DESIGN OF

SLAB CULVERT

Dr.K.P.Jaya
Assistant Professor
Structural Engineering Division
Anna University Chennai

INTRODUCTION
A culvert is a conduit used to enclose a flowing body of water.
It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway,
or embankment .
Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) and concrete are the most common.

Formerly, construction of stone culverts was common.

INTRODUCTION
Culvert is a cross drainage work whose length (total length between the inner
faces of dirt walls) is less than 6.0m.
In any highway or railway project, the majority of cross drainage works fall
under this category.
Hence culverts collectively are important in any project, though the cost of
individual structures may be relatively small.

CLASSIFICATION
Culverts may be classified according to function as highway or railway culvert.

The loadings and structural details of the superstructure would be different

for these two classes.
Based on the construction of the structure, they can be on the following types:

Pipe culvert
Box culvert
Stone arch culvert
Reinforced concrete slab culvert

PIPE CULVERT

PIPE CULVERT
Used as a cross drainage work on a road or railway embankment when the
discharge through the culvert is small

Concrete pipes are classified as Non Pressure pipes (NP1 to NP4) and
pressure pipes (P1 P3).
Generally Reinforced Concrete non pressure pipes (NP3) are used as culverts.
The minimum diameter of of pipe for culvert is 600 mm.
1200mm for fills up to 3.5m and 1800 mm for more than 3.5m fills.

BOX CULVERT

BOX CULVERT
Used for spans up to about 4m
The Height of the vent rarely exceed 3m.
If the water discharges in a drain or a channel crossing a road is small,
and if the bearing capacity of the soil is low, then a box culvert is an ideal
bridge structure.

However, the construction is relatively simpler due to easier fabrication of

formwork and reinforcements and easier placing of concrete.
This type of culvert can be used both for highway and railway.

STONE ARCH CULVERT

SLAB CULVERT
Economical for spans up to about 8m
The thickness of the slab and hence the dead load are quite considerable a
s the span increases.
However, the construction is relatively simpler due to easier fabrication of
formwork and reinforcements and easier placing of concrete.

This type of culvert can be used both for highway and railway.

SLAB CULVERT

SLAB CULVERT

SLAB CULVERT

SLAB CULVERT

SLAB CULVERT
The components of a culvert with R.C. deck slab are the following:
Deck slab
Abutments, wing walls and approach slabs
Foundations
Kerbs and railings.

SLAB CULVERT
DECK SLAB
The deck slab should be designed as a one-way slab to carry the dead load and
the prescribed live load with impact and still to have stresses within the
permissible limits.
For a culvert on a State Highway, the width of the bridge may be adopted as
12m to permit two-lane carriageway.

The deck slab should be designed for the worst effect of either one lane of
IRC 70R/Class AA tracked vehicle, or one lane of 70R/Class AA wheeled
vehicle, or two lanes Class A load trains.
Thus, according to the present practice, it is necessary to compute the
maximum live load bending moment for three different conditions of loading, and
then adopt for design the greatest of the three values.

DESIGN OF RC SLAB CULVERTS

03

The deck slab for 2-lane carriageway should be designed for the worst
effect of
(a) one lane of IRC Class AA / 70R tracked vehicle

(b) one lane of IRC Class AA / 70R wheeled vehicle

(c) two lanes of Class A loads
In general, it is seen that Class AA wheeled vehicle will give max. bending
moment due to live load for spans up to 4m, and Class AA tracked vehicle
for larger spans.

LOADING ON HIGHWAY BRIDGES...

Live load Classification (Cl. 201, IRC 6):
IRC Class A : standard loading for all permanent bridges and culverts
IRC Class B : light loading for temporary bridges
IRC Class AA : heavy loading for specified areas
Bridges designed for Class AA should be checked for Class A also, as
under certain conditions, higher stresses may be obtained under Class A.

Class 70-R : heavy loading for specified areas

Where Class 70-R is specified, it shall be used in place of IRC Class AA.
Appendix 1 gives limiting loads in various bridge classes, for classifying existing
bridges (by a number equal to the highest load class the bridge can safely
withstand).

LOADING ON HIGHWAY BRIDGES...

IRC Class A & Class B

TYPICAL LAYOUT OF SLAB CULVERT

TYPICAL LAYOUT OF SLAB CULVERT

TYPICAL LAYOUT OF SLAB CULVERT

TYPICAL LAYOUT OF SLAB CULVERT

Section - CC

TYPICAL LAYOUT OF SLAB CULVERT

Sections of Abutments and Wing Walls for Slab Bridges

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 1: Preliminary Dimensions
Carriageway
Overall width of slab at top
Width of deck seating in span direction
Length of deck seating in roadway direction
Width of kerb at top Width of kerb at bottom
Height of kerb Thickness of slab
Thickness of wearing coat
Skew angle
Clear Span prependicular to support
Overall span in skew direction
Effective Span

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 2: Loading and Material Data
LOADING DATA
No of Lanes
Loading Class

MATERIAL DATA
Grade of Concrete
Grade of Steel

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 3: Dead Load Analysis

Weight of Slab
Weight of Kerb
Weight of Crash Barriers
Weight of Wearing Coat
Total Load

Bending Moment due to Dead Load

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis

1. Positioning of Wheel Loads

27

27
1.1

114
1.2

3.2

4.067

114

0.233

C.G.Line of the Loading

For maximum BM, centre of span should bisect the CG of

the loading system and nearest heavy load

23

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis
2. Impact Factor
As per Clause.211.1 of IRC:6-2000
IRC Class A or B:
Impact factor fraction
= 0.5 (RC bridge) or 0.545 (steel bridge) for span L <= 3m
= 0.088 (RC bridge) or 0.154 (steel bridge) for span L >= 45m
= 4.5/(6+L) (RC bridge) or 9/(13.5+L) (steel bridge)
for span 3m < L < 45m

