burying culverts for driveway over roadside ditch

[rlee6]

I don't have the exact width or depth of the ditch. I would say 4' deep, 10' wide, but I may be off. It is along a state highway, 4 lane divided with median. I am supposed to bury 2 culverts side by side, and put concrete caps on the ends. The ditch has standing water (about 2' deep) that I need to drain while concrete is curing.

1) What kind of pump can take dirty ditch water with silt, sand, organic matters, etc, and still work for hours or days?

2) I have to build a "dam" to keep the section of the ditch dry. How do I do that?

Any additional advice will be welcome.

Thanks.

EDIT: I wanted to clarify that I am seeking advice rather than reporting on the project, but it wouldn't let me edit the title. My apology for that.

 

[beenthere]

Are you going to have access to a backhoe, or an excavator?

If so, dig in a ditch dam about 10 feet from each end of the culvert, and after the dam is in, dig a deep hole (pit) for the water to puddle into, leaving the crossing area without water to dig in the culverts and lay in the concrete. When finished, pull the dams out and landscape.
Remember the most important elevation is the top of the culverts, being low enough to adequately cover over with a good driveway base and not end up with a hump in the drive.

Without a backhoe, or an excavator, it will be a lot of hand shovel work. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[rlee6]

Thanks for the reply. The design for the driveway including culvert, concrete cap, dirt cover, radius of curvature, etc, is spelled in the state DOT paper. I am merely following it. I will rent a backhoe or an excavator.

I understand the deep cut. I suppose the dam stands on this. But what is the dam made of? I have no clue. Thanks.

 

[rambler]

If this is standing water, not running (moving) water:

Dig a pit as mentioned by the other person on each side. Pile the dirt to the outside of the pits you dig. The dirt becomes the dam. The pits will hold the water that is where you want to build, so no need for a pump.

Do this during a dry spell, rain is your enemy!

If you still need a pump, you will need to rent something called a 'trash pump', which handles muddy type water. The dam is not a 60 year, protect the town below type of thing - just pile up the dirt you dig out until it keeps the water away, then dig deep or wide enough to let the water run into the pit made.

The concrete will not need to stay 'dry' very long at all, so you only need to keep the dam working for as long as the construction takes you, let the concrete set overnight if you can, & done.

--->Paul

 

[BB_TX]

Or you could try what I did. I put in a 24" steel culvert with sloped ends 5 yrs ago. I was supposed to concrete each end. I kept putting off concreteing the ends. They came by a couple times to remind me about it. The last time was probably 3 yrs ago. Still no concrete. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[rlee6]

Thanks, Paul. A dirt dam! I was thinking about dropping concrete blocks into the ditch. I was way off.

Yes, it is standing water. I am sure it was running in the summer. But it's kind of dry, not too dry though.

If I don't cap the ends, state DOT will not leave me alone.

 

[BB_TX]

<font color="blue"> If I don't cap the ends, state DOT will not leave me alone. </font>
Yeah, I am a little surprised they have not bothered me more. However, I am pretty far out. If I concreted, I would be the only one in the whole area with it. I can't recall seeing any at all that are. There are other fairly new ones in the area and none have bothered to concrete, so that doesn't seem to be too high on their enforcement priorities. But then, the vast majority are older ones that still have the squared off ends.
I don't really know if the concreted sloped ends are to facilitate the highway dept mowing, or if it is to ease the impact of a vehicle running off the road and hitting it.

 

[Jarrett]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue">...or if it is to ease the impact of a vehicle running off the road and hitting it.</font>)</font>

BINGO!

 

[BB_TX]

That's what I suspected. However, the way mine is located, it would serve as a ramp to launch them over the drive, down the hill, and into a deep dropoff into the creek, unless they hit a tree first. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[EddieWalker]

Bill,

Two years ago when I put my culvert in on a State Hwy, I used pre-cast concrete ends that just happened to be lying on my land when I bought it. Two of them with 24 inch centers as a matter of fact.

I thought I'd really gotten lucky until I had it all together and was covering it in dirt.

That's when they stoped by again and told me they are no longer allowing concrete ends on culverts. Too much liability if somebody comes off the road and hits them. The only thing that's allowed are just the metal sloped ends. Which I didn't have and had to go buy.

Nothing more is allowed on them, just put them in and grad the dirt to match. Of course, that's in my area and I have no idea if it's like this in all of Texas or not.

Of course, now I know why I had those pre-cast concrete ends lying around. They are worthless. I put them at the bottom of a deep hole, burried with a pasture over them now.

Eddie