OPEN BOTTOM BOX CULVERT

DALOT A FOND OUVERT

English Abstract

This invention relates to a novel design of an open bottom box culvert which can be used to enable roads, highways and other infrastructure to cross streams without infringing on the wetted perimeter of a stream or interrupting the stream gradient. More particularly, this invention pertains to an innovative use of mineral soil (clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles, boulders, broken rock, ice or mixtures of any or all of the foregoing), concrete or wood abutments and metal such as steel, and in some cases geosynthetics, to construct an open bottom box culvert structure which can be erected over a stream or creek and enable vehicular loads and other infrastructure to cross the stream or creek. An open bottom box culvert comprising a pair of abutments spatially positioned from each other, at least one corrugated steel plate spanning the top portions of the two spatially positioned abutments, at least one shear connector positioned above the corrugated steel plate and connected thereto, and compacted soil disposed above and on each exterior side of the pair of abutments, the corrugated steel plate and at least one shear connector.

French Abstract

La présente invention un nouveau type de ponceau-caisson sans fond, qui permet aux chemins, aux routes et à d'autres éléments d'infrastructure d'enjamber un cours d'eau sans porter atteinte au périmètre mouillé du cours d'eau ou à la pente du cours d'eau. Plus particulièrement, La présente invention l'utilisation innovatrice d'un sol minéral (argile, boue, gravier, cailloux, roches, éclats de roche, glace ou un mélange de l'un ou l'autre de ces matériaux), de butées de béton ou de bois, et du métal comme de l'acier, ainsi que, dans certains cas, des matériaux géosynthétiques, en vue de la construction d'un ponceau-caisson sans fond à aménager sur un cours d'eau ou un ruisseau et de la circulation de véhicules utilitaires et du franchissement du cours d'eau par un autre élément d'infrastructure. Un ponceau-caisson sans fond se compose de deux butées disposées de part et d'autre, dont l'une au moins comprend une plaque d'acier ondulée qui recouvre les parties supérieures des deux butées latérales, d'au moins un connecteur qui repose sur la plaque d'acier ondulée et qui le relie, puis de terre compactée étendue sur l'ouvrage et sur les faces extérieures des deux butées, de la plaque d'acier ondulée et d'au moins un connecteur.

Claims

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CLAIMS
1. An open bottom box culvert comprising:
(a) a pair of vertical elongated abutments spatially positioned from each
other;
(b) at least one horizontal linear corrugated steel plate spanning and resting
on the top
portions of the two spatially positioned abutments without being secured to
the tops of the
respective abutments;
(c) at least one shear connector positioned above the linear corrugated steel
plate and
connected thereto, the at least one shear connector extending laterally to the
corrugations in
the corrugated steel plate; and
(d) compacted soil disposed above and on each exterior side of the pair of
abutments,
the corrugated steel plate and at least one shear connector, the compacted
soil engaging the at
least one shear connector and stiffening the corrugated steel plate.
2. A culvert as claimed in claim 1 wherein the compacted soil can be compacted
soil and
ice, or ice.
3. A culvert as claimed in claim 1 including a pair of elastomeric bearing
pads disposed
between the top portions of the pair of abutments and the adjacent areas of
the corrugated steel
plate.
4. A culvert as claimed in claim 3 wherein the bearing pads are extruded
polystyrene.
5. A culvert as claimed in claim 1 wherein the corrugations in the corrugated
steel plate
have a parallel tapered rectangular profile and at least one spatially
disposed parallel shear
connector is positioned on the corrugated steel plate laterally to the
directions of the parallel
tapered rectangular profiles of the corrugated steel plate.
6. A culvert as claimed in claim 5 wherein there is a plurality of shear
connectors which
are elongated and have an "L" "T","I", "U" or "O" cross-section.

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7. A culvert as claimed in claim 1 wherein the corrugated steel plate has a
sinusoidal
profile.
8. A culvert as claimed in claim 6 wherein the plurality of shear connectors
are connected
to the corrugated steel plate by nuts and bolts.
9. A culvert as claimed in claim 6 wherein the plurality of shear connectors
are connected
to the corrugated steel plate by fasteners.
10. A culvert as claimed in claim 1 wherein the compacted soil is reinforced
by
geosynthetic material which is arranged in layers with compacted soil between
each layer.
11. A culvert as claimed in claim 2 wherein the compacted soil and ice or ice
is reinforced
by geosynthetic material which is arranged in layers with compacted soil and
ice or ice between
each layer.
12. A culvert as claimed in claim 1 wherein a steel plate is attached to the
top or the bottom
or both the top and bottom of the corrugated steel plate.

Description

CA 02530850 2005-12-16
OPEN BOTTOM BOX CULVERT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a novel design of an open bottom box culvert
which
can be used to enable roads, highways and other infrastructure to cross
streams
without infringing on the wetted perimeter of a stream or interrupting the
stream
gradient. More particularly, this invention pertains to an innovative use of
mineral
soil (clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles, boulders, broken rock, ice or
mixtures of any
or all of the foregoing), concrete or wood abutments and metal such as steel,
and in
some cases geosynthetics, to construct an open bottom box culvert structure
which
can be erected over a stream or creek and enable vehicular loads and other
infra-
structure to cross the stream or creek.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Bridges, culverts, overpasses, and the like, are traditionally
constructed of
expensive and environmentally incompatible steel structures, reinforced
concrete
structures, plastic structures and the like. Specifically, culverts used in
road
construction whenever a stream or creek needs to pass under the road, have
been
constructed of wood, concrete, corrugated steel or corrugated plastic pipes.
These
culverts corrode or deteriorate over time and must be replaced. Removal can
result
in damage to the stream or introduction of sediment to the stream, which is
harmful
to life in the stream. Costly mitigation techniques are required to prevent or
limit
the extent of damage and sedimentation.
[0003] Corrugated metal culverts and corrugated plastic culverts are subjected
over
time to freeze/thaw cycles, water erosion and dynamic vehicle loads. These
actions
can cause the soil compacted around the steel or plastic culverts to become
loose and
erode away, thereby leaving an uneven load distribution on the culvert, which
accelerates deterioration. At some point, the uneven load distribution and
soil
erosion can be sufficient to cause the culvert to collapse. The culvert must
then be
replaced. However, simple replacement is no longer an option. The Canadian
Department of Fisheries and Oceans has in recent years passed regulations that
require that the culverts must be replaced with open bottom structures that
cause
minimal damage to streams and do not interfere with fish migration and
spawning,
which includes salmon.
[0004] U.S. Patent No. 4,706,319, Sivachenko et al., 1988, discloses a more or
less
relevant stream crossing construction which is primarily intended for long
spans
(bridges) and uses concrete as a compressive component of the structure.

