Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Dot 16445 DS1
Dot 16445 DS1
JUNE 1972
Prepared for
FEDERA,L HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Office of Research
Washington, D.C. 20591
TECHNICAL REPORT STANDARD TITLE PAGE
1. Report No. '2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No.
June 1972
GUIDELINES FOR THE DESIGN OF SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE 6. Performing IDrgani zation Code
SYS'IT'EMS FOR HIGHWAY STRUCTURAL SECTIONS
8. Performing (Jrgani zation Report No.
~-_._----------------------------+-:~~~~-~-._---------t
9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit r'io.
Cedergre.n, Ken O'Brie.n and Associates
Joint Venture 11. Contract 0 1' Grant No.
FH-11-7582
~--,--------------------
12. Sponsoring Agdncy Name and Addres c
---------"'11 13. Type of Report and Period Covered
"GuideliJ1es ff - Design
Department of Transportatio.n Summ.ary~)f Final Report
Federal Highway Administration 14. Sponsoring Agency Code
400
....... _ _. - 7th st. S.W.,.:.-.Washington, D. C. 20590 ...J- ----j
'15. Supplementary Notes
Froln the study "Guidelines for the Design of Pavement Subd.rai.nag(~ Systems"
I---_._-----------------------------~----------------;
~ 6. Abstract
Design criteria and a design method for pavement subsurface draillage systems include
inf:Low-outflaw method of anaJLysis, ope.n graded drainage layers, eollector drains,
pipe outlets a.nd markers. Design examples are gi ven f01r embankmE~.nt sections,
cut sections and superelevated curves. Emphasis is on draining water that
infiltrates the paveme.nt strtlcture from the surface through crac};:s, construction
j Oil1ts, a.nd through permeable surfaces, medians and shoulders. .A. final section
of the report covers general guidance for the desig.n, construction and operation
of 8ubsurface drainage systenls.
19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price
Unclassified
1o...- _ _• ----lL ---JL-- ....... ~
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.
P:REFACE iii
1 INTRODUCTION 1
4.1 General 11
4.2 Inflow Analysis 12
4.3 Outflow Analysis 12
6.1 In Design 22
6.2 In Construction 23
6.3 In Operation 23
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont'd)
I,IS,]~ OF FIGURES
ii
PREFACE
iii
This guideline was prepared by the Joint Venture
of Harry R. Cedergren, Consulting Engineer,
Sacramento, California and Ken O'Brien &
Associates, Consulting Engineers, Long Beach,
California. This research and development .
study was authorized by the Federal Highway
Administration under Contract No. FH-11-7852,
dated June 26, 1970. The contents of this
guideline reflect the views of Cedergren/KOA,
A Joint Venture which is responsible fbr the
facts and the accuracy of the data presented
herein. The contents do not necessarily
reflect the official views or policy of the
Department of Transportation. This guideline
does not constitute a standard, specification
or regulation.
GUIDELINES FOR THE
DESIGN OF SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS FOR
'HIGHWAY PAVEMENT STRUCTURAL SECTIONS
June 1972
1 INTRODUCTION
/1//11
I I I / / I
.JOINTS AND lOR CRACKED/ I
PCC PAVEMENT /
/ I
ROADSIDE
IRRIGATION
-1-
2 WI-IERE SUBSURFACE DRAIN1\GE SYSTEMS ARE NEEDED
- -----
FIGURE NO:--2:"- Subsurface Drainage System
-2-
Subsurface drainage systems should be provided fo.r all im-
portant highway pavement structural sections unless economic feasi-
bility studies indicate that they are not cost-effective, precipi-
tation quantities and frequencies are so small that drainage is not
needed, or heavy wheel load impacts per day are very small.
The recommended cri-teria (tentative) for determin.ing the loca-
tions where subsurface drainage systems for highway pavement
strllctural sections may 110t be required are as follows:
Criteria (2) and (3). are not applicable where freezing of base,
subbase and subgrade materials can occur. The average annual
precipitation can be obtained from U. S. Government weather records.
The 1 hour/l year frequency precipitation rates for conterminous
united States are shown on Figure No.3. The lateral drainage
capability can be determined by calculation and the permeability of
subg'rade can be determine~d by test. The number of IS, 0 OO-pound
axle loads per day for rigid pavements can be forecasted by evalu-
atin.g traf_f.ic--da-ca. No specified traffic volume of 18 f' aoa-pound
axle·loads can be indicated at this time for flexible f>avements--
a more detailed analysis should be made in accordance with the
general procedures contained in the Final Report.
-4-
3.1"1 Discharge Capabilities of Open Graded Bases
«:)
FILTER Z
!_I'---_M-rA.,TE~R.....,IA,...;.;;.L:,~~I_ao::::t.1,....,..._.~+_f_~~I_+_~_+_..J.+_~ 60
I ~ - . ..
