CONSTRUCTION OF A CULVERTS

A TRAINING REPORT

ON CONSTRUCTION OF CULVERT

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE COURSE

CURRICULUM

OF

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

(CIVIL ENGINEERING)

SUBMITTED BY

SUDIP GHIMIRE (2213851)

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

SWAMI DEVI DYAL GROUP OF PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTIONS

BARWALA, PANHAKULA

KURUKSHETRA UNIVERSITY, KURUKSHETRA-136119

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Abstract

This report is a summer internship report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering as per norms of Krukshetra
University, Kurukshetra. The author visited the site for construction of culvert structure, at
Madan Bhandari Highway Project, Kathmandu in his training period and attained technical
knowledge during the course, after which he was able to compile this report. The report
consists of brief study and description of materials, equipment and procedures used at site for
construction of a culvert. Author put his best to elaborate the actual site conditions, and
problem faced at site and the tactics used to deal with them .The main objective of this report
is to present a systematic text on the execution of construction of a culvert based on the
Nepali Standard codes.

The report also covers the fundamental aspects of practical requirement such as safety,
feasibility and economy at site. In this report the objective was to introduce, wherever
necessary, material which embodies the most recent methodologies. Chapter 1 discusses
introduction to organization profile, management structure, products, plants, capacity,
turnover, market share, problem definition (objectives, deliverables etc ) and the main
conclusions. Chapter 2 deals with materials and equipment used at site, literature view.
Chapter 3 contains description of the process plant/site where practical training was
undertaken including block diagrams for showing process scheme, major operations and
process equipment, stream compositions, site conditions governing the process control.
Chapter 4 discusses summary of the project with main findings and conclusions, the method
of adoption of the proposed solution by the organization and expected benefits (technical and
financial) Chapter 5 presents the results obtained after the tests performed on site proceeding
with their conclusion. In spite of every care taken, it is possible that some errors might have
been left unnoticed. The author sincerely welcomes the constructive criticism for improving
the report.

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CERTIFICATE

It is certified that the work contained in this training report titled “Construction of Culvert at
Kathmandu-Gotikhel highway project, Kathmandu. " is the original work done by Sudip
Ghimire (2213851) and has not been submitted anywhere.

Date ………………… Head of department of

civil

Place………………… Shurti Kant Sharma

SDDIET

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I take immense pleasure in thanking Prof, Shruti Kant Sharma, HOD, SDDIET, Barwala, for
having permitted me to carry out this training. I wish to express my deep sense of gratitude to
my teachers, Mr. Ravi Rana, Mr. Karamjeet Chahal, Mr. Amir Iqbal Bhat, civil department,
for their able encouragement and useful suggestions, which helped me in completing the
training work, in time.

I would also like to thank Mr. Sundar Shyam Ghimire and Mr. Neetin Thakuri for all their
valuable assistance during training. Words are inadequate in offering my thanks to the Project
team of Metro Construction company for their guidance and co-operation carrying out the
training work.

Finally, yet importantly, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my beloved parents for
their blessings, my friends/classmates for their help and wishes for the successful completion
of this training.

Sudip Ghimire

2213851

Btech civil, 7th sem

SDDIET, BARWALA

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Chapter No.
1

INTRODUCTION
1.1. Company’s profile
Metro construction was established in the year 2005 by Er. Sundar Shyam Ghimire. The
company started its operation from Sadhobato, port city of Lalitpur, Nepal with
construction of Industrial structures and piles foundations. Over the years, Metro
Construction has expanded into the fields of marine work, power projects, road and
bridges, electrical sub stations, residential and commercial buildings, and water works.
Sundar shyam Ghimire has also completed more than 350 projects to date, and maintains
an arbitration free record, with full record, with all over Nepal and an Annual turn over of
400 cores, projected for the year 2010-2011 corporate social responsibility environment
philosophy they believe is that as long as we are in harmony with nature, it will provide
us with everything in abundance, at the appropriate time. A culvert is a structure designed
hydraulically to take advantage of submergence to increase water carrying capacity.
Culverts, as distinguished from bridges, are usually covered with embankment and are
composed of structural material around the entire perimeter, although some are supported
on spread footings with the streambed serving as the bottom of the culvert. Culverts may
qualify to be considered “bridge” length.
Over the years, culverts have traditionally received less attention than bridges. Since
culverts are less visible it is easy to put them out of mind, particularly when they are
performing adequately. Additionally, a culvert usually represents a significantly smaller
investment than a bridge and in the event of a failure usually represents much less of a
safety hazard.
Since 1967 there has been an increased emphasis on bridge safety and on bridge
rehabilitation and replacement programs. In many cases small bridges have been replaced
with multiple barrel culverts, box culverts, or long span culverts (see Figure P.3.1). There
have also been recent advances in culvert design and analysis techniques. Long span
corrugated metal culverts with spans in excess of 12.2 m (40 feet) were introduced in the
late 1960's.

