Hanson Building Products

precast concrete
box culverts
Box culverts
Easy to install, suitable for very shallow
or deep fill, ideal for use in a wide
variety of civil engineering applications

Hanson Building Products is the
largest producer of box culverts in
the UK, and are members of the
Box Culvert Association.
Since its introduction over 40
years ago the range of box
culverts we offer has continued
to expand. Whilst offering
increased flexibility Hanson Box
Culverts retain all their original
advantages.
They are easy to install and can
be made to suit very shallow or
deep fill. They also offer economy
by being uniquely designed for
particular loading conditions and are
efficiently produced in standard sizes.
As these advantages have become
widely recognised their range of
applications has increased making
them ideal in a wide variety of civil
engineering applications to include:

Culverting Service Tunnels

Watercourses
Pumping Stations
Attenuation Tanks
Channels
Road Crossings
Portals
Multi-cell
Basements Solutions
Construction
CSO Chambers
Pipe Replacement
Pedestrian and
Vehicle Subways
Sea Outfalls
CULVERT Escape Tunnels
BOX

ASSOCIATION Shafts
Advantages of using box culverts
Flexibility of range to accommodate
almost any size requirement
Availability of multi-cell sections
Can be laid in multiple sections
Ease of installation
Accommodation of high storage volumes
Use with shaped invert for dry weather
flow situations eg. sloping v and half round
Qualified technical department with CAD
facilities, available to assist at all stages with
design specification and contract development
Box culvert design specific to client requirement

Hanson Box Culverts are available
in a range of 144 standard sizes
from 1000mm x 600mm to
6000mm to 3600mm. Non-standard
sizes and internal profiles can also
be readily provided including
shaped inverts and dwf channels.
Reference to our table of standard
sizes will give the size necessary
to meet any conditions which may
be required in terms of storage
volume, flow capacity etc.
For larger culvert widths, twin or
multiple sections may also be
considered. Unlike pipes and
corrugated steel assemblies,
box culverts can be designed to
carry vertical load without the
relieving effect of side pressure.
Therefore, when culverts are
used in multiple sections, they
can be laid side by side with only
a nominal gap between them.
By comparison with arched or
circular sections no flow area is lost
through either excessive spacing
apart or curved profiles.
All products are manufactured
under a Quality Management
System complying with ISO 9001:
2000 and we are registered within
the BM Trada Certification Scheme
for approved quality systems.
Box culverts

Height Table No.1 Dimensions, flow area and discharge rate Width mm Flow area m2 Discharge rate m3/s
mm
1000 1200 1500 1800 2100 2400 2700 3000 3300 3600 3900 4200 4500 4800 5100 5400 5700 6000

600 0.53 0.65 0.83 1.01 1.19

0.50 0.64 0.86 1.07 1.29

800 0.73 0.89 1.13 1.37 1.61 1.85 2.09 2.33

0.77 0.99 1.33 1.67 2.01 2.36 2.71 3.06

1000 0.93 1.13 1.43 1.73 2.03 2.33 2.63 2.93 3.23 3.53 3.83 4.13 4.43 4.73
1.07 1.37 1.84 2.32 2.80 3.29 3.79 4.29 4.79 5.29 5.80 6.30 6.81 7.32

1200 1.37 1.73 2.09 2.45 2.81 3.17 3.53 3.89 4.25 4.61 4.97 5.33 5.69 6.02 6.38 6.74 7.09
1.76 2.37 3.00 3.64 4.29 4.95 5.61 6.28 6.95 7.62 8.29 8.97 9.64 10.28 10.96 11.64 12.32

1500 2.18 2.63 3.08 3.53 3.98 4.43 4.88 5.33 5.78 6.23 6.68 7.13 7.55 8.00 8.45 8.90
3.21 4.08 4.98 5.89 6.81 7.74 8.68 9.62 10.57 11.52 12.48 13.44 14.37 15.33 16.30 17.27

1800 3.17 3.71 4.25 4.79 5.33 5.87 6.41 6.95 7.49 8.03 8.57 9.08 9.62 10.16 10.70
5.21 6.38 7.57 8.78 10.00 11.24 12.48 13.74 15.00 16.26 17.54 18.79 20.07 21.35 22.64

