Culverts, driveway construction

toolmaan · Mar 17, 2008

After getting my tractor buried and having my neighbor pull me out with his tractor ( I forgot to take pics) I figure I need to make some type of driveway and that is gonna involve a culvert. I have an area of my property the only way to access it is going through the ditch, this is unsafe and I found out tractors get stuck in ditches. What type of culvert is the best? Steel, plastic, concrete? I am wanting to do this as cheap as possible, because as soon as I clean up the land I don't see a need to drive the tractor back in there anyways. A few miles away I spotted a used culvert just laying in a ditch, so I am gonna contact who I think owns that land and see if they want to sell it. A guy was telling me to just use a 6" piece of PVC pipe, I don't think that is big enough. Anyone ever put in a driveway? I have 25 tons of dirt that was just delivered so that should be plenty to pack around the culvert. Thanks for any advice.

BB_TX · Mar 17, 2008

Is this on a state or county road? If so, they will probably make you get a permit and put it in according to what they deem necessary. I put one in a number of years ago. I had to put in a 24" metal culvert with sloped ends. They also required I put concrete facings on both ends. I put in the culvert, but never quite got around to putting the concrete on it. They finally stopped telling me to do it. I would have been the only one on at least a 10 mile stretch of highway with sloped concreted ends.
Sounds like yours is just out in the pasture.
If you have a lot of water flow, be sure to pack the dirt tightly around the culvert a layer at a time so it is packed good. My neighbor being helpful decided to put mine in for me during the week while I was working (I don't live on the land). Went up the next weekend and found it installed. But the first big rain, the water started leaking along beside and under the culvert and washed it out.

toolmaan · Mar 17, 2008

It is on a county road, and there is a creek about 30 ft from where the driveway will be, so when it rains there is a lot of water. I really hate to get a permit, but I should check with the county. The county owns a storage yard just north of my property, so it is less than 1/8 mile away.

Treemonkey1000 · Mar 17, 2008

Might depend on how bored or easy going your county agents are. My uncle did a wonderful job of putting a culvert in the ditch then packing dirt and concrete in to shore it up. He used 24" metal culvert. Then he put a driveway over it. Then someone ratted him out or the county guys came along and noticed it. They told him to rip it out. He tried to get a permit after the fact and they wouldn't let him. This is outside of Seattle. Not sure what it is like where you are at.
Jim

Soundguy · Mar 18, 2008

Ditto.. if it is on a county road.. check a bout a permit.. might be able to get a 'driveway' permit.. that's what they offer in my county.. sometimes they make you get your local water district to sign off on it as well.

It it's squash pipe ( metal corougated ).. you will likely have to miter the ends, and perhaps pour the concrete end sections.. all depends..

soundguy