5
0..
.-Z
~o ~
-i>-~'-~
r-·_-t~-_-++--+-+--+---I-'I+-#+--#-+-+~--I---J-:J-H---t---+ AI--+--tr-t--i 40
.
II:
W
~
~
.-o
-5-
road is completed. Open graded bases should never be placed direct-
lyon sand, silt, clay or any other erodible subgrade or excessively
fine subbase that can be carried into the base by seepage. The
following filter criteria will provide a high degree of protection
if gradation of open graded bases, filter layers, and adjacent finer
materials are within the prescribed limits:
-6-
base sizes be smaller than No. 4 sieve since the smaller size
ma1:erials greatly reducE~ permeability. The maximum size aggregate
sh()uld be 3/4 to 1-1/2 inch. The range of size of 0p1en graded
bases can be No. 4 to 3,/8 inch, No. 4 to 1-1/2 inch, 3/8 to 3/4
inc:h, 3/8 to 1 inch, and. 3/4 to 1 inch. These sizes are in the
raIlge of No. 467 throug]) No. 67, ASTM D 448-54.
When required fo:r- stabili ty, the open graded d,rainage layer
call be stabilized wi th :2 to 4 percent asphal t cE~ment, plant mixed.
The permeability of open graded drainage layers as tested
in the laboratory should not be less than 10,000 feet per day in
areas of highway construction with no frost penetratiori and 20,000
feet per day in areas with frost penetration to the depth of the
drainage layer. Practical construction considerations dictate that
design permeability values should never exceed one-third to one-half
of the value obtained by tests. Figure No. 5 presents freezing
inciices for continental Uni ted States.
-7-
7 "7P_AVTE~Mr-E ·-,vr-r-.r-rS---:H~O
L DE
A.C. OR P.C C.
N""7T...... U"-T_ .......R._ _ -
/ / / 1
// ~
r---~-..Jl,.--.... ~~~~~_
\. OPEN GRADED
BASE
COLLECTOR PIPE
.PAVEMENT
~ ~
SHOULDER
/// /EL~2Z
A C
0
PAVEMENT
OR PC C
0
-
l·
...
SHOULDER-1
".6
? 7
: •••
-I
z::~ -'
COLLECTOR PIPE
OPEN GRADED
BA 5 E
r· O'~" -- '-r~
0 UT LET . / '
~. COLLECTOR PIPE
OPEN GRADED
BASE
PERFORATED
COLLECTOR PIPE
INTERCEPTOR
LEGEND
..A- - - _ WATER FLOW PATHS
S = CROSS SlOPIE
9 = lONGITUDIN~·L GRADE
-8-
In general, collector pipes should be no smaller than 3 inches
in cliameter and no larger than 8 inches in diameter.
The minimum width of collector drain trenches is dictated by
the practicalities of construction. Collector drain trenches must
be of sufficient width to permit the collector pipe to be completely
envE~loped with a minimum of 6 inches of carefully placed permeable
filt.er material.
Collector pipes should be installed at sufficient depths to:
1) protect the pipe from crushing; 2) exceed the frost penetration
depth; 3) intercept lateral ground water flow, when present; and
4) lower the water table to at least 3 feet below the pavement
structural section in areas of high ground water. Published pro-
cedures 2 are available for dimensioning the trenches for 3) and 4)
abo,'e.
The gradation of backfill aggregates for collector trenches
should comply with the filter criteria given in 3.1.2. The perme-
ability of the trench backfill material must be at least several
hundred feet per day to permit the drainage inflows to reach the
collector pipe without restriction. In many instances, the back-
fill material size will be 1/8 to 1/4 inch diameter or coarser.
Where trenches are excavated into erodible soils and pea gravel or
coarser backfill is required, filter fabric can be used to provide
protection against clogging of the backfill by intrusion of fines
from the sides and bottom of the trench.
The backfill materials enveloping the perforated collector
pipE~ must comply wi th the following cri teria to prevent iIltrusion
of material into the pipe:
D8s(filter) > Diameter of Perforations (S)
-9-
operations are completed, a cleaning device should be pulled through
the collector pipes to test the waterway continuity.
The type of collector pipe to be utilized depends on several
f~ctors such as pH and chemical characteristics of embankment, back-
fill, and subgrade materials. Where ground water or lateral seepage
is t<) be accommodated by the collector systenl, the mate·rial of the
collector pipe must be resistant to deterioration that could be
caused by the chemical composition of the water.
3.4 Markers
-10-
4 INFLOW-OUTFLOW METHOD OF ANALYSIS
4.1 General
-11-
4.2 Inflow Analysis
-12-
An illustration of the use of Darcy's law to determine out-
flc~wcapabilities of various types of drainage layer or a.ggregates
is indicated on Fiqure No.8.
