Between Omaha and Des Moines, 7 miles South of I80Say 16" culvert , and 24" culvert, and 30" culvert?
Link to YiTong
Is double wall plastic culverts amounts of dirt needed different that 14 ga. steel culvert? (of same size )
Any good websites? (I did run across, a State of Florida, pdf file, that mentioned 12" top cover for concrete, 15" for steel, and 18" for plastic ) Does that sound about right?
The only heavy items, over these culverts, will be tractor and bushhog, and loader tractor carrying a possible tree truck, from dead tree removal. (only pasture and timber area = little too steep to farm = its always been pasture area, since great granddad )
Thanks
For single wall plastic tile I was told 2.5x the tile diameter, for dual wall tile or metal I think it would be less.
Alton, IaI have a field driveway thru a shallow road ditch, county INSISTED there be a culvert there instead of just a gentle valley in the driveway. Have maybe 2" of cover over a corrugated metal pipe, prob 18" dia. Manure tankers, semi's, wagons etc. have not crushed it yet.
Southwestern IL St. Clair Co.Cover over pipe is to help spread the load before it hits the pipe. I'd say for dual wall you need at least 12" and most publication will say minimum of 24" or more. Some times this isn't achievable. One thing you can always do to help your self if you lack cover over the pipe, is backfill around the culvert with gravel (with fines ) or sand. Compact this in layers 6" or less each. The backfill around the pipe is what supports the pipe laterally when it wants to push out from loading on the top. This backfill around the pipe often means more about how the pipe will hold up long term then the material type. Most people overlook this aspect. With the loads you have mentioned, I wouldn't be afraid of using dual wall pipe with 12" of cover, as long as you bed and backfill around the pipe with good packing fill.
NE Ga18" corrugated metal pipe carrying small pond runaround. Put few inches of dirt on when installed, but cows use and weather eroded most of that covering several year ago. Cross it with 100 hp tractor, smaller equipment, pick ups several times a year and a D6 Cat occasionally with no damage to pipe.
North Central OHNormal recommendation for plastic is around 2', 1' is permissible if proper stone is used. Had a pipe company give me a copy of ASTM Designation: F449-02 for reference at a farm show. The 16" may not require that much cover and anything over 48" the requirements change.
WisconsinThe town put in a new steel 10 or 12" a couple of years ago to one of my fields. top of that one has been exposed since the first month after they put it in. Been driven over with some heavy loads and hasn't hurt it yet. (yeah, I know... )
I've got a 12" single wall plastic culvert crossing a water runway between 2 fields here that has about 6 inches of rock on top of it and has held up to the same loads as the exposed steel one the town put it. (silage trucks, manure spreaders, loads of round bales ) The trick seems to be DON'T drive over it until/unless it's been packed good. Then it will hold alot!
Western-Central Lower MichiganJoe Dirt - 9/11/ 13:33
The town put in a new steel 10 or 12" a couple of years ago to one of my fields. top of that one has been exposed since the first month after they put it in. Been driven over with some heavy loads and hasn't hurt it yet. (yeah, I know... )
I've got a 12" single wall plastic culvert crossing a water runway between 2 fields here that has about 6 inches of rock on top of it and has held up to the same loads as the exposed steel one the town put it. (silage trucks, manure spreaders, loads of round bales ) The trick seems to be DON'T drive over it until/unless it's been packed good. Then it will hold alot!
Ive a single wall 10" for a field culvert. Sileage trucks and LARGE manure spreader beat on this a LOT. Its only got 6-8" cover and is holding great.
I wouldnt advise driving heavy loads on a plastic culvert unless you pack it well first.4WD
Posted 9/11/ 19:42 (# - in reply to #)
Subject: RE: Any good "rule of thumb" for dirt amount over culvert?
Between Omaha and Des Moines, 7 miles South of I80I did watch a few videos, before I posted this thread; and they showed using small gravel with fines to "bed" the culvert. (just as you mentioned )
I guess, I better get some loads of gravel coming.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Corrugated Steel Culvert Pipe.
