Our purpose is to help customers choose culvert rehabilitation solutions which will ensure that the process fits the application and do this reliably and cost effectively. All information in this field study is meant to assist the engineer to reduce cost and minimize future maintenance costs.

Introduction

Tippecanoe County had a deteriorated corrugated metal culvert that had a failing invert which went underneath a busy road. The county’s objective was to replace and rehabilitate the structure while keeping the cost down and minimizing the disturbance of traffic. Total replacement was considered, but once a thorough cost comparison was conducted, proved to be too costly.

The Problem

The original culvert was an 84-inch corrugated metal pipe that had a failing invert, with 12 feet of fill over the pipe. The road which this particular culvert was over is the main road leading to an area high school and was heavily-traveled. Closing this road would have led to major traffic disruptions and inconveniences, and be very costly for Tippecanoe County. It would have cost $102,900 for total pipe replacement.

The Solution Applied

Kevin Greene and Tamara Blevins both with Culverts Plus, Inc., a Snap-Tite® distributor, presented Tippecanoe County with a solution that would save them 46% using Snap-Tite® rather than digging out of the existing, and replacing it with an entirely new pipe. It would also eliminate any road closures. The liner chosen for this application was a 63-inch O.D. Snap-Tite®, consisting of 89 total linear feet. It was chosen for its extremely smooth walls, giving it exceptional hydraulic characteristics by increasing the velocities of water that passes through it. The liner was not only able to match the hydraulic capacity of the existing pipe, but actually increased it. The contractors were able to have the entire project completed in three days, with no road closures necessary. The cost of sliplining using Snap-Tite® cost $55,625, leaving Tippecanoe County with a savings of $47,275.