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1.1.1. Major project converted by Sundar Shyam Ghimire

Industrial / Defence Projects Workshops building at NYC site A at Kathmandu,

involving 6000MT of structural steel fabrication &
erection; Sulphur Recovery Unit for HPCL,Kathmandu;
Aluminum alloy wheel plant at Kathmandu Nepal ; Wet
Process unit for Himalayan foundation Nepal.

Road and Bridges Western Transport Corridor Prithivi Rajmarga project;

R.B. across river Trishuli 600 m.Underpasses & ROBs
construction/strengthening of existing two lane Kalimati-
Kalanki section of Prithivi Rajmarga.

Power plant 208MW combined cycle power plant at Kaligandaki,

involving 5cell RCC cooling tower; 1x300MW Captive
Power Plant for ARYAN Coal Benefications Pvt Ltd;
captive power plant at Thankot.

Marine Works Construction of Jetty for ONGC in Fisheries’ harbor,

Thapathali; Construction of Pipe bridge of total length
2200 Kalimati; Pile foundation for Thakurki Dock at
Gorkha.

Buildings works Construction of new building for Nepal Electricals,

Gorkha; Expansion of Dashratshala Cricket Stadium,
Tripureshor; HIGH IQ luxury apartment, Gorkha;
Construction of Independent Villas, Housar road,
Khulmatar; Thakuri Holidays Resort, Gotikhel;

Material Handling Projects Construction of Wagon Tippler & other facilities for
handling iron ore and coal a Gorkha Port; Expansion of
Alumina handling Facilities at Nalco’s Port facility,
Dhulikhel.

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1.2. Project profile

Madan Bhandari Highway Project

The Government of Nepal has been working proactively to improve the connectivity of the
National Capital Region to improve tourist attraction of Kaleshor Temple at Gotikhel through
the new 2 lanes access controlled highway with brand name of Madan Bhandari Highway.
Almost everyone who comes to Nepal makes it a point to make a trip to the Kaleshor Temple.
Presently Gotikhel is about 45 km from Kathmandu by road. It takes normally six to seven
traveling hours on a return trip between Kathmandu and Gotikhel which leaves very less time
in Gotikhel to see the Kaleshor and other places of historical importance. The concept of the
Madan Bhandari Highway proposes a 60 km Highway between Bhaktpur and Gotikhel thus
reducing the travel time to 30 minutes only. For implementing the Madan Bhandari Highway
Project and allied development in the region, Government of Nepal constituted Madan
Bhandari Highway Development Authority (MBHDA) its Notification No.697/77-4-2016-
3(N)/2016 dated 24th April, 2016, under KTM. Industrial Area Development Act, 2011. The
main responsibilities of MBHDA, inter alia, included:

 Execution of Madan Bhandari Highway.

 Acquisition of land for construction of Highway.

 Preparation of Zonal/Master plan for planned development along the Highway.

 Development of drainage, feeder roads, electrification and other facilities in the area

Approx. 9 villages of District Kathmandu and Lalitpur are notified Madan Bhandari Highway
Development Authority (MBHDA) vide various notifications of Government of Nepal.
1.1.1. Project Map

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Fig. Map of the Madan Bhandari Highway

1.1.2. Quick Facts about Madan Bhandari Highway

Length 45 KM

Right of way 20m

No of lanes 2

Type of pavement Flexible

Cost 800 million

STRUCTURES

Interchange No

Main toll plaza 1

Underpass No

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Rail Over bridge No

Major Bridge No

Minor Bridge 3

Cart Track Passing No

Culverts 20

1.2. Culverts

A culvert is a structure that allows water to flow under a road, railroad, trail, or similar
obstruction from one side to the other side. Typically embedded so as to be surrounded by
soil, a culvert may be made from a pipe, reinforced concrete or other material. In
the United Kingdom the word can also be used for a longer artificially buried
watercourse. A structure that carries water above land is known as an aqueduct.

