CULVERT INVENTORY COLLECTION GUIDELINES

Training for Culvert Inspectors

Prepared 14/05/10
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN …..

Prevent the Preventable

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN ….
(cont’d)
 CULVERT INVENTORY
COLLECTION
Process to date
1. Purpose
2. Process to date
3. Current Status of collection process
• Culverts Received from Regions 35295
• Culverts Sent To Regions For Corrections 560
• Culverts Imported into RAMS - 31609
Culvert Inventory Collection
Guideline
 CICG – Inspector Training

General goals of the training included:

• Culvert Inventory Collection Form, and its usage;

• Introduction of the Culvert Risk Assessment Checklist, and its usage;
Culvert Data Collection Form
V1.10
Culvert Data Collection Form

Summary of Requirements
• Identification
• Culvert Location
• Design Data
• Culvert Details
• Culvert Condition
• Drainage Pits
• Photo and Image Files
• Risk Assessment Checklist

Culvert Data Collection V1.10.doc

 Culvert Identification

Date Inspector Numbers

/ /
Culvert Number
Local Number Region Code Slope Number

Culvert
Comment
eg access,
location

Requires  Yes
Rope  No
Access?
 Culvert Identification (Contd…)

Latitude Longitude Road No C’way Link Offset on Seg No Seg Offset Speed
Code No link (km) (km) limit
Inlet
Outlet

Off-road Latitude Off-road Longitude Left or Right of C’way Marked at roadside

Inlet  Left  Right  Yes  No
Outlet  Left  Right  Yes  No
 Design Data

Plan Number Sheet Number Pipe/Box Number

Description Discharge
Of Capacity cu m /s

Flood
potential
 Culvert Details

Purpose  Pavement drainage  Catchment drainage  Pedestrian /  Stock / fauna  Utilities  Vehicle
(tick 1 only) bicycle access access

Culvert Type  Pipe  Box  Arch  Composite (tick this if more than 1 type)
(tick 1 only)

Barrel or cell  Spiral wound steel pipe  Multi-plate corrugated steel  Spiral wound  Multi-plate  Plastic corrugated  Plastic un-corrugated
construction aluminium pipe corrugated aluminium

 Steel reinforced concrete  Fibre reinforced concrete  Pre-cast  Stone or masonry  Brick  Timber
RCP FRC concrete arch

 Other
(eg. terracotta)

Culvert Joints  Butt  Butt  Spigot & socket  Spigot & socket  Other
– unsealed – sealed - rubber ring – grouted (describe)

Box Culvert Types  Cast in situ  Pre-cast crown, cast insitu base  Pre-cast with  Multi-cell with link  Other
slab pre-cast floor slabs (describe)

Lining  Fully lined  Invert only lined  Unlined  Other (if selected, write lining comment below)

Lining Materials  Plastic  Reinforced concrete  Fibre  Bituminous  Hazardous

reinforced (eg. coal tar or asbestos)
concrete

Culvert Inventory_Culvert details.doc

Lining Comment
 Culvert Details (Contd…)

Culvert length No of cells/ Pipe inside Cell/ barrel/ arch Cell/ barrel/ arch Length of cell Depth of cover (inlet Depth of cover
(overall) barrels/ pipes diameter width height (between joints) side) (outlet side)
metres mm mm mm mm metres metres

Nature of Fill  Shale  Sand  Rocky  Clay  Decomposed  Other

material Granite (describe)

Is the culvert long enough?  Yes  No Grates  Yes  No Floodgates  Yes  No Tidal Flows  Yes  No
 Culvert Condition

During this inspection is there water in the culvert?  Yes  No

 Clear  25%  50% Blocked  75% Blocked  100% Blocked

Blocked
Barrel Water Flow (tick 1)
Inlet Water Flow (tick 1)  Clear  25%  50% Blocked  75% Blocked  100% Blocked
Blocked
Outlet Water Flow (tick 1)  Clear  25%  50% Blocked  75% Blocked  100% Blocked
Blocked
Inlet Conditions  Inlet Scour  Vegetation  Damaged drainage  Boulder Trap Full /  Other
Blanket Compromised structures in
drainage line

Outlet Conditions  Outlet Scour  Vegetation  Damaged drainage  Boulder Trap Full /  Other
Blanket Compromised structures in
drainage line

Structure Conditions  Headwall missing/ damaged  Wing wall missing /  Pipe / Box  Joint Damage
damaged Damage

Road Surface Condition

Batter Condition
What routine maintenance is
required?
 Drainage Pits

Pit Latitude Pit Longitude Pit Type Depth

(tick one) metres

1  Gully pit  Junction pit  Junction box Ped. Safe?  Yes  No

 Inlet Sump  Blind  Raised Inlet Bike Safe?  Yes  No

2  Gully pit  Junction pit  Junction box Ped. Safe?  Yes  No

 Inlet Sump  Blind  Raised Inlet Bike Safe?  Yes  No

3  Gully pit  Junction pit  Junction box Ped. Safe?  Yes  No

 Inlet Sump  Blind  Raised Inlet Bike Safe?  Yes  No

4  Gully pit  Junction pit  Junction box Ped. Safe?  Yes  No

 Inlet Sump  Blind  Raised Inlet Bike Safe?  Yes  No

Pit Comments
 Photo and image files

File Name Caption

Inlet

Outlet

Barrel
Risk Assessment Checklist
Risk Assessment Checklist
CHECKLIST ITEM WHAT TO LOOK FOR EXAMPLE PHOTO