This afternoon, I measured two used culverts (Dad had behind an old building ), both 24" x 20 ft. One is really nice, solid thick metal, smooth inside and out; other is typical corrugated metal (It's a little rough ).
Reason , I'm interesting in doing this quickly, is I have the tile crew coming to add tile, to drain some big sidehill seeps, in feedlot area above this pasture area. (in 7-10 days )
So I was hoping their good backhoe operator, could drive down and extra 150 yards and shape the dirt, in each ditch a little (25 feet or so ), where the two culverts and gravel will go. (it's too steep on both sides, for me to do anything with a 2wd tractor and loader ). Plus it is still wet, in the very center, so I can't drive straight up the ditch/gully, either. We've got old concrete chunks, old concrete blocks, and silo staves for both ends, once culverts get set. Pretty sure I can get at least 12"-15" over each culvert.
In hindsight, I should have done this in , it was totally dry, that Summer.
Thanks to everyone for your help/suggestions.
JDPlowboy
Posted 9/11/ 20:32 (# - in reply to #)
Subject: RE: Any good "rule of thumb" for dirt amount over culvert?
sw MN30" over dual wall.
Culvert about15"
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Posted 9/11/ 21:09 (# - in reply to #)
Subject: RE: Any good "rule of thumb" for dirt amount over culvert?
Meant for title to be Dual Wall HDPE Minimum depth vs Metal
I found an old thread here discussing pros and cons of metal vs plastic culvert pipes. I'm running into an issue where I need a 15" culvert pipe, 20' long. I already got a dual wall HDPE plastic one for the use, but according to the documents it says it needs 18" of fill to withstand the H-25 rating, which, in my terms is basically a concrete truck. If I did my math right....
I simply can't afford to build up the driveway that much to have 18" of fill dirt above the pipe. It says a minimum of 12" fill if I'm going to pave the point above this culvert, but I definitely won't be doing that any time soon especially during house construction with all the grading to be done.
I was hoping I could hear some comments from y'all and see if any of you have less than 18" or even less than 12" of fill above these dual wall corrugated culvert pipes, and what the most weight was driven over them; i.e. how much axle weight. I will have at least 5, if now 10 concrete trucks driving over this culvert during construction phase. I want to get the dirt base in, then order some mudrock or crushed concrete as a driveway base and live my life, but I don't want to order the rock if I need to be temporary mounding 18" of dirt above this culvert for the heavy trucks.
I thought as a compromise I would use a steel culvert instead, but that means spending another $500 and not using this plastic one, and apparently the steel ones require 12" of fill above them, so that would only gain me 6". I know I have seen old steel ones exposed and driven on, but that is a moot point as I have a plastic one now and want to try using it with the minimum amount of fill above it to prevent having such a tall driveway. The driveway will already be at least a foot higher than any yard.
My culverts originally where the older single wall hdpe ones.
I have replaced two of them with the double wall ones the only reason for the replacement was to increase the length and because one of them had plugged up with silt and trying to clean the single wall was getting to be an exercise in frustration. The other single wall had gotten exposed on the top zero cover and started to collapse, I expect that it was the triaxle sand truck that started it's collapse as it never had the recommended cover and the cover had migrated off from weather and snow plowing. The areas with 3 inches of fill where still in good shape with minimal deformation after 20 years with gravel delivery and sand delivery trucks and fuel oil truck travel every year.
If the fill around the culvert gets well compacted around the culvert before a heavy load goes across it 3-5 inches of cover will work unless it is very coarse fill.
The best backfill would be a sandy clay that compacts like a rock the backfill will actually support the culvert and help prevent distortion.
Just saw your newer post,
compacting while backfilling in 2-3 inch lays will work the best.
A track machine does not do a good good of compacting, the purpose for tracks is flotation, tires compact better.