Box Culvert Design

[OSUCivlEng]

Just curious what methods people use to design RCB culverts. Do you do it by hand or with a computer program? If you use a computer program what do you use? What do you think of WyoDOT's Brass Culvert? I am currently designing a 5 cell RCB and I haven't found any program that will design that many cells.

 

[3Fan]

When box culverts are beyond what is covered by the ASTM C1433, we use the WYDOT Brass Culvert program as you mentioned. We also use this to do our load rating of box culverts. Our DOT uses this program also. One of the precasters here in the area also uses BRASS Culvert to check the designers numbers before casting too.

Our DOT has said that the rating module in BRASS is VERY conservative.

 

[3Fan]

Opps, sorry, I meant to say ASTM C1577, not ASTM C1433.

 

[umrce]

RCB's aren't that hard to do with hand calcs and any decent FEA software. Come up with the loads by hand and model the box with the appropriate load combinations in your STAAD, RISA, VA, etc., and then a few quick hand calcs for the design checks.

 

[OSUCivlEng]

The loads are simple to come up with except for the live load. I don't have a moving load generator so maximizing the live load effects for the design truck, tandem, double tandem and permit vehicle is tedious.

 

[PEinc]

Some state DOT's have programs to design box culverts. PADOT and FLDOT, I believe, have programs.

http://www.PeirceEngineering.com

 

[PEinc]

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/structures/Programs/programarchive.shtm

This link will show FLDOT's Mathcad 13 box culvert AASHTO design program.

http://www.PeirceEngineering.com