Culverts are commonly used both as cross-drains for ditch relief and to pass water under a
road at natural drainage and stream crossings. A culvert may be a bridge-like structure
designed to allow vehicle or pedestrian traffic to cross over the waterway while allowing
adequate passage for the water. Culverts come in many sizes and shapes including round,
elliptical, flat-bottomed, pear-shaped, and box-like constructions. The culvert type and
shape selection is based on a number of factors including: requirements for hydraulic
performance, limitation on upstream water surface elevation, and roadway embankment
height.

1.2.1. Types of culverts

Following are the types of culverts generally used in construction:

 Pipe culvert ( single or multiple)

 Pipe Arch Culvert ( single or multiple)
 Box culvert ( single or multiple)
 Arch culvert
 Bridge culvert

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1.1.1.1. Pipe Culverts

Pipe culverts are widely used culverts and rounded in shape. The culverts may be of
single in number or multiple. If single pipe culvert is used then larger diameter culvert
is installed. If the width of channel is greater than we will go for multiple pipe
culverts. They are suitable for larger flows very well. The diameter of pipe culverts
ranges from 1 meter to 6m. These are made of concrete or steel etc..

Fig. Pipe culvert

1.1.1.2. Pipe Arch Culvert
Pipe arch culverts means nothing but they looks like half circle shaped culverts. Pipe
arch culverts are suitable for larger water flows but the flow should be stable. Because
of arch shape fishes or sewage in the drainage easily carried to the outlet without
stocking at the inlet or bottom of channel. This type of culverts can also be provided
in multiple numbers based on the requirement. They also enhance beautiful
appearance.

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Fig. Pipe Arch Culvert

1.1.1.3. Box Culvert
Box culverts are in rectangular shape and generally constructed by concrete.
Reinforcement is also provided in the construction of box culvert. These are used to
dispose rain water. So, these are not useful in the dry period. They can also be used as
passages to cross the rail or roadway during dry periods for animals etc. Because of
sharp corners these are not suitable for larger velocity. Box culverts can also be
provided in multiple numbers.

Fig. Single and Double Box Culverts

1.1.1.4. Arch Culvert

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Arch culvert is similar to pipe arch culvert but in this case an artificial floor is
provided below the arch. For narrow passages it is widely used. The artificial floor is
made of concrete and arch also made of concrete. Steel arch culverts are also
available but very expensive.

Fig. Arch culvert

1.1.1.5. Bridge Culvert

Bridge culverts are provided on canals or rivers and also used as road bridges for
vehicles. For this culverts a foundation is laid under the ground surface. A series of
culverts are laid and pavement surface is laid on top this series of culverts. Generally
these are rectangular shaped culverts these can replace the box culverts if artificial
floor is not necessary.

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Fig. Bridge Culvert

1.1.2. Location of Culverts

The location of culverts should be based on economy and usage. Generally it is
recommended that the provision of culverts under roadway or railway are economical.
There is no need to construct separate embankment or anything for providing culverts.
The provide culverts should be perpendicular to the roadway. The culverts should be
of greater dimensions to allow maximum water level. The culvert should be located in
such a way that flow should be easily done. It is possible by providing required
gradient.

Chapter No. 2

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENTS

2.1. Materials
2.1.1. Cement
Portland cement is composed of calcium silicates, aluminates and alumina ferrite. It is
obtained by blending predetermined proportions limestone clay and other minerals in
small quantities which is pulverized and heated at high temperature – around 1500
degree centigrade to produce ‘clinker’. The clinker is then ground with small
quantities of gypsum to produce a fine powder called Ordinary Portland Cement
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(OPC). When mixed with water, sand and stone, it combines slowly with the water to
form a hard mass called concrete. Cement is a hygroscopic material meaning that it
absorbs moisture. In presence of moisture it under goes chemical reaction termed as
hydration. Therefore cement remains in good condition as long as it does not come in
contact with moisture. If cement is more than three months old then it should be tested
for its strength before being taken into use. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has
classified OPC in three different grades The classification is mainly based on the
compressive strength of cement-sand mortar cubes of face area 50 cm 2 composed of
1 part of cement to 3 parts of standard sand by weight with a water-cement ratio
arrived at by a specified procedure. The grades are

