Culvert and landscaping question

[markmc]

I have to put a driveway culvert in a 3ft v-shaped drainage ditch in front of my property. THis is a private subdivision (not county) and there are no specs

I am thinking of 15" or 18" N-12 HDPE smooth bore corrugated pipe. Seems everyone else had 18" concrete put in by the local sales guy who installs them for $2400 (no concrete ends, just crushed concrete on top)...talk about a rip off artist!!!

I figure I can do my plastic one for about $350 or so

My question relates to an idea I had that since this is so cheap I was thinking of doubling the culvert width to 40ft (2x20ft sections) and installing roadbase in the center 24ft then covering the outer sections with select fill (laomy dirt).

Would it be okay to do landscapping over these ends? WOuld planting bushes be okay (roots?) or just grass and ground cover?

 

[BTDT]

Welcome to TBN. That sounds like a good plan, as long as there are no "special" requirements/restrictions. Take pics and keep us posted. Do you have a tractor to help with this or will you be renting something?

 

[sandman2234]

Two days before I purchased this property, the 16' culvert wasn't wide enough, so I added 16' to one side and 8' to the other, making mine 40'. I went with the same size culvert, but after last weeks rain, I wish I had dug it all up and went with a larger culvert because the water wouldn't go thru the culvert(not blocked) as fast as it was coming down in the form of rain. I installed "used" culverts and two months after closing, the tax apprasiser came by. I was working outside and he asked me about the new dirt. I told him that the grass was a little sparse and I added some fill dirt and planted sod over it to keep down the washout.I told him the culverts were there when I closed on the house. He got down in the ditch to see if the culverts were new, so thankfully I had acquired some used ones. No problems except that 14" I.D. isn't enough for the rain we have been getting since they cleared the lot next door and changed the layout of the drainage.
40' is enough to bring a tractor trailer home!
David from jax

 

[markmc]

Welcome to TBN. That sounds like a good plan, as long as there are no "special" requirements/restrictions. Take pics and keep us posted. Do you have a tractor to help with this or will you be renting something?

Thanks for the welcome. Have a JD 4320 with FEL...should be good enough for the job.

 

[markmc]

Two days before I purchased this property, the 16' culvert wasn't wide enough, so I added 16' to one side and 8' to the other, making mine 40'. I went with the same size culvert, but after last weeks rain, I wish I had dug it all up and went with a larger culvert because the water wouldn't go thru the culvert(not blocked) as fast as it was coming down in the form of rain. I installed "used" culverts and two months after closing, the tax apprasiser came by. I was working outside and he asked me about the new dirt. I told him that the grass was a little sparse and I added some fill dirt and planted sod over it to keep down the washout.I told him the culverts were there when I closed on the house. He got down in the ditch to see if the culverts were new, so thankfully I had acquired some used ones. No problems except that 14" I.D. isn't enough for the rain we have been getting since they cleared the lot next door and changed the layout of the drainage.
40' is enough to bring a tractor trailer home!
David from jax

SOunds like you got the width right (40ft) but should have been more than 14" diameter.

I think I am going to go with the 18" just to be safe.

So anyone think there would be a problem putting small trees over a culvert? WOuld the roots mess with it?

 

[shaley]

Trees will be OK The N-12 stuff has a gasket in the bell so it seals pretty well and the double wall is stiff enough to keep it from leaking so roots tend to grow around.

 

[MikeBurr]

One thing to concider, if you are using plastic, make sure that it won't be in the path of any fires. I used a plastic pipe as an overflow for a small dam and was using fire to clear out old grass/weeds. Well the plastic caught fire and burnt part way thru the opening on one end. I caught the fire fairly quick and put it out on the pipe, but I think the plastic would have burned all the way thru the dam if I hadn't put it out.

 

[markmc]

Trees will be OK The N-12 stuff has a gasket in the bell so it seals pretty well and the double wall is stiff enough to keep it from leaking so roots tend to grow around.

Thanks Steve, the N-12 looks like it is too pieces of pipe, one smaller smooth bore inside a corrugated pipe, so it should resisit roots fairly well.

The main reason I am considering the N-12 is it is about 1/3rd the price and REALLY easy to move around and even easier to install....especially for one person working alone.

Here is a cool website with all sorts of information - specs, brochures and installation training tools. N-12ｮ Corrugated Pipe

 

[markmc]

One thing to concider, if you are using plastic, make sure that it won't be in the path of any fires. I used a plastic pipe as an overflow for a small dam and was using fire to clear out old grass/weeds. Well the plastic caught fire and burnt part way thru the opening on one end. I caught the fire fairly quick and put it out on the pipe, but I think the plastic would have burned all the way thru the dam if I hadn't put it out.

good point, I will keep it away from fires...

 

[sandman2234]

Markmc,
Seeing what some tree roots do to sidewalk, driveways and even buildings when trees are too close to them, I would really consider what it will do to a plastic pipe as it grows. It may crush the side in that you planted the tree on, causing a place for debris to catch. It could grow over many years to actually block way too much of the culvert. Look at the tree root system that the tree's your considering planting and space them away accordingly.
David from jax