2100 4.34 4.97 5.60 6.23 6.86 7.49 8.12 8.75 9.38 10.01 10.61 11.24 11.87 12.50
7.83 9.31 10.82 12.36 13.92 15.49 17.07 18.67 20.27 21.88 23.48 25.11 26.74 28.37

2400 5.69 6.41 7.13 7.85 8.57 9.29 10.01 10.73 11.45 12.14 12.86 13.58 14.30
11.11 12.94 14.81 16.70 18.61 20.55 22.50 24.46 26.43 28.40 30.40 32.40 34.41

2700 7.22 8.03 8.84 9.65 10.46 11.27 12.08 12.89 13.67 14.48 15.29 16.10
15.11 17.32 19.56 21.84 24.14 26.46 28.80 31.15 33.52 35.90 38.29 40.70

3000 8.93 9.83 10.73 11.63 12.53 13.43 14.33 15.20 16.10 17.00 17.90
19.88 22.49 25.14 27.82 30.53 33.27 36.02 38.80 41.59 44.40 47.22

3300 10.82 11.81 12.80 13.79 14.78 15.77 16.73 17.72 18.71 19.70
25.48 28.52 31.59 34.71 37.85 41.02 44.22 47.44 50.68 53.93

3600 12.89 13.97 15.05 16.13 17.21 18.26 19.34 20.42 21.50
31.95 35.43 38.96 42.53 46.13 49.77 53.43 57.11 60.81

Table No.2 Table No.3 Table No.4 Notes

Circular pipe discharge rates for Gradient multiplier Roughness multiplier 1. The standard range of box culverts 5. All box culverts are manufactured to order
comparison with standard culverts generally have flat inverts and 190mm and to the specific required design criteria,
Diameter Flow area Discharge Roughness corner splays up to 4800mm span and the external loading conditions will govern
DN m2 rate m3/s Gradient Multiplier coefficient ks Multiplier 225mm splays from 5100mm to 6000mm the wall, roof and floor thickness, unit
span and a maximum length of 2m. length and reinforcement content.
900 0.64 0.67 1 in 1000 1.0 0.06 1.11
1 in 800 1.1 2. Sizes other than those stated can 6. Joints are a standard rebate within the
1050 0.87 1.00 0.15 1.05
be manufactured to suit customer wall of the unit and the box culverts can
1200 1.13 1.42 1 in 700 1.2 0.30 1.00 requirements. be jointed using sealant strip to provide
1350 1.43 1.93 1 in 600 1.3 0.60 0.93 a seal and flexible joint if required.
3. Special internal profiles, shaped inverts
1500 1.77 2.54 1 in 500 1.4 1.50 0.85 and dry weather flow channels can be 7. Special insert pins are cast in to each box
1 in 400 1.6 produced and are available on request. culvert to enable them to be lifted.
1650 2.14 3.25
1 in 300 1.8 4. Tapered units for bends, units with 8. Channel units can also be produced
1800 2.54 4.08
2100 3.46 6.11 1 in 250 2.0 Technical enquiries manhole openings and pipe access holes
can be produced and are available on
if required.

2400 4.52 8.65 Tel: (01773) 602432 request.

