Creek Culvert Project

[UpstateNYMarine]

This thread was a great read as I have to put a small culvert in on my property. I paid an escavator to put in my main culvert that my driveway runs over but I watched his work and after readin this thread I am going to try it on my own. I was thinking of using the old culvert pipe that he removed from the first culvert. It is in decent shape just wasn't big enough to accommadate the spring heavy flow water. But I am thinking the old pipe will suffice on the smaller run-off creek where the new culvert needs to be..plus save a little money.

As far as rip-rap goes will field stone work well for that. I bought 40 acres that used to be farmed so needless to say I have more fieldstone than I could ever use in a lifetime (literally piles of it everywhere just off from the three fields I own).

Thanks again...

 

[KeithInSpace]

I think as long is the stone is "cobbled" and angular, you should be OK. When I think of field stone, I think of these flat sheets of stone...that wouldn't work so well. But if you can bust them up a bit with the teeth of a backhoe, for example, that may work OK. And it can't be "earth stone" or that compacted clay I've had to dig around...that just melts with the water over time. Any type of angular chunky stone would fit the bill. And if you have "fines" (smaller stone bits) in there, that's OK. That just helps to lock the larger stones together.

 

[UpstateNYMarine]

Well I started with the creek culvert project this past weekend. I used the box blade and FEL to dig up the area I am going to put the culvert in. Worked better than expected. I had a couple lengths of some heavy duty 15" pipe that was laying on the property we purchased so I decided to use that. I started digging into the pile of clay soil the excavator recently dug out for our foundation since it won't be used to backfill and tightly packed it in around the new culvert. I continued to run over and pack down after every couple bucket fulls. I am going out this evening to finish it off and put a fair amount of riprap around the ends of the pipe. I also buried some around the sides to take up some of the space and add stability. I hope it works and if not then I'll try again. I'll post some pictures when I get a monute and when I'm not at work (shhh don't tell anyone I'm on TBN at work).

Thanks a lot for the help guys!

 

[mscheer772]

How would you all keep the beavers from plugging up culverts in a continuous flowing stream.I've tried trapping,shooting,etc. What I'm looking for is a simple way to unplug the beavers work.

-Mike-

 

[john_bud]

Can the project be "saved" by getting concrete pumped into the gaps between the pipes? I'm thinking of the stuff used to lift pads that have settled.

Just a random thought....
jb

 

[EddieWalker]

Basically I am letting water do the tear down for me.

In my area, we're almost 6 inches above normal in rain for the year and it's still coming. How much rain are you getting in your area? and how are the culverts holding up?

Eddie

 

[gabby]

I always raise the backfill directly over the pipes, and then create a lower elevation "spillway" far enough from the pipes so that they won't wash out when the floods come, much like the spillway at the end of a pond dam.

 

[Toiyabe]

How would you all keep the beavers from plugging up culverts in a continuous flowing stream.I've tried trapping,shooting,etc. What I'm looking for is a simple way to unplug the beavers work.

-Mike-

Some people have had luck with building a steel cage extending well upstream from the inlet side of the culvert. The ones I've seen have had the cage the same diameter of as the pipe, and maybe 10' long. The mesh was about 4" on a side. Too tight a mesh and it might plug of its own accord. Too wide a mesh and the beavers may be able to finagle big enough sticks through it to build a dam.

It's hard to outsmart a beaver. I don't think any of them are on the internet yet, though.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

In my area, we're almost 6 inches above normal in rain for the year and it's still coming. How much rain are you getting in your area? and how are the culverts holding up?

Eddie

It is dry as heck here, but we did have one frog choker rain not too long after my culvert project. Here's what happened. The dam did get washed out as you suspected it would, but not exactly like you guessed it would. The culverts held in place but all the trash coming down the creek stopped them up on the upstream side, and a ditch formed to the side of one of the culverts i.e. the water flowed thru the ditch not the stopped up culverts. I would have made a picture, but I forgot to carry my camera with me that day.

I wish the trash had not stopped up the culverts. I would have liked to have seen if the culverts would have been able to carry the volume of water necessary to remain in tact.

In the meantime, I have pulled the culverts out and the crossing is back to where it was prior to the installation. I learned a good life lesson here. Specifically, ask questions on TBN prior to doing something you're not sure about.

 

[rox]

Yes you have learned a good lesson, and we have ALL learned becasue of your posting. Go to TBN first. Now that I have been on TBN a while (and thanks to posts like yours) I don't think I would start anything major at all without searching through TBN for discussions. I know it is a poor consolation but we all learned from your msitake.