Calculating Local Force of Corrugated Steel Culvert Buried at Shallow Cover Depth Using a Thrust Modification Factor
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 28, Issue 1
Abstract
Current practice only considers the net (average) thrust for in-service engineering assessment of buried corrugated steel culverts (CSCs). In this study, numerical simulations have demonstrated, for shallow cover depth conditions (H/D < 2), the importance of local peak thrust and combined load effects (i.e., thrust and moment), which occur between the CSC shoulder and crown locations. These observations are supported by independent, third-party, full-scale, physical modeling studies. A global sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the influential variables, assess the significance of any interaction, and estimate the influence on the predicted response. Based on this analysis, a limit state function for combined load effects and modification factor to account for the local peak thrust force was developed. The reliability index for the proposed coefficients was also established.
Practical Applications
For culverts buried at depths greater than twice the culvert diameter, current engineering practice can be used, with confidence, to estimate the average (net) circumferential force (thrust) developed in the culvert wall. As the culvert burial depth is reduced, there is less confidence in predictable outcomes with shallower cover depth where the top of the culvert (crown) is located closer to the ground surface. In this study, numerical simulation tools have shown that current practice underestimates the magnitude (value) of the circumferential forces developed in comparison with numerical modeling predictions. The numerical models demonstrate that the response of shallow buried culverts is influenced by both circumferential forces and bending forces where the peak local force is greater than the net thrust. A mathematical equation is developed that accounts for the changes in the culvert circumferential force and bending force with burial depth that can be used to guide engineering design.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This study was conducted as part of a doctoral research program conducted by Elham Nakhostin. The authors acknowledge financial assistance from the NSERC Discovery Grant Program and Carleton University.
References
Ahammed, M., and R. Melchers. 1997. “Probabilistic analysis of underground pipelines subject to combined stresses and corrosion.” Eng. Struct. 19 (12): 988–994. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0141-0296(97)00043-6.
ASTM. 2006. Standard practice for classification of soils for engineering purposes (unified soil classification system). ASTM D2487-17e1. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2020. Standard specification for corrugated steel pipe, metallic-coated for sewers and drains. ASTM A760/A760M-15. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
Atkinson, J. H., and P. Bransby. 1978. The mechanics of soils: An introduction to critical state soil mechanics. New York: McGraw-Hill Book.
Bakht, B. 1981. “Soil–steel structure response to live loads.” J. Geotech. Eng. Div. 107 (6): 779–798. https://doi.org/10.1061/AJGEB6.0001151.
Campolongo, F., J. Cariboni, and A. Saltelli. 2007. “An effective screening design for sensitivity analysis of large models.” Environ. Modell. Software 22 (10): 1509–1518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2006.10.004.
Choi, D.-H., G.-N. Kim, and P. M. Byrne. 2004. “Evaluation of moment equation in the 2000 Canadian highway bridge design code for soil–metal arch structures.” Can. J. Civ. Eng. 31 (2): 281–291. https://doi.org/10.1139/l03-097.
CSA (Canadian Standard Association). 2014a. Corrugated steel pipe products. CAN/CSA G401-14. Rexdale, ON, Canada: CSA.
CSA (Canadian Standard Association). 2014b. Canadian highway bridge design code (CHBDC). CAN/CSA S6-14. Rexdale, ON, Canada: CSA.
CSPI (Corrugated Steel Pipe Institute). 2010. Handbook of steel drainage and highway construction products. Cambridge, ON, Canada: CSPI.
Duncan, J. 1978. “Soil–culvert interaction method for design of metal culverts.” Transp. Res. Rec. 678: 53–59.
Elshimi, T., A. Mak, R. Brachman, and I. Moore. 2011. “Behaviour of a deep-corrugated large-span box culvert during backfilling.” In Proc., Pan-American Conf. on Teaching and Learning of Geotechnical Engineering. London: ISSMGE.
Elshimi, T. M., and I. D. Moore. 2013. “Modeling the effects of backfilling and soil compaction beside shallow buried pipes.” J. Pipeline Syst. Eng. Pract. 4 (4): 04013004. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)PS.1949-1204.0000136.
Grandhi, R. V., and L. Wang. 1999. Structural reliability analysis and optimization: Use of approximations. Rep. No. NASA/CR-1999-209154. Dayton, OH: Wright State Univ.
Haggag, A. A. 1989. Structural backfill design for corrugated-metal buried structures. Amherst, MA: Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst.
Homma, T., and A. Saltelli. 1996. “Importance measures in global sensitivity analysis of nonlinear models.” Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf. 52 (1): 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/0951-8320(96)00002-6.
Kearns, O., I. D. Moore, and N. A. Hoult. 2020. “Measured responses of a corrugated steel ellipse culvert at different cover depths.” J. Bridge Eng. 25 (11): 04020096. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001635.
Khoury, I., S. M. Sargand, H. H. Hussein, and F. T. Al Rikabi. 2020. “Field investigation of metal multi-pipe culvert under shallow cover.” In Proc., Pipelines 2020, 21–30. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Liu, Y., N. A. Hoult, and I. D. Moore. 2020. “Structural performance of in-service corrugated steel culvert under vehicle loading.” J. Bridge Eng. 25 (3): 04019142. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001524.
