Small culvert replacement

[deputyrpa]

Another evening, another culvert to install. This farm field crossing was troublesome and dangerous. The culvert was old and collapsing and water had saturated the approach and departure areas. The loss of hydraulic capacity caused water to back up and settle out bedload in a little wetland area upstream. Then the little stream jumped and started into the edge of the cornfield, spreading out and flowing into the culvert fill areas. The culvert came out too easy, as the top was exposed in sections. Here's some pics.

 

[JoelD]

Did you install the new pipe? Did you re-trench for the new pipe.

Looking forward to after pictures, I have a very small version on my property, I have a 6 inch pipe which I burried in making an earthen ramp accross a drainage ditch I have running along the side of my driveway.

Joel

 

[Dmace]

Yeah, I'd say that culvert has served it's time.

Always fun to put the tractor to work.

 

[deputyrpa]

I prepared the streambed bed by excavating about one foot to drop the invert and cause a hydraulic drop into the culvert. This will create a headcut of the stream and re-establish the proper grade to dewater the cornfield. Accordinly, I created a little pool downstream to accept the bedload as it is transported through the culvert. After the stream reach has stabilized, I'll create a small wetland area at the culvert outlet, where there is room. This will help mitigate any sediment and nutrient load before it reaches my pond, several hundred yards downstream.

 

[deputyrpa]

It took less than an hour to do the work. This one was easy. The first one I did was a "beach"....

Of course, some cobbles for more cover fill will be in order.....

 

[Tul01]

Looks good, I just put a 6" across my driveway this week, I was sick of manning the trash pump. I pumped over 500,000 gallons and I still had water across the top of my driveway. I had put off the culvert last summer hoping the year before was the exception. I guess not. My driveway is 14" of crushed concrete over geotec fabric. I had to rent an 80lb jackhammer to open it up to the fabric. I let the 18" cut run for almost 24hrs to catch up to the water. In hindsight, watching it almost caught up now, I wish I had cut the fabric and went an inch or two lower and put in an 8" culvert. Oh well if I have to tear it out next year I will be using a backhoe. I'm hoping that mine will keep up by not getting so far behind.

Brent