An Introduction to Culvert Pipes

A culvert pipe is a cutting under or beside a roadhazards on the roadway, and would eventually
that allows water to drain, rather than pooling andeat away at the roadway, causing it to smash
creating hazardous conditions. Technically, only andown quickly. If a road floods in excess of, it
enclosed channel under a road could be furthermight have to be closed until the water level
classified as a culvert, and a cutting next to arecedes that is trying for drivers, but necessary
road is recognized as a ditch. Culverts Pipes are afor safety.
very important part of the system used to drainThe second function of a culvert is to hold up
roads and drives, keeping them secure andwater from gathering along the margins of the
extending their lifetimes.highway and grasping away at the base of the
Ideally, a culvert installation is done when a road isroad bed. This expands the life of the road and
built, either by the home highway authority or aput off the edges of the roadway from gradually
property owner, only in case if the culvert is oncrumbling away, posing a security hazard to
private land. Generally, if a section of a road lies indrivers. In addition, if the water level next to the
a dejected area of ground or an area subject toroad rises in excess of, it could start to flood
flooding, a culvert need to be installed to facilitateonto the roadway, forcing road closure until the
drainage problems, especially in the winter. Thewater level falls again.
culvert pipes are laid into the road bed as it isA culvert construction could be done from a huge
being built, and is kept apparent by maintenancevariety of materials, depending on the size and
crews during everyday checks of the roadwaywhere it is installed. Concrete, metal, and plastics
throughout the year.are all general choices to line the cutting used to
Generally culverts serve two chief functions. Themake a culvert pipes safety ends, preventing the
first is that a culvert permits water to drain undersides from caving in. If a culvert is not helpful
the road, rather than pooling it on top, making theenough, it might be replaced with a small raised
surface secure for drivers. Pooled water on abridge to raise the roadway above the frequently
road could cause cars to hydroplane, cover upflooded area.