Box Culvert
Box Culvert
Box Culvert
Abstract— A culvert is a structure that allows water to flow under a road, railroad or similar obstruction from one side to the other side.
Culverts come in many sizes and shapes including round, elliptical, flat-bottomed, open-bottomed, pear-shaped, and box-
like constructions. Limit state design (LSD), also known as load and resistance factor design (LRFD), refers to a design
method used in structural engineering. A limit state is a condition of a structure beyond which it no longer fulfills the
relevant design criteria. This paper deals with the design of box culvert made of RCC, without cushion using limit state
method. The design of RCC box culvert presented in this paper is as per relevant IRC codes. Bending moments and shear
forces for the design are obtained from analysis using STAAD.Pro. The structural elements are required to be designed to
withstand maximum bending moment and shear force. The paper provides full discussions on the provisions in the codes,
considerations and detailing of the culvert.
Keywords— Box culvert, IRC Specifications, Load cases, Analysis, Design.
I. INTRODUCTION
Box Culverts consists of two horizontal and two vertical slabs built monolithically are ideally suited for a road or railway bridge
crossing with high embankments crossing a stream with a limited flow. If the discharge in a drain or channel crossing a road is
small, and if the bearing capacity of the soil is low, then the box culvert is an ideal bridge structure. This is a reinforced concrete
rigid frame box culvert with square or rectangular openings. In box culverts, mainly three load cases govern the design. They
are given below.
(a)Dead load and live load acting from outside while no water pressure from inside.
(b)Dead load and live load acting from outside while water pressure acting from inside.
(c)Dead load and live load acting on top of the slab while water pressure acting from inside and no lateral pressure due to live
load. All the three cases are analysed using analysis software STAAD.Pro. For a box culvert, the top slab is required to withstand
dead loads, live loads from moving traffic, earth pressure on sidewalls, water pressure from inside, and pressure on the bottom
slab besides self weight of the slab. The structure is designed like a rigid frame adopting analysis softwares for obtaining final
distribution moments on the basis of the relative stiffness of the slab and vertical walls.
B. Load Combinations
The design loads and load combinations are taken as per IRC 6 – 2016.
The load combinations used in analysis and design are listed below:
(1.5 x DL) + (1.5 x LL)
(1.2 x DL) + (1.2 x LL)
(1.5 x DL)
(0.9 x DL)
The maximum value of shear forces, bending moments and deflections are obtained in the load combination (1.5 x DL) + (1.5 x
LL)
Max bending moment occurs in the load combination 1.5 DL and 1.5 LL
TABLE I
BENDING MOMENTS AND SHEAR FORCES
Bending moment at the Bending moment at the
Case Direct force (kN)
centre (kNm) end (kNm)
1 144.11 158.02 69.93
2 151.80 148.81 43.68
3 165.08 134.33 -10.04
Critical case is case 3
A. Top slab details
Length = 5600mm
Breadth = 1000mm
Depth = 300mm
Bending moment (Mu) = 165.084728 kNm
Max bending moment occurs in the load combination 1.5DL and 1.5LL
TABLE II
BENDING MOMENTS AND SHEAR FORCES
Bending moment at Bending moment at the end
Case Direct force ( kN)
the centre (kNm) (kNm)
1 163.74 158.02 130.23
2 172.95 148.81 76.35
3 187.43 134.33 -4.80
Max direct force occurs in the load combination 1.5DL and 1.5LL
TABLE III
BENDING MOMENTS AND SHEAR FORCES
1 150.53 242.83
2 141.32 242.83
3 127.38 242.83
Critical case is case 1
A. Column Details
Width(mm) =1000mm
Depth(mm) =300mm
Unsupported length(mm)= 1800mm
Effective cover(mm) =60mm
Effective length(mm) =3600mm
Direct force Pu(kN) =242.83 kN
Bending moment Mu(kNm) = 150.53 kNm
fck = 20 N/mm2
fy = 415 N/mm2
leff/D =12
12<=12 Therefore, it is a short column
e min(mm) =13.6mm
0.05D = 15mm
e min<0.05D
Hence safe.
Pu/fckbD = 0.040
Mu/fckbD2 = 0.084
d'/D = 0.2
Reinforcement is equally distributed on 2 sides.
B. Main Steel Reinforcement
From chart 33, SP 16, pg 227,
P/fck = 0.06
P =1.2%
Asc required= PbD/100= 3600mm2
Assume 25mm dia bars
Diameter of bar = 25mm
spacing of bars=136.35mm
spacing provided =100mm
C. Distribution Steel Reinforcement
Ast required= 0.12bD/100= 360mm2
Assume bar dia=10mm
Spacing of bars= (Ø2x1000)/Ast req= 218.16mm
Spacing provided = 200mm
O
Fig. 1 Dimensions of retaining wall
TABLE III
CHECK FOR STABILITY
Weight in kN x in m Ms in kNm
x = 100.063kN/m2
M = 37.262 kNm
Mu=1.5xM=55.893kNm
d = 350mm
Mu = 0.87 x fy x Ast x d x(1-(Ast x fy)/bdfck))
Solving the quadratic equation, Ast= 460.635mm2
Ast minimum= 0.12x1000x400/100=480mm2
Using 12mm bars, spacing= 235.62mm
Provide 12mm bars at 230mm c/c
H. Design of heel slab
γ x h=3.3x17.27= 56.991 kN/m2
Self weight= 0.4x1.35x25= 13.5 kN
VIII. DETAILING
Detailing of the box culvert and the retaining wall is done using AutoCAD.
A. Box Culvert
IX. CONCLUSION
Complete design of RCC box culvert is done using limit state method of design as per relevant codes. Design of top slab, bottom
slab, side walls, retaining walls are done. Bending moments and shear forces of all the three cases of analysis were calculated using
STAAD. Pro V8i. After designing, detailing is done by using drafting software AutoCAD.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The design and detailing work was completed by the support of Civil Engineering Department of the Viswajyothi College of
Engineering and Technology, Kochi, Kerala.
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