Approach slab

[eltelme]

I am working as a civil engineer in oil industry.

I have used a culvert so that the pipe rack (at 1 meter elevation) will cross the road. The road will go up to culvert elevation (2.35m) and then down. I have not used any approach slab before and after the culvert, so is it wrong?

Is the road slope acceptable?


Thanks and regards,

 

[bridgebuster]

This isn't a strucutral question; it's road design. The grade of your road is, in part, a function of the daily traffic & the percent of trucks.

FYI - on a rural road your grae would be limited to about 7%, assuming you have to follow a design standard.

 

[hokie66]

Without a relieving approach slab, the fill behind the abutment will continue to settle with time, thus resulting in a maintenance issue.

 

[civil04]

dear eltelme,
you can go ahead with expansion joints providing at every 30m intervals. i m doing such practice on my running project.

 

[Hemifun]

We really need to know what level of service the road will provide. We seldom use approach slabs on low volume roads. You will get some settlement but it may be more cost effective to add more road material when the settlement becomes objectionable than pay for approach slabs. In addition to the approach grade itself you must also look at the algebraic change in grade at the culvert so that vehicles don't "bottom out" when crossing the culvert. One other thing, I hope you're providing more than just "handrails" for protection on the culvert. Handrails will not provide protection to errant vehicles plus you will need proper approach railing.