24

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis
2. Impact Factor
IRC Class AA or 70R:

Impact factor fraction for tracked vehicles:

= 0.25 for span L <= 5m
= 0.10 for span L >= 9m,

but for RC bridges with L > 40m, 4.5/(6+L)

= 0.25 - 0.15*(L-5)/4 for span 5m < L < 9m
Impact factor fraction for wheeled vehicles:
= 0.25 for RC bridges with span L <= 12m, and 4.5/(6+L)
for L > 12m
= 0.25 for steel bridges with span L <= 23m, and 9/(13.5+L)
for L > 23m

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis
3. Calculation of Dispersion Breadth
As per Cl.305.16.2 of IRC 21:2000 (Table.1)
be = a(1-a/lo)+b1
where
a = distance of centre of Gravity of the concentrated load from the
nearest support
= a constant depending on b/lo
lo = effective span
b1 = breadth of concentration area of the load,
= track contact area over the road surface of the slab in a direction at
right angles to the span + twice the thickness of wearing coat

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis
Table (1) - Effective Width Factor ( )
[Cl.305.16.2 of IRC:21-2000]
b/lo
for simply
for continuous
supported slab
slab
0.10
0.20
0.30
0.40
0.50
0.60
0.70
0.80
0.90
1.00
1.10
1.20
1.30
1.40
1.50
1.60
1.70
1.80
1.90
2.00

0.40
0.80
1.16
1.48
1.72
1.96
2.12
2.24
2.36
2.48
2.60
2.64
2.72
2.80
2.84
2.88
2.92
2.96
3.00
3.00

0.40
0.80
1.16
1.44
1.68
1.84
1.96
2.08
2.16
2.24
2.28
2.36
2.40
2.48
2.48
2.52
2.56
2.60
2.60
2.60

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis
4. Intensity of load per m with Impact
= (Axial Load/2)*(1+Impact Factor)/beff
5. Dispersion width along span
= [(Overall Thickness)*2+B] where B - Ground Contact Depth
Table.2 - Contact Area Details For Class A Loading
[Cl.305.16.3 of IRC:21-2000]
Axle load (KN)
114
68
27

Ground contact area

B mm
W mm
250
500
200
380
150
200

6. Calculation of Bending moment with the distributed load

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 1

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 2: Loading and Material Data

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 2: Loading and Material Data

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 4: Live Load Analysis

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 5: Bending Moment Calculation

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 5: Check for Shear

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 6: Reinforcement Details

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 6: Reinforcement Details

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 6: Reinforcement Details

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 6: Reinforcement Details

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 7: Design of Kerb

DESIGN OF DECK SLAB

Step 6: Reinforcement Details

MODELLING

RC CULVERT SLAB BRIDGE

span = 5.4m, width = 12m

Maximum Longitudinal Moment due to Live Load:

Summary of Simplified Analysis results (using effective width method):
IRC Class AA - tracked vehicle: 101.5 kNm/m
IRC Class AA - wheeled vehicle: 84.5 kNm/m
IRC Class A - (2 lanes):

78.8 kNm/m

Maximum Shear Force due to Live Load:

Summary of Simplified Analysis results (using effective width method):
IRC Class AA - tracked vehicle:

69.2 kN/m

IRC Class AA - wheeled vehicle: 72.2 kN/m

IRC Class A - (2 lanes):

58.8 kN/m

MODELLING OF RC CULVERT SLAB BRIDGE IN SAP2000

span = 5.4m, width = 12m

plate-shell element
(300300thickness)

Longitudinal bending moments due to DL

Simplified Analysis results (kNm/m):

1) at centre: 43.7 ; 2) at edge: 32.4

Transverse bending moments due to DL

Simplified Analysis results (20%) (kNm/m):

1) at centre: 8.74 ; 2) at edge: 6.48

Twisting moments due to DL

Simplified Analysis results (kNm/m):

1) at centre: 0.0 ; 2) at edge: 0.0

Arrangement of IRC Class AA tracked vehicle loads

Longitudinal bending moments due to LL

Simplified Analysis results (kNm/m):

1) at centre: 101.5 ; 2) at edge: 101.5

Transverse bending moments due to LL

Simplified Analysis results (30%) (kNm/m):

1) at centre: 30.35 ; 2) at edge: 30.35

Twisting moments due to LL

Simplified Analysis results (kNm/m):

1) at centre: 0.0 ; 2) at edge: 0.0

10

DEFORMED SHAPE UNDER COMBINED DL + LL

Longitudinal bending moments due to DL+LL

Simplified Analysis results (kNm/m):

1) at centre: 145.2 ; 2) at edge: 133.9

11

Transverse bending moments due to DL+LL

Simplified Analysis results (kNm/m):

1) at centre: 39.2 ; 2) at edge: 36.9

12

Twisting moments due to DL+LL

Simplified Analysis results (kNm/m):

1) at centre: 0.0 ; 2) at edge: 0.0

13

Twisting moment (at location of max. long. moment)

14

16

MOST

Reinforcement
detailing for 5.0m
clear span

17

17

4 12

500
4 10
725

10 @ 200 c/c
400
4 20

12 @ 125 c/c

6000

20 @ 125 c/c

10 @ 200 c/c

12 @ 150 c/c

450