USUAL RANGE OF INFILTRATION
>-
~ INTO HIGHWAY PAVEMENT
U \ 4"OPEN-GRADED BASE
<t STRUCT URAL SECT IONS
a. I 0,000 --------~---\---.---II--------::;iI k : 100_000 FT./DAY
<t i: 0.02
u
I 3"C~PEN-GRADED BASE
k : 20,000 FT. / DAY
i : 0.02
~
"()PEN-GRADED BASE
~'-"~--..~~ A.bi",~~~~~~~""--,,,,,,,a..--.....-~--....,, k : 10,000 FT. / DAY
i -: 0.02
10
II
10 40 100 200
L: LENGTH OF PAVEMENT STRIP (I FOOT WIDE)
EXPOSED TO INFILTRATION - FT.
FIGURE NO. 8 - Outflow Capabilities of Drainage LaYE~rs
-13-
10,000 / /
v"
/ / / ./ ,/
7,OOC)
~ // // v
5,00C)
/ /
3,OOC )
2,00C I
300
200
C = kb' tb
kb = PERMEABILITY OF DRAINAGE LAYEfi~ - FEET / DAY
tb = THICKNESS OF DRAINAGE LAYER - INCHES
W = TOTAL WIDTH OF DRAINAGE LAYER- FEET
s = CROSS SLOPE OF PAVEMENT
I = DESIGN INFILTRATION RATE - INCHES/HOUR
-14-
,.
NUMBER OF 12 FOOT LANES
,. ,.,
2 3 4
...I-
.10 11
.09 , I I
.08
.07
THICKNESS OF ~ ;. I
'-r------
~
'=m =rt)
"' mill '=rt) :mlJ/ ,:~ -en
~iir~
.04
I ! ~
1[IJ
.03
/ /J. ; I I .
.02
ij/ j ) ~/ I ,. ~I f .If~I
I · ·
/1 IIVI V:/j / ! II ji
.01
:)09
II
I I I I I
11/ I J I II I J
//1 I I ~.
I"i'li
. . ,. / ;
)08 I I I , I I I , I I I I I I I I
I I ,
I ' I •' , I
I I "' I
)07
)06 I II I I I , • i J I I .: J J
f
.
1
I II I
.i I // I ; IIr .I .I I·
)05 .' I I I I I
I II I I I -1; J / I
, I ,
• •
I
::>04
r', I . .
, -7- -
I , , !
I I .
I I I
: I
)03 I
I I
-I'- :m
./ =I'- J=", -en. I-
:-rt)
.
=m; 1= -an
I
11-
)02 =mJ
I
-It) -~
. -&0
I
-I'- -I/) I' ;: -It)
II I I I I I I I .I .I
•
J
i
I I J
001
o
J
2
I I 4
I I I I
6
iIi I I 8 10
I I 12 (THOUSANDS)
kb= FEET /DAY
I kb
k b :: kb: PERMEABILITY OF DRAINAGE LAYER k 'b : REQUIRED PERMEJ~BILITY OF DRAINAGE
T WITH T (TIME TO DRAIN) = I HOUR LAYER WHEN T IS LESS THAN I HOUR
nb=0.2<J
s = 0.02
-15-
kb (from chart)
k'b = T
DESIGN
INFIL TRAT ION
RATE
IN.lHR (I)
40 PER FORAT ED
PIPE DIAMETER
3.5 INCHES
PIPE
(D) GRMliENT
3.0 DISTANCE
IBETWEEN 10"
2.5 OUTLETS (9 )
9" I-
FT. (Ll o 0.001
z
2.0 2000 8" 10"
WIDTH OF
PAVEMENT
~. 10"
9" WZ
FT (W) ~ ~ 8"· 0002
1.5
10 1000
800
700
8" ~
o
o
0:
w(fl
6" 0003
0.1
-16-
I 0,000 r-----------~==----~--~-----~---..~~...--.-~~ ......----.
..
.
~
1,000
m
7'00
SOO
:3,00
200
I 2 3 4
NUMBER OF 12 FOOT LANES
-17-
5.1 Example No.1 - Embankment Section
5.1.1 Data
5.1.3 Sununary
-18-
5.2 Example No.2 - Cut Section
5.2.1 Data
5.2.3 Summary
-19-
5. 3 ~Example No. 3 - Curve Section
5.3.1 Data
5.3.2 Solution
INCREASING
-20-
drained, 35 feet. Enter Figure No. 11 midway between two and three
lanes and extend to I = 1.0 inch/hour, project horizontally to
B x kt ordinate. B x kt = 1,500. Minimum collector tr'ench width B =
1.5 feet. Required permeability of trench backfill is 1,000 feet/day
(1,500/1.5 = 1,000).
