Minimum Cover over RC Pipe
Minimum Cover over RC Pipe
(OP)
Can anyone provide any guidance in determining minimum cover over a highway cross culvert in the 750mm to 1050mm (30in to 42in) size range for RC pipe? The general practice in this area has been to try and place the top of the pipe below the frost line which is about 1.5m (5ft) below grade to avoid any potential frost heaving. As you can imagine this can be very restrictive in shallow draining areas. Is this approach too conservative when compared to the suggested 0.3m (1ft) minimums for live/dead loads?





RE: Minimum Cover over RC Pipe
Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.
WWW.amlinereast.com
RE: Minimum Cover over RC Pipe
RE: Minimum Cover over RC Pipe
Also, check out Contech. http://www.contech-cpi.com/
They have tables that have minimum cover for various pipe sizes.
From a soils/frost heave perspective, I would think the top of the pipe would need to be below frost depth. However, the center of the pipe should be below frost depth.
RE: Minimum Cover over RC Pipe