 33 Grade

 43 Grade

 53 Grade

The grade number indicates the minimum compressive strength of cement sand
mortar in N/mm2 at 28 days, as tested by above mentionedprocedure. Nowadays good
quality fly ash is available from ThermalPower Plants, which are processed and used
in manufacturing of PPC.
2.1.2. Coarse Aggregate
Coarse aggregate for the works should be river gravel or crushed stone.It should be
hard, strong, dense, durable, clean, and free from clay orloamy admixtures or quarry
refuse or vegetable matter. The pieces of aggregates should be cubical, or rounded
shaped and should havegranular or crystalline or smooth (but not glossy) non-
powdery surfaces.Aggregates should be properly screened and if necessary washed
cleanbefore use. Coarse aggregates containing flat, elongated or flaky piecesor mica
should be rejected. The grading of coarse aggregates should beas per specifications of
IS: 383-1970.After 24-hrs of immersion in water, a previously dried sample of
thecoarse aggregate should not gain in weight more than 5%.Aggregatesshould be
stored in such a way as to prevent segregation of sizes and avoid contamination with
fines.
2.1.3. Fine Aggregate
Aggregate which is passed through 4.75 mm IS Sieve is termed as fine aggregate.
Fine aggregate is added to concrete to assist workability and to bring uniformity in
mixture. Usually, the natural river sand is used as fine aggregate. Important thing to
be considered is that fine aggregates should be free from coagulated lumps. Grading
of natural sand or crushed stone i.e. fine aggregates shall be such that not more than 5
percent shall exceed 5 mm in size, not more than 10% shall IS sieve No. 150 mm not
less than 45% or more than85% shall pass IS sieve No. 1.18 mm and not less than
25% or more than 60% shall pass IS sieve No. 600 micro
2.1.4 Reinforcement Bars
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Steel reinforcements are used, generally, in the form of bars of circular cross section
in concrete structure. They are like a skeleton in concrete body. Plain concrete without
steel or any other reinforcement is strong in compression but weak in tension. Steel is
one of the best forms of reinforcements, to take care of those stresses and to
strengthen concrete to bear all kinds of loads. Mild steel bars conforming to IS: 432
(Part I) and Cold-worked steel high strength deformed bars conforming to IS:1786
(grade Fe 415 and grade Fe 500, where 415 and 500 indicate yield stresses 415 N/mm
and 500N/mm (respectively) are commonly used. Grade Fe 415 is being used most
commonly nowadays. This has limited the use of plain mild steel bars because of
higher yield stress and bond strength resulting in saving of steel quantity. Some
companies have brought thermo-mechanically treated (TMT) and corrosion resistant
steel (CRS) bars with added features. Bars range in diameter from 6 to 50 mm. Cold-
worked steel high strength deformed bars start from 8 mm diameter. For general
house constructions, bars of diameter 6 to 20 mm are used. Transverse reinforcements
are very important. They not only take care of structural requirements but also help
main reinforcements to remain in desired position. They play a very significant role
while abrupt changes or reversal of stresses like earthquake. They should be closely
spaced as per the drawing and properly tied to the main/longitudinal reinforcement.
Steel has an expansion coefficient nearly equal to that of modern concrete. If this were
not so, it would cause problems through additional longitudinal and perpendicular
stresses at temperatures different than the temperature of the setting. Although rebar
has ribs that bind it mechanically to the concrete, it can still be pulled out of the
concrete under high stresses, an occurrence that often precedes a larger-scale collapse
of the structure. To prevent such a failure, rebar is either deeply embedded into
adjacent structural members (60-80 times the diameter), or bent and hooked at the
ends to lock it around the concrete and other rebar. This first approach increases the
friction locking the bar into place; while the second makes use of the high
compressive strength of concrete. Common rebar is made of unfinished tempered
steel, making it susceptible to rusting.

2.1.5. Water
Water is one of the most important elements in construction but people still ignore
quality aspect of this element. The water is required for preparation of mortar, mixing
of cement concrete and for curing work etc during construction work. The quality and
quantity of water has much effect on the strength of mortar and cement concrete in
construction work. It has been observed that certain common impurities in water
affect the quality of mortar or concrete. Many times in spite of using best material i.e.
cement, coarse sand, coarse aggregate etc. in cement concrete, required results are not
achieved. Most of Engineers/Contractors think that there is something wrong in
cement, but they do not consider quality of water being used. Some bad effects of
water containing impurities are following:

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 Presence of salt in water such as Calcium Chloride, Iron Salts ,inorganic salts
and sodium etc. are so dangerous that they reduce initial strength of concrete
and in some cases no strength can be achieved. There is rusting problem in
steel provided in RCC.