Mai, V. T. 2013. “Assessment of deteriorated corrugated steel culverts.” M.A.Sc. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Queen’s Univ.
Mai, V. T., I. D. Moore, and N. A. Hoult. 2021. “Laboratory investigation of the structural performance of a corrugated steel culvert under increasing cover depth.” J. Bridge Eng. 26 (6): 04021029. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001722.
Marston, A., and A. Anderson. 1913. “The theory of loads on pipe in ditches and tests of cement and clay drain tile and sewer pipe.” Bulletin, 31.
McGrath, T. J., E. T. Selig, M. C. Webb, and G. V. Zoladz. 1999. Pipe interaction with the backfill envelope. Rep. No. Amherst, MA: Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst. Transportation Center.
Melchers, R. E., and A. T. Beck. 2018. Structural reliability analysis and prediction. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Menberg, K., Y. Heo, and R. Choudhary. 2016. “Sensitivity analysis methods for building energy models: Comparing computational costs and extractable information.” Energy Build. 133: 433–445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.10.005.
Morris, M. D. 1991. “Factorial sampling plans for preliminary computational experiments.” Technometrics 33 (2): 161–174. https://doi.org/10.1080/00401706.1991.10484804.
Nakhostin, E., S. Kenny, and S. Sivathayalan. 2019. “Buried corrugated steel culvert failure mechanisms due to environmental deteriorations.” In Proc., Int. Conf. on Sustainable Infrastructure 2019: Leading Resilient Communities through the 21st Century, 29–40. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Nakhostin, E., S. Kenny, and S. Sivathayalan. 2021. “Numerical performance assessment of buried corrugated metal culvert subject to service load conditions.” Can. J. Civ. Eng. 48 (2): 99–114. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjce-2019-0316.
Rackwitz, R., and B. Flessler. 1978. “Structural reliability under combined random load sequences.” Comput. Struct. 9 (5): 489–494. https://doi.org/10.1016/0045-7949(78)90046-9.
Regier, C. 2015. “Investigation of the failure mechanisms of intact and deteriorated culverts.” M.A.Sc. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Queen’s Univ.
Saltelli, A., M. Ratto, T. Andres, F. Campolongo, J. Cariboni, D. Gatelli, M. Saisana, and S. Tarantola. 2008. Global sensitivity analysis: The primer. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Sanchez, D. G., B. Lacarrière, M. Musy, and B. Bourges. 2014. “Application of sensitivity analysis in building energy simulations: Combining first-and second-order elementary effects methods.” Energy Build. 68: 741–750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2012.08.048.
Sargand, S. M., I. Khoury, H. H. Hussein, and T. Masada. 2018. “Load capacity of corrugated steel pipe with extreme corrosion under shallow cover.” J. Perform. Constr. Facil. 32 (4): 04018050. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0001196.
Simpson, B., N. A. Hoult, and I. D. Moore. 2015. “Distributed sensing of circumferential strain using fiber optics during full-scale buried pipe experiments.” J. Pipeline Syst. Eng. Pract. 6 (4): 04015002. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)PS.1949-1204.0000197.
Simpson, B., I. D. Moore, and N. A. Hoult. 2016. “Experimental investigation of rehabilitated steel culvert performance under static surface loading.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 142 (2): 04015076. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001406.
Simulia, D. S. 2013. Abaqus 6.13 user’s manual, 305–306. Providence, RI: Dassault Systems.
Sobol’, I. M. 2007. “Global sensitivity indices for the investigation of nonlinear mathematical models.” Matem. Mod. 19 (11): 23–24.
Spangler, M., R. Hennessy, and E. Barber. 1947. “A method of computing live loads transmitted to underground conduits.” In Vol. 26 of Proc., 26th Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board, 179–188. Washington, DC: Highway Research Board.
Spangler, M. G., and G. Shafer. 1938. “The structural design of flexible pipe culverts.” In Vol. 17 of Proc., 17th Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board Held, 235–239. Washington, DC: Highway Research Board.
Tehrani, A., Z. Kohankar Kouchesfehani, H. R. Chimauriya, S. Raut, M. Najafi, and X. Yu. 2021. “Structural evaluation of invert-cut circular and arch shape corrugated steel pipes through laboratory testing.” Can. J. Civ. Eng. 48 (2): 187–201. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjce-2020-0043.
Wang, L., and R. V. Grandhi. 1996. “Safety index calculation using intervening variables for structural reliability analysis.” Comput. Struct. 59 (6): 1139–1148. https://doi.org/10.1016/0045-7949(96)00291-X.
Wood, D. M. 1990. Soil behaviour and critical state soil mechanics. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 21, 2021
Accepted: Aug 28, 2022
Published online: Oct 27, 2022
Published in print: Jan 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Mar 27, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Analysis (by type)
- Continuum mechanics
- Culverts
- Design (by type)
- Dynamics (solid mechanics)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Engineering mechanics
- Forces (type)
- Infrastructure
- Load factors
- Materials engineering
- Metals (material)
- Models (by type)
- Moment (mechanics)
- Numerical analysis
- Numerical models
- Pipeline systems
- Pipes
- Sensitivity analysis
- Solid mechanics
- Statics (mechanics)
- Steel
- Structural design
- Thrust
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.