Road Drainage

System
BEQ2113
 Content

This lecture covers the following sub-topics:

1. Introduction to road drainage

2. Importance of road drainage

3. Types of road drainage system

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1.
Introduction
Road Drainage
Introduction

■ Surface drainage system is very important in Road or Highway

engineering. A pavement without proper drainage facilities will
not serve its purpose for a long time. The water or rainfall on
road should be collected by side drains which will channel the
water to nearest stream or any water course.

■ So, prior to the construction of road, the designer should leave

proper spaces to provide the required drainage facilities. In
addition, the pavement should also be constructed with a
minimum camber.

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Introduction

■ The road drainage system consists of two parts:

dewatering and drainage. “Dewatering” means the
removal of rainwater from the surface of the road.
“Drainage” on the other hand covers all the different
infrastructural elements to keep the road structure dry.

■ During rainfall, a portion of water flows on ground

surface and part of it percolates through soil mass until it
reaches the ground water below the water table.

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Introduction

■ Due to the percolation of water in highway pavement,

moisture content of soil increases which then reduces the
bearing capacity of the soil. Thus, stability of highway is
reduced.

■ Drainage of the highway is the process of removing and

controlling surplus water on the surface and sub soil water in
the sub surface with the right methods.

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2.
Importance
Road Drainage
 Why Drainage system is very important?

 To prevent subgrade failure: Excess moisture reduces the

stability of subgrade which may lead to failure of road.

 To prevent reduction in strength of pavement material: Excess

moisture reduces the strength of pavement materials such as
stabilized soil and WBM (water bound macadam).

 To prevent frost action: In flexible pavement the formation of

waves and corrugation can occur due to poor drainage.

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Why Drainage system is very important?

Source: https://practicalmotoring.com.au/
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 Why Drainage system is very important?

 To prevent damage to pavement edge: Excess water on

pavement edge cause considerable damage.

 User safety – accumulated water can cause hydroplaning,

splash and spray.

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 Dewatering Concept

 Dewatering can be divided into two parts: runoff and dewatering.

 “Runoff” covers the water flowing from the surface of the pavement
via road shoulders and inner slopes to the ditches.

 “Dewatering” covers the collection and transportation of water

from the surface and structures of the road so that there will be no
ponds on the road or in the ditches.

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 Dewatering

Dewatering” consists of the following elements:

■ Crossfall
■ Road shoulders

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Cross Fall

 The topmost wearing course must also have an adequate

Crossfall to lead the water (from rain, melting snow or ice)
immediately away from the surface.

 The recommended Crossfall will depends on the types of road

and on the materials of the topmost layer. On a straight road,
Crossfall will range between 3% and 5%. On asphalt the
recommended cross fall is 3%, and for gravel roads it is 5%.

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 Road Shoulders

The most effective shoulder

drainage is achieved by
waterproofing the shoulder with
HMA paving.

From a drainage perspective, a

less effective practice (but still
acceptable) is to provide gravel
shoulders with increased Crossfall
to promote surface flow and to
minimize seepage into the
subgrade.

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3.
Types
Road Drainage System
 Road Drainage

Road Drainage system can be classified into:

 Sub-surface drainage
 Surface drainage

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 Sub-surface Drainage

“
Subsurface drainage systems remove excess
groundwater below the ground surface.

The aim is to increase the rate at which

water will drain from the soil and thus
lowering the water table.

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 Types of Sub-surface Drainage

Sub-soil Drain
■ A Subsoil Drain is a slotted or perforated pipe laid below ground and
designed to remove excess water from the surrounding soil. Subsoil
drains are often surrounded by a geotextile to stop soil particles from
entering or clogging the pipe.

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Sub-soil Drain

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 Types of Sub-surface Drainage

■ The most common type of subsoil

drainage is in the form of a perforated
pipe that is covered with a geotextiles.

■ The pipe itself has a number of

perforations (holes) through it to let the
water enters so it can be drained
away. The geotextile covering is
important as it stops soil and other
particles from clogging the
perforations which can prevent the
subsoil drain from serving its purpose.
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 Surface Drainage

“
Under the surface drainage, water is to be collected in
longitudinal drains and then disposed of at the nearest
stream, valley or water course. Surface water is
removed from surface of road by providing cross slope
to the road surface. The road surface is also made
impervious to prevent the water entering the subgrade.

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Types of Surface Drainage

■ Camber
■ The purpose of surface drainage is to prevent water from
eroding the road surface or penetrating into the road. In
order to avoid such damage, it is necessary to lead the
water away quickly and this is achieved by shaping the
road so that the water will flow freely into the side drains. It is
of course important that the road surface is free from holes
or ruts in which water could be trapped.

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 Types of Surface Drainage

Road-side Drain
■ The function of the side drains (or ditches) is
to collect the water from the road and
surrounding areas.

■ The size of the side ditches must be sufficient

to cater to the amount of run-off water.
When there are ditches on both sides, the
depth of each side ditch can be reduced to
0.3m. However, rainfall amount also needs to
be taken into consideration during the
design, as well as the surrounding structures.

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 Types of Surface Drainage

■ Cut-off Drains
■ Catch (water) drains are ditches more or less parallel to the road.
Their function is to catch and lead away the surface water
coming from higher areas before it reaches the road.
■ Wherever possible the catchwater drains should be diverted to
natural water courses.
■ Catchwater drains usually have a trapezoidal cross-section and
the excavated material should always be deposited on the
downhill side of the drain.

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 Types of Surface Drainage
Culvert
■ The culvert is a transversal drain under the
road end and its function is to lead water
from the higher ground on the side of the
road to the lower ground on the other.

■ Culverts are available in many and shape

like round, elliptical, flat-bottomed, pear-
shaped, and box-like constructions.
Culverts are by their load and water flow
capacities, lifespan and installation of
bedding and backfill. The type is based on
a number of factors including hydraulic,
upstream elevation, and roadway height
and other conditions.
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 Types of Surface Drainage

■ Pipe Culvert
■ Pipe culverts are the most common
types due to their competitive pricing
and ease of installation. They are found
in different shapes such as circular,
elliptical and pipe arch. Generally, their
shapes depend on site conditions and
constraints. Pipe culverts on a small
scale resemble normal pipes such as
the concrete pipes.

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Pipe Culvert

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 Types of Surface Drainage

■ Box Culvert
■ Box culverts are usually made from
Reinforced Concrete. The most
challenging part in constructing a box
culvert is that dry surface is needed for
its installation. However, due to the
strength of the concrete floor, water
direction can be changed when a
large amount of water is expected.
This feature makes box culverts one of
the most commonly found types of
the culvert.

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Box Culvert

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 Recap

What we have learned?

1. Introduction to road drainage

2. Importance of road drainage

3. Types of road drainage system

Thank you
for your
attention!

Any questions?
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