[AT] OT Low water crossings

[Cecil R Bearden]

If the culvert is properly compacted when installed, usually 1 to 1.5 ft 
of compacted fill is recommended to develop the full strength

Cecil in OKla

On 2/9/2012 4:20 PM, Don Bowen wrote:
> My driveway crosses two little creeks.  They are usually dry except
> during storms when they can be as much as four feet deep.  After a storm
> it may take days for them to come down.  The first crossing is gravel
> and the previous owner had build a concrete and rock dam on the
> downstream side to control washouts.  The result kept the water over a
> foot deep for days after a small rain.  I cut a slot in the dam and now
> it drains down to about 6 inches in a day.
>
> The second crossing is a concrete low water bridge with two culverts.
> usually within a few hours of a rain the water is under the concrete
> flowing though the culverts.  The problem here is that the culverts plug
> with gravel in heavy rains.  The reason is that who ever built the
> crossing has the outlet end of the culverts higher than the inlet by
> several inches.
>
> I plan to take out the culverts and replace them with a single larger
> culvert properly installed.  What I need to know is how thick the
> concrete must be above a given size of pipe.  I am assuming that the
> larger the culvert diameter the thicker the slab over it must me.
>
> As for the gravel crossing I want to build a concrete crossing.  I need
> to know what I need to do and references.  I have a good idea what is
> needed but I would like comments from those with experience.
>
> You can see in this picture the right culvert is plugged.  The water at
> the inlet is almost at the top of the culvert.
> http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/May%2011/images/flowing.jpg
>
> This is what it looks like after a heavy rain.
> http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/April%2011/images/flooded%20drive.jpg
>
> And a heavier rain.
> http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/April%2011/images/flooded%20drive.jpg
>
> The gravel crossing after a rain before I opened up the dam a
> little\http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/January%2011/images/summer.jpg
>
>