Box culverts
Standard specifications and
guidance on installation
Hydraulic design
Discharge rates for box culverts in
the Hanson standard range are
calculated for a gradient of 1 in
1000 in accordance with the
Colebrook-White equation
assuming the culvert running full
under uniform flow conditions.
Comparable discharge rates for
circular pipes are given in the Table
2 (overleaf).
For any gradient between 1 in 1000
and 1 in 250, the gradient
multiplier (Table 3 overleaf) should
be applied. A value of 0.3mm has
been assumed for roughness
coefficient, ks, which depends
upon the accuracy of laying and
jointing in addition to the quality of
the culvert surface. Where a
different value is required, the
discharge rate at the appropriate
gradient should be adjusted by the
use of the roughness multiplier
(Table 4 overleaf).
Thus, for a 2400 x 1200 section
laid at a gradient of 1 in 500 and
with an assumed roughness
coefficient of 0.6mm, the discharge
rate is given by 4.29 x 1.4 x 0.93
= 5.59m3/s. The flow capacity of a
culvert is determined by a number
of different factors. In addition to
the gradient and roughness
coefficient, the geometry of the
inlet and outlet and the tailwater
level can affect the mode of flow
and may prevent the culvert from
running full or under uniform flow
conditions. In such cases the flow
capacity will be lower than the full
discharge rate.
Surface loading
and fill depth
Loading applied at the ground
surface and weight of fill material
produce a combination of vertical
and horizontal forces on the box
culvert. Surface loading may be
specified as a standard loading
type, equivalent uniform loading or
individual wheel loads. The critical
load on a culvert can occur at
minimum or maximum fill.
Each enquiry for a culvert should
state the minimum and maximum
fill depth and the amount or type of
surface loading. It is recommended
that the minimum fill depth should
be not less than 200mm or one
fifteenth of the internal width of
the culvert if this is greater.
Design and detailing
Box culverts are generally designed
and detailed in accordance with
the Box Culvert Association
Standard Specification which
covers materials, manufacturing
tolerances, external loading design
and detailing standards.
Box culverts carrying highway
loading or railway loading are
designed to current standards
and specification as stipulated by
the client.
The lowest grade of concrete
used is C50 with a 20mm
maximum size of aggregate.
The nominal cover to
reinforcement is 30mm.
An experienced team of engineers
and technicians backed by CAD
facilities provide a flexible and
comprehensive design and
detailing service enabling the
clients design and specification
criteria to be satisfied.
Delivery and offloading
It is the contractors responsibility
to offload the box culverts on
delivery. A hard level access area
should be provided which can be
used safely by standard articulated
delivery vehicles. The contractor
should provide a suitable crane of
adequate capacity for lifting the
culvert. For reasons of safety and
economy certain box culverts are
delivered to site on end rather than
as laid, and will require a safe
method of turning during
offloading. A data sheet giving
guidance of lifting and turning is
available and is issued to clients
prior to the first delivery.
The offloaded box culverts should
be levelled carefully on a firm level
base away from the edge of the
trench, and if any further
movement is required it should be
by lifting; the culvert should never
be dragged or dropped.
Bedding, laying and
backfilling
Excavation can be kept to a
minimum with only nominal
working space required on each
side of the box culvert. When
working in trenches the normal
requirements for health and safety
must always be observed.
The base of the trench should be
uniformly prepared before laying a
200mm bedding of compacted
granular material over the full
width of the trench. A surface
blinding of the fine material will
assist levelling. Local packings are
subject to settlement and should
not be used. As an alternative to
granular bedding a concrete
blinding layer is sometimes
preferred to protect the formation
or to allow a faster rate of laying
the culverts.
A layer of unreinforced concrete
approximately 75mm thick on a
trench bottom which has been well
prepared to provide a uniform
support is generally sufficient.
A culvert line is usually laid
directly on the bedding starting
from the downstream end with
the sockets facing upstream,
to receive the next culvert.
The trench should be backfilled as
soon as possible after the culvert
has been laid and it should be
filled evenly on each side of the
trench. Backfilling should continue
in 200mm compacted layers to
reach the required depth of cover.
Where loads from construction
plant may exceed the design
load of the box culvert
protective measures will be
required. This is particularly
relevant at shallow fill depths.
Jointing
The culvert sections generally have
rebated joints and can be laid
open, or sealed using pre formed
strips and/or pointing materials.
Reference should be made to the
jointing material manufacturers
specification and recommendation
for use of the product.
A system using preformed strip within
the joint is most commonly used.
When the strip is bitumen based
the joint faces should be cleaned,
primed and allowed to dry. The
strip is then applied to the internal
corner of the socket just before
the culvert is laid in the trench.
Joints are closed to a nominal gap
by pulling against previously laid
culverts with an applied load of
Jointing diagram
Compressed
strip if used
25
75
Internal
pointing
if used
Internal Face
approximately one tonne per metre
of strip plus about half of the
weight of the culvert unit to
overcome base friction, less if the
unit is suspended from the crane
whilst jointing. Heat may be
required to soften the strip when
working at low temperature.
When the box culvert is of
sufficient size for access, it can be
pointed internally with an
elastomeric or bitumen based
material using a suitable primer.
Not all methods of jointing,
however, should be expected to
be completely watertight.
For further information,
technical & sales enquiries
please contact:
Hanson Building Products
Birchwood Way,
Cotes Park Industrial Estate,
Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 4NH
Tel: (01773) 602432
Fax:(01773) 603134
Floors and Precast Division Hanson Building Products
Head Office
0870 6097094 Stewartby
Bedford
MK43 9L2

Tel: 08705 258258

Website: www.hanson.biz