 Presence of acid, alkali, industrial waste, sanitary sewage and water with sugar
also reduce the strength of concrete.

 Presence of silt or suspended particle in water has adverse effect on strength of

concrete.

 Presence of oil such as linseed oil, vegetable oil or mineral oil in water above
2 % reduces the strength of concrete up to 25 %.

 Presence of algae/vegetable growth in water used for mixing in cement

concrete reduce of the strength of concrete considerably and also reduce the
bond between cement paste and aggregate.
It has been observed at various places that cement concrete start falling down in
pieces after rusting mild steel from RCC slab, which is due to use of bad quality/salty
water in RCC slab. All this is due to negligence or ignorance which creates great
problems and also bears a heavy loss. It is advisable that the water must be tested
before using in construction work.
Main disadvantages of mixing too much water in mortar and concrete

 The water occupies space in sand and it evaporates to create voids. More over
the water voids will be more and this will reduce the density, strength and
durability of mortar or concrete.

 When more water is used in concrete excess water brings a mixture of excess
cement paste with water floating on the surface. This material forms a thin
layer of chalky material on the surface which reduces proper bonding with
second layer of cement concrete in case of water tank and dams etc. This will
affect the strength of concrete.

 When more water is used, the cement slurry starts coming out from cement
concrete mix. The excess slurry formed by water and cement comes out
through shuttering joints. This makes concrete of less cement and reduces the
strength of concrete.

 When more water is used, proper compaction is not achieved and there is
bleeding, large voids and more shrinkage, less durability and less strength.

 When more water is mixed in cement concrete, the problem of segregation of

material is faced at the time of laying the mix. As a result coarse Aggregate
and cement paste separate from each other. Hence strict control should be kept

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on water cement ratio for preparing the mortar or concrete for qualitative
finish/ strength.

Chapter No. 3

Structural Characteristics of Culverts

Loads on Culverts

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In addition to their hydraulic functions, culverts must also support the weight of the
embankment or fill covering the culvert and any load on the embankment. There are two
general types of loads that must be carried by culverts: dead loads and live loads.

Dead Loads
Dead loads include the earth load or weight of the soil over the culvert and any added
surcharge loads such as buildings or additional earth fill placed over an existing culvert. If the
actual weight of earth is not known, 1920 kilograms per cubic meter (120 pounds per cubic
foot) is generally assumed.

Live Loads
The live loads on a culvert include the loads and forces, which act upon the culvert due to vehicular or
pedestrian traffic. The highway wheel loads generally used for analysis are shown in Figure P.3.2. The
effect of live loads decreases as the height of cover over the culvert increases. When the cover is more
than two feet, concentrated loads may be considered as being spread uniformly over a square with
sides 1.75 times the depth of cover. This concept is illustrated in Figure P.3.3 and P.3.4. In fact, for
single spans, if the height of earth fill is more than 2.4 meters (8 feet) and exceeds the span length, the
effects of live loads can be ignored all together.

Categories of Structural Materials

Based upon material type, culverts can be divided into two broad structural categories: rigid and
flexible.

Rigid Culverts

Culverts made from materials such as reinforced concrete and stone masonry are very stiff and do not
deflect appreciably. The culvert material itself provides the needed stiffness to resist loads. In doing
this, zones of tension and compression are created. The culvert material is designed to resist the
corresponding stresses.

Flexible culverts
Flexible culverts are commonly made from steel or aluminum. In some states composite materials are
used. As stated earlier, flexible culverts rely on the surrounding backfill material to maintain their
structural shape. Since they are flexible, they can be deformed significantly with no cracks occurring.

As vertical loads are applied, a flexible culvert will deflect if the surrounding fill material is loose.
The vertical diameter decreases while the horizontal diameter increases. Soil pressures resist the
increase in horizontal diameter.

For flexible culverts with large openings, sometimes longitudinal and/or circumferential stiffeners are
used to prevent excessive deflection. Circumferential stiffeners are usually metal ribs bolted around
the circumference of the culvert. Longitudinal stiffeners may be metal or reinforced concrete. This
type of stiffener is sometimes called a thrust beam.

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