Storage effects at culverts

Details

• Creators:
  McEnroe, Bruce M. ; Gonzalez, Scott A.
• Corporate Creators:
  K-TRAN (Research program)
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Culvert Culvert Inlets Culvert Outlets Culvert Pipe Design Detention Basins Discharge Drainage Storage And Topography Topography
• Publication/ Report Number:
  K-TRAN: KU-04-3R
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Edition:
  Revised Final Report; July 2003 ¿ April 2005
• Corporate Publisher:
  Kansas. Dept. of Transportation. Bureau of Materials & Research
• Abstract:
  Temporary ponding of water on the upstream side of a culvert serves to reduce the peak discharge that the culvert
  
  must convey. In most cases the discharge reduction resulting from detention storage is minor and can be neglected in
  
  design. However, in some cases the storage effect is substantial, and accounting for it may result in a more economical
  
  design.
  
  This report presents new methods for quickly estimating the effects of detention storage on the performance of
  
  existing culverts and the sizing of new culverts. These methods, which do not require hydrograph routing, are
  
  applicable to pipe and box culverts operating under inlet control with no overtopping of the roadway. Peak discharges
  
  can be computed by the Rational method, USGS regression equations or any other appropriate method. Water-surface
  
  areas at two or more stages are needed to define an approximate depth-area relationship. The required areas can be
  
  estimated from existing topographic maps or measured in the field by one person with a rotating laser level and a GPS
  
  unit.
  
  Analyses of seven pipe-culvert sites in Johnson County showed that detention-storage design would reduce the
  
  required pipe diameter by at least one increment at five of the seven sites, and by two or more increments at three of
  
  the sites. Similar analyses of ten box-culvert sites showed that detention-storage design would reduce the required
  
  span by more than 10% at three of the ten sites. Our test results indicate that storage effects are less likely to be
  
  significant for large culverts than for small culverts.
  
  The design of a culvert for detention storage rather than peak flow generally requires another survey, extra design
  
  effort and the purchase of additional right-of-way or a drainage easement for the storage area. Detention-storage
  
  design is economically justifiable only if cost savings on the culvert exceeds these added costs. In locations where
  
  storage effects are significant but detention-storage design is not economically justifiable, the culvert should be
  
  designed for peak flow.
  
  
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  C1409
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:8880dd96482337f9e6a85ff9f15d0718508ee618dd0bcdb358824e509ae0c25e
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/16194/dot_16194_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 869.45 KB ]