External Condition

SUBSIDENCE  Visible dips in the

IN THE ROAD roadway;
 Suspension of passing
vehicles shows noticeable
movement passing over
culvert;
 Look along roadway over
a long enough length to
allow depressions to be
seen;
 Longitudinal or transverse
cracking that extends into
the travelled lane.
Risk Assessment Checklist

EXTENSIVE  The presence of multiple

PATCHING OF THE layers of patching on the
ROAD ABOVE THE roadway above the
CULVERT culvert;
 Patching is to repair
shape of roadway – i.e -
sub-pavement distress;
 If patching has repaired
roadway - guardrail may
be sagged.
Risk Assessment Checklist
SIGNIFICANT  Longitudinal or transverse
CRACKING OR cracking on the roadway
DEFORMATION OF THE above the culvert that is
ROAD ABOVE THE greater than 5mm wide;
CULVERT  If uncertain of cracking
type or extent – tick the
box
Risk Assessment Checklist

HOLES OR CAVITIES  Localised depressions in

IN THE ROAD FILL the area surrounding the
AROUND THE INLET roadway above the
OR OUTLET culvert;
OR  Holes already established
ABOVE THE CULVERT in the surrounding
embankment.
Risk Assessment Checklist

EMBANKMENT FAILURE  Detached / missing end

AT THE CULVERT structures (Headwalls,
OUTLET wing walls) at culvert
(SLUMPING, outlet;
CRACKING)  Significant batter slump;
 Debris at inlet / outlet;
 Cracking in pavement
Headwall / wingwall
detached.
 Voids or scour holes
behind the headwall

SEEPAGE EMERGING  Water visually exiting out n/a

AROUND THE OUTSIDE from under and around
OF THE PIPE the culvert barrel.
 Evidence of backfill
entering into the barrel.
Risk Assessment Checklist

SEVERE  Voids directly above

SCOUR EROSION OF culvert greater than 150
THE ROAD FILL BATTERS mm deep
 Overtopping of the
roadway – some debris
remaining under
guardrail;
 Batter slump / significant
scouring.

SEVERE  Overtopping of the

SCOUR EROSION roadway – some debris
BELOW THE OUTLET OR remaining under
AT THE INLET guardrail;
 Slumping on inlet higher
up embankment;
 Scour on outlet side of
embankment.
Risk Assessment Checklist

HEADWALLS MISSING  Missing headwall / wing

OR DISPLACED wall.
 Headwall / wingwall
separation that allows
embankment material to
erode between the
culvert and headwall.

INCONSISTENT FLOW  Visual flow or water n/a

OF WATER BETWEEN flowing into pipe but not
INLET AND OUTLET out.
 Visual flow or water
flowing out of the pipe
but not in.
Risk Assessment Checklist

SQUEEZE POINT  Noticeable hinge points

AND/OR LOCALLY in embankment due to
STEEP BATTER road widening but not
culvert lengthening;
 Batter slope steeper than
1:1.
Risk Assessment Checklist

EXTENSIVE  Cracks in concrete barrel

CRACKING AND units that run for the
DEFORMATION OF THE length of the unit –
INTERNAL WALLS hairline cracks included;
 Cracking in headwall
may indicate further
cracking inside pipe;
 Any water or fill ingress
into the culvert.
Risk Assessment Checklist

EVIDENCE OF  Rust and pitting marks on

CORROSION OF STEEL the exposed steel
REINFORCEMENT reinforcement at any
location on the concrete
barrel.

SPALLING OR  Slices of concrete have

DELAMINATION OF fallen away from the
CONCRETE main culvert.
 Exposure of steel re-
inforcement.
Risk Assessment Checklist

NOTICEABLE  Evidence of water or

DISPLACEMENT OR embankment entering
SEPARATION ACROSS the pipe through cracks
JOINTS or through joints.
 Visible vertical
displacement in butt
joints.

EVIDENCE OF  Deposits of soil backfill in

GROUNDWATER the culvert invert that has
ENTERING INTO THE entered through cracks
PIPE (i.e. not debris that has
flowed through the pipe).
 Water flowing out of pipe
not flowing into inlet.
 Water coming through
the culvert joints.
Risk Assessment Checklist
EVIDENCE OF  Deposits of soil in the
EROSION THROUGH culvert invert.
JOINTS  Scour holes and voids
around the culvert barrel.
 Depressions and sags on
the roadway above the
culvert.
 Seepage inflows carrying
fines, soil accumulation at
joints).

BOWING OF CULVERT  Ponding of water in the

centre of the culvert.
 Visually the centre of the
culvert appears lower
than the outlet.
 NOTE here the sideways
diversion of the waterflow
indicating a bending of
the culvert base
Risk Assessment Checklist
The Comment Box
In cases where the inspector believed that immediate danger was
being posed to the public, the word “URGENT” entered into the
comment box.
The following cases indicated the requirement to use the word
“Urgent”:
• 50% or greater blockage of the inlet, outlet or culvert barrel;
• Cracking extending past the travelled lane;
• Guardrail hanging;
• Significant dip in the pavement; and
• Anything which causes a danger to vehicles or the general
public.