creating a culvert

   / creating a culvert #31  
Structurally a drum is designed to keep what ever it is holding in, if you-try to put pressure on outside by using as a culvert, you will find it very weak and prone to almost immediate failure.... The corrugations on plastic and steel culverts are actually there for strength.....
 
   / creating a culvert #32  
Without it culverts get pushed up and out of where you want them by frost.
I don't think that is a real thing. Cartoon characters don't really push culverts.

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Or it never happens down here, anyway. 😀
 
   / creating a culvert #34  
15 years ago I recycled the 30 year old pressure treated posts and stringers from a privacy fence I took down and built a 4'x3'x10' box culvert. My investment - a few hours of time, about 20#'s of lag bolts and 30' of threaded rod, well under $100. It's still doing its job and I've had 10 ton tractors use it. I got 50+ 4x4 pt posts free for taking down a fence for a neighbor.
 
   / creating a culvert #35  
But HE is in Vermont! LOL
Same rule everywhere. Frost is only one reason but think of a culvert as just a form.
I'm just playing. I spent about half of my life north of the 45th parallel. Actual temps dip below -30 F every winter and some years hit -40. I'm too old to deal with much snow or real cold. People around here were cold a few days ago when the low was in the mid 40s. I'm heading into my climate sweet spot. As long as it is between 0 and 80, I can cope.
 
   / creating a culvert #36  
I know I'm an unrepentant cheap ass; but spend the $830. That's my advice, get 24 lf of 18" CMP (check is 24lf of 15" cmp is significantly cheaper, but i would want too see atleast $200 savings to down size.)

Besides corrosion (your not in a salt water environment, are you; tanic acid from very dark water swamps can attack galv too); the life of a pipe is primarily on installation. Scrape off the muck, place up hill invert at the flow line of creek; down stream 0.1 ft lower; avoid bellies in the pipe; fill to the pipe haunches with clean dry material and compact that; then fill to the top of the pipe; compact that; place atleast 6" of same above pipe; compact, then place atleast 6" of surface material (rock/gravel/millings/base). Locally, we only bed in rock if ground water forces the issue; a #57 stone or other washed rock allows water to flow outside of the pipe, leading to soils eroding and creating voids, and thats not good. On the ends; assuming 100% private property; take some 60# sakcrete bags or soil cement bags, and make a stacked soil cement head wall, to avoid erosion problems.
 
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   / creating a culvert #38  
HDPE culverts are your long lasting freind. If buryed correct, last a long, long time.
Same advice on installation. The back fill, ect. One thing I don't like about HDPE, is it can float if water comes up (during installation, before fully backfilled), and it can easily develop a belly if you don't bed it well; but it is a good product.
 
   / creating a culvert #40  
Place heavy duty culvert...not the ones from box store...stone both side of culvert level with the top,that should help from crushing.
 

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