Find the locations at the beginning of the curve where the
cross slope is -0.01 and -0.02. Determine the required thickness of
open graded base at these locations using Figure No.9. W/s in these
instances will be the value of L/g. At the location for cross slope
-0.01: L = 37.5 feet, g = 0.01, L/g = 3,750, I = 1.0 inch/hour,
C = 90,000 inch-feet/day. Thickness of open graded base required:
tb = (C/kb)+l = 10 inches when kb = 10,000 feet/day. At the location
for cross slope -0.02: L = 37.5 feet, g = 0.02, L/g = 1,875, I = 1.0
inch/hour, C = 45,000 inch-feet/day. Thickness of open graded base
required: tb = (C/kb)+l = 5.5 inches when kb = 10~OOO feet/day.
Find the locations at the end of the curve where the cross
slope is -0.01, 0.0 and +0.01. Determine the required thickness of
open graded base at these locations using Figure No.9. W'/s in these
instances will be the value of L/g. At the locations for cross
slope -0.01, 0.0 and +0.01, required thickness of open graded base is
10 inches as previously determined above.
Determine the required thickness of open graded base for the
full superelevated section (s = -0.04) using Figure No.9. W = 28
feet, s = 0.04, W/s = 700, design I = 1.0 inch/hour, C = 17,000
inch-feet/day. Thickness of open graded base required: tb =
(C/kb)+l = 2.7 inches, where kb = 10,000 feet/day. USE 3 inches.
Determine permeability of open graded base required (kb). Use
Formula No. 1 - FORM A when t b = 3, W = 28 feet, I = 1.0 inch/hour,
s = 0.04; kb = 8,400 feet/day. Specified permeability kb = 10,000
feet/day> 8,400 feet/day. Verify time to drain open graded base
per Formula No. 2 - FORM A. T = 0.30 hour.
Determine longitudinal perforated collector pipe diameter.
An outlet is required at the midpoint of the full superelevation.
Therefore, outlet spacing is ~ 400 feet. Using Nomograph A:
W = 28 feet, I = 1. 0 inch/hour. Required corruga ted m€:tal pipe
diameter: CMP - 6 inches. Required asbestos cement pipe diameter:
ACP - 6 inches.
Determine minimum permeability of longitudinal collector
trench backfill. Using Figure No. 11, enter chart for two-lane
pavement (28 feet wide), extend vertically to intersect with
I = 1.0 inch/hour and project across to B x kt ordinate, B x kt =
1,200. Minimum collector trench width B = 1.5 feet. Required
permeability of trench backfill is 800 feet/day (1,200/1.5 = 800).
5.3.3 Surrunary
-21-
End of Curve: -0.01 cross slope
End of Curve: 0.00 cross slope
End of Curve: +0.01 cross slope
LONGITUI:lINAL LONGITUDINAL
COLLECTOR COLLECTOR
PIPE I~IPE
PIPE OUTLET
SECTION WHERE 5= -0.02
SLO~
SECTION WHERE s = -0.01
SECTION WHERE s =0.00
s=o.O:1~
CROSS "" FIRST TRANSVERSE INTERCEPTOR
SECTION WHERE ~: S : 0.01
6. 1 ~:n Design
-22-
to 10, 000. As pavements age, joints and cracks open up a,nd sur-
faces become less resistant to inflows, effective permeabilities
increase, and more water enters into the structural sections.
6.1.3 Avoid the use of any type of material that will restrict
the free flow of water into open graded drainage layers.
6.2 In Construction
6.2.2 All collector and outlet pipes must be continuous and free
of blockages of the waterway. Pipe outlets must not be blocked or
cov"ered by materials placed on slopes for landscaping or other
PUI'poses.
6.3 In Operation
-23-
SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE SYSTEM COMPUTATIONS
PR.OJECT: Sheet of
LCICATION: computed by: Date:
SE,CTION: Sta. to Sta. Checked by: Date:
DA.TA
Tc,tal Width of Pavement: W = feet
C:ross Slope: s = Grade: g = y=g/sr::.
Permeability of Open Graded Base: kb = feet/day
Permeability of Trench Backfill: kt = feet/day
Effective" Porosity of Open Graded Base: nb =
1 Hr Duration/l Hr Frequency Precipitation: P = in/hour
Design Infiltration Rate: I = in/hour
COIMPUTATIONS
1. Calculate Required Minimum Thickness of Drainage LaYE~r:
tb = 24 x I x W + 1 inches
kb x s
B = 40 x I x W feet
kt
4. Determine Collector Pipe Diameter and Outlet Spacing:
(Nomograph A)
FORM A
-24-