be a lot slower with spreading. But it will spread. If you pitch the road away from your neighbor then the repairs will be more on your side.
The pipe is just to keep the water from ponding on one side. The pipe will eliminate that but being level, it will clog. One of the reason I said it was too low.

 

[7th Kahuna]

I actually like this but its only doable on one side since the other side is my neighbors property. The straight wall keeps me all on my property but then I have nothing to tie it to except a straight wall on the opposite side.

Check out this link:

YouTube

This would work to tie the wall back into the bank. I am not specifically familiar with this company, it was just the first one that turned up in my search. The installation method however is quite common and I have seen it used on some very substantial banks both along roads as well as between new homes in housing developments. I have also seen it installed with grids or fabrics that run further back for more support.

 

[7th Kahuna]

If you were to go with railroad ties, be sure to back-fill and bed them with gravel so they stay dry and don't simply rot away. I am not sure whether power poles suffer the same issue or not. I suspect they may be treated more deeply.

 

[600SL]

Been along time since I posted. Culvert construction has started. I decided to go with RR ties. one they look nice and 2 they are real cheep. As used and crumbly as they are I expect better life than PT wood.

I got almost one side complete. Still need to add post and tie bars. The tie bars are 20' galvanized steel rods that will go through from side to side into post that will be located just outside the walls.

 

[volleyball]

I'd add more timbers until it was higher than the road. A curb to limit your chances of driving off the edge. And have you planned pitch? You need to design a low side.
It does look good what you have so far.

 

[600SL]

Yes there will be one more row up top there.

 

[Lippyp]

That looks like an awfully nice dam if you get heavy rain., I'd have stuck a couple more lengths of pipe through spaced across the bottom of the trench.

 

[mark52621]

We have hundreds of culverts around me. My farm alone has five.

Grass seeded on what you had done in the first photo would've worked great. The timbers you used will be even better.

 

[600SL]

Well it seams incompetence is running like a ******** transmitted disease. I ordered 4 20' galvanized rods with threads on both sides to tie across the outer pillars. I also ordered 3 20 ft 3/4" rebar. Three weeks later they arrive.

The bars threaded on one end only. and 1/2" rebar.

WTF??? Is there a sign on my forehead that says just F##$%k me. Do they all work for my concrete guy?

 

[xtremek]

Actually, I think it does say just that. With an arrow pointing to the preferred insertion point. And no they don't all work for your concrete guy. Some of them work for your other service people.

 

[600SL]

That looks like an awfully nice dam if you get heavy rain., I'd have stuck a couple more lengths of pipe through spaced across the bottom of the trench.

I looked up the specs and did the math. There is about 1/2 acre of property. up hill from it. Not an issue.

 

[7th Kahuna]

If you still can, consider backfilling behind the ties with gravel. They will last longer. I installed a low railroad tie wall around my mom's place to correct a drainage issue. The ties worked fine, are installed at the peak of the slope, and exposed to air on one side. Still it only took about 15 years before they started to collapse due to rot. They rot from the inside out. I imagine yours will see a lot more moisture than mom's did.

 

[SALIV8]

Well it seams incompetence is running like a ******** transmitted disease. I ordered 4 20' galvanized rods with threads on both sides to tie across the outer pillars. I also ordered 3 20 ft 3/4" rebar. Three weeks later they arrive.

The bars threaded on one end only. and 1/2" rebar.

WTF??? Is there a sign on my forehead that says just F##$%k me. Do they all work for my concrete guy?

600- if they dont work for your concrete guy, i guarantee they work for douchebag that did my concrete

 

[600SL]

If you still can, consider backfilling behind the ties with gravel. They will last longer. I installed a low railroad tie wall around my mom's place to correct a drainage issue. The ties worked fine, are installed at the peak of the slope, and exposed to air on one side. Still it only took about 15 years before they started to collapse due to rot. They rot from the inside out. I imagine yours will see a lot more moisture than mom's did.

Its been back filled with the driveway ROC they call it. The tan stuff in the pile.

 

[600SL]

I now need to drill 12 1" diameter 43" deep holes through the RR ties. This is a major PIA. The longest auger bit I can find was good for 28" depth. I also got an extension but after drilling the first 4 I am very reluctant to use it. At 28" depth the drill can barely turn the bit even if I'm just clearing chips. Its a mater of patience getting down that far. I am now letting the drill cool. The first hole took me an hour. I was able to get 3 more done in the next hour after I figured it out. About 5 times I needed to extract my drill bit with a pipe wrench. I tried lube doesn't seem to make a difference. So I will drill the holes down to 28" and then finish them off with this:

http://www.kleintools.com/catalog/flex-bit-augers/flex-bit-auger-1-25-mm-x-54-1372-mm

The short drill length should eliminate the friction and with 15 " left to go it should be straight enough to drive 1/2" pipe down the hole.

 

[volleyball]

What is the pipe for? Usually rebar is used and you only stack enough for your bits to drill through at a time

 

[600SL]

What is the pipe for? Usually rebar is used and you only stack enough for your bits to drill through at a time

Pipe is in place of the rebar because the guys delivered me the wrong size rebar. I needed to get something today because I'm out of town for the next week. I think I like the pipe because its galvanized.

I was concerned about matching the holes if I drilled as I stacked. Biggest problem I have is my drill is a Milwaukee right angle drill with the right angle attachment removed and a threaded on chuck. Trying to reverse out to clear the bit unscrews the chuck. I may rent a drill from HD next week for my contractor to use with a fixed chuck.

But I did drill through a total of 14' of RR ties today.

 

[7th Kahuna]

I think you're going to need a vacation when you get these projects of yours done. Good luck with that drill, no easy way around it. I've never tried to pin so many at once.

 

[little d]

Damn that turned out nice.
Now, I wish I had kept up with this thread, no ****, your drilling 4' through ties? You sir are a friggin mad man. Red head makes all kinds of heavy duty screws for jobs like this, anchor the first row, stack and screw the next and so on.... 4' through ties, thats gotta be some kind of record!