Old concrete culvert load capacity
Old concrete culvert load capacity
(OP)
Hello,
First post to the forums. I'll start with a picture of what I'm talking about:
http://i.imgur.com/EutUj.jpg
Basically this is an old concrete culvert with little cover. We need the road to handle delivery trucks with wind turbine parts (max axle loads = 28,000 lbs).
The turbine supplier is concerned about the integrity of the culvert and is looking for ways to mitigate risk of bringing loaded trucks over it.
We have considered quite a few options to increasing cover, bridging with steel plates supported a few feet from the culvert centerline, or completely tearing it out and replacing it.
Does anyone know of any resources to help with analyzing a structure with this shape? (Impossible to get accurate results without knowing what strength concrete it is or what kind of rebar exists, but would be interesting to learn.)
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
First post to the forums. I'll start with a picture of what I'm talking about:
http://i.imgur.com/EutUj.jpg
Basically this is an old concrete culvert with little cover. We need the road to handle delivery trucks with wind turbine parts (max axle loads = 28,000 lbs).
The turbine supplier is concerned about the integrity of the culvert and is looking for ways to mitigate risk of bringing loaded trucks over it.
We have considered quite a few options to increasing cover, bridging with steel plates supported a few feet from the culvert centerline, or completely tearing it out and replacing it.
Does anyone know of any resources to help with analyzing a structure with this shape? (Impossible to get accurate results without knowing what strength concrete it is or what kind of rebar exists, but would be interesting to learn.)
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!





RE: Old concrete culvert load capacity
It needs more cover. It could be easily replaced to known pipe class.
I think you'd be able to reuse this pipe though.
f-d
¡papá gordo ain't no madre flaca!
RE: Old concrete culvert load capacity
RE: Old concrete culvert load capacity
However, if diam is too small to get in there and do that, I'd plank on both sides, parallel to the axis and then plank for the wheel tracks to keep as uniform a loading on the upper half, rather than a line load on the crown. Places the thing in compression, like an arch, rather than bending at the crown.
If it fails, I'd guess replacement would be less costly than a lot of work to save it.
RE: Old concrete culvert load capacity
Agree with oldestguy...that will work as well.
Pipe looks competent. If you analyze, it is likely at least 4000 psi concrete. You can also excavate and encase the sides in concrete. This will prevent lateral deflection from the vertical load.
RE: Old concrete culvert load capacity
RE: Old concrete culvert load capacity
Ron, the road is existing. The photo in the OP is exactly what I'm talking about. Also, if we use steel plates I was planning on placing 2x6s about 4 feet from the pipe centerline to support the plates. This would give a void space for the steel to deflect into.