Collapsed culvert washout

[Cataclysm]

I do similar repairs. Make sure to dig out every bit of the organic material and as much of the mud as you can. Make a "V" out of the wash so it will pack better. Go back with a well-mixed batch of dirt and clay. Pack it in with small lifts as mentioned with your bucket full of dirt for weight. Widen up your backfill so you can pack a wider area.

If your soil is sandy bring in a load of clay to mix in with the back fill.

 

[thunder86]

I do similar repairs. Make sure to dig out every bit of the organic material and as much of the mud as you can. Make a "V" out of the wash so it will pack better. Go back with a well-mixed batch of dirt and clay. Pack it in with small lifts as mentioned with your bucket full of dirt for weight. Widen up your backfill so you can pack a wider area.

If your soil is sandy bring in a load of clay to mix in with the back fill.

Soil is not sandy, just rocky. I’ve got tons of rocks everywhere. I do have some clay in a spot. I’ve got that whole another pile I can fill on the back.
So the “V”, you suggest I dig out the middle and repack it in?

 

[LouNY]

Get a piece of heavy mill plastic. Perhaps some used bunker silo cover or ag bag plastic.
Or buy new. Start at the upper end several feet above your washout, lay the plastic along side the ditch
in your road. Starting at the upper end pull it down into the ditch getting it into the bottom of the ditch,
then work your way down pulling it into the bottom of the ditch and laying on the side near your road.
You will end up with an open top "culvert" ditch to keep the water where you want it.

 

[Cycledude]

The post is very confusing !
Has the old collapsed culvert been completely removed and no new culvert installed ?

 

[LouNY]

The way I read it, yes.

 

[thunder86]

The post is very confusing !
Has the old collapsed culvert been completely removed and no new culvert installed ?

Yes. Sorry if I suck at explaining this.
Water flows straight downstream.
Loggers put a culvert in to cross it.
They then broke the culvert.
Over the years it backed up and cause a unnatural 90 degree turn into my field.
I dug the culvert out so the water can now naturally flow downstream.

problem is the washout. I’m building a dam along side the creek. I’m not stopping the creek from its natural flow. I don’t need to cross this creek at all.
I’m dammed it up alongside and it seems to leak through.

now water hasn’t flowed downstream in years so it’s got leaf mater and so forth in it So maybe after a good blow out rain the water will flow quicker and not settle here? Hopefully that explained it better.

 

[pmsmechanic]

When you installed the fill for the washout... Did you clean up all the organic matter (leaves etc) where you put your fill? I've seen water run through the organic matter if you just install fill on top of it. What I would be tempted to do seeing as the fill doesn't have a whole lot of pressure on it is to go along with the backhoe and stir up mud along the water line and below. If you mix up a good slurry along the upstream side it might be dragged along with the seepage enough to plug off your leaks.

The best procedure would be to excavate and redo it all but i get it that you don't want to do everything all over again.

 

[cwbyeng1300]

Brush & sticks in your back fill will rot & disintegrate over time leaving channels for water to seep through. You said there was limb trash in your original back fill? That might be the problem here.

 

[Cataclysm]

Soil is not sandy, just rocky. I’ve got tons of rocks everywhere. I do have some clay in a spot. I’ve got that whole another pile I can fill on the back.
So the “V”, you suggest I dig out the middle and repack it in?

Yes, dig out all the sloppy muck. Separate the big rocks and any limbs/sticks out of your backfill. Anything much bigger than your fist if you can.

The "V" lets you pack it in better.

Leave the sides and bottom rough. You want the backfill to adhere and hopefully mix a bit with the bottom and sides. Any stratification or smooth boundry layer will let water work its way into or though your backfill.

Because water is standing next to your backfill there is water pressure trying to push its way through your backfill. 2' of standing water is equal to about 1 psi. Even a few ounces of pressure can work its way through a questionable backfill.

 

[thunder86]

Yes, dig out all the sloppy muck. Separate the big rocks and any limbs/sticks out of your backfill. Anything much bigger than your fist if you can.

The "V" lets you pack it in better.

Leave the sides and bottom rough. You want the backfill to adhere and hopefully mix a bit with the bottom and sides. Any stratification or smooth boundry layer will let water work its way into or though your backfill.

Because water is standing next to your backfill there is water pressure trying to push its way through your backfill. 2' of standing water is equal to about 1 psi. Even a few ounces of pressure can work its way through a questionable backfill.

Sounds like you understand what I’m saying. We had a huge storm last night. I’ll check it out next days I’m off and see how it looks. Nothing better I’ll try this.