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SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0005] This invention relates to an innovative open bottom box culvert which
can be
constructed of compacted soil and/or ice in combination with steel, concrete
and
other suitable materials. The box culvert, according to the invention,
utilizes an
innovative combination of mineral soil (clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles,
boulders,
broken rock or mixtures of any or all of the preceding), and/or ice, wood,
steel,
concrete abutments, and steel plate to construct the open bottom culvert. In
some
instances, when required, the invention uses alternating layers of compacted
soil and
reinforcement consisting of geosynthetics, plastic, metal and/or the like, to
create an
open bottom culvert that can support both the dead load of the open bottom
culvert
structure and any live load that is imposed on the structure.
[0006] The invention is directed to an open bottom box culvert comprising: (a)
a
pair of abutments spatially positioned from each other; (b) a corrugated steel
plate
spanning the top portions of the two spatially positioned abutments; (c) one
or more
shear connectors positioned above the corrugated steel plate and connected
thereto;
and (d) compacted soil and/or ice disposed above and on each exterior side of
the
pair of abutments, the corrugated steel plate and at least one shear
connector.
[0007] The culvert can include a pair of elastomeric bearing pads disposed
between
the top portions of the pair of abutments and the adjacent areas of the
corrugated
steel plate. The corrugations in the corrugated steel plate can have a
parallel
tapered rectangular profile and one or more spatially disposed parallel shear
connectors can be positioned on the corrugated steel plate laterally to the
directions
of the parallel tapered rectangular profiles of the corrugated steel plate.
The
plurality of shear connectors can be elongated and have an "L" "T" ,"I" 461"
,
"O"cross-section, or the like.
[0008] A non-corrugated steel plate may be fastened to the top and/or bottom
of the
corrugated steel plate when required to accommodate heavier usage or reusage.
[0009] The corrugated steel plate can have a sinusoidal profile. The plurality
of
shear connectors can be connected to the corrugated steel plate by nuts and
bolts or
other suitable fastening means. The compacted soil can be reinforced by
geosynthetic material such as plastic, metal, or combinations thereof, which
can be
arranged in layers with compacted soil between each layer.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0010] In drawings which illustrate specific embodiments of the invention, but
which should not be construed as restricting the spirit or scope of the
invention in
any way:
[0011] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic front view of the open bottom box
culvert
according to the invention.
[0012] Figure 2 illustrates a detailed cross-section view of the combination
of
compacted soil and/or ice fill, shear connector and corrugated steel plate
according
to the invention.
[0013] Figure 3 illustrates a detailed cross-section view of the compacted
soil and/or
ice fill, shear connector, corrugated steel plate and non-corrugated steel
plate
reinforcement according to the invention.
[0014] Figure 4 illustrates a schematic front view of the open bottom box
culvert
with the surrounding compacted soil reinforced with layers of geosynthetic
material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Throughout the following description, specific details are set forth in
order
to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the
invention
may be practiced without these particulars. In other instances, well known
elements
have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring
the
invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in
an
illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.
[0016] In appropriate locations and for winter use, the box culvert can be con-
structed using ice or a mixture of ice and soil in place of the soil fill. For
higher
loads and rougher usage or re-usage a non-corrugated steel plate can be
attached to
the top and/or bottom of the corrugated steel.
[0017] Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a schematic front view
of an
open bottom soil and steel box culvert according to the invention. As seen in
Figure
1, the overall open bottom box culvert 2 is constructed of a pair of parallel
vertical
abutments 6, which at the tops thereof are spanned by a corrugated steel plate
8,

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preferably galvanized for corrosion protection. Shear connectors 10, disposed
laterally to the grooves in the corrugated steel plate 8, are disposed in
parallel series
on the top of the corrugated steel plate 8. A pair of elastomeric or extruded
polystyrene bearing pads 12 are located at the tops of each of the parallel
vertical
abutments 6 below the adjacent bearing portions of the corrugated steel plate
8. A
stream 20 flows between the pair of parallel abutments 6 and below the
corrugated
steel plate 8. Compacted soil and/or ice fill 4 is distributed over and on
each side of
the plate 8, connectors 10 and two abutments 6. A roadway 14 can then be con-
structed across the top of the overall open bottom box culvert.
[0018] Figure 2 illustrates a detailed cross-section view of the combination
of
compacted soil and/or ice fill, shear connector and corrugated steel plate
according
to the invention. As seen in Figure 2, the shear connector 10 (only one is
shown) is
disposed laterally to the grooves that are part of the corrugated steel plate
8.
Adjacent sections of corrugated steel plate 8 are secured together by bolts
16. The
compacted fill and/or ice 4 is then placed below the level of the shear
connector 10
and portions thereof rest in the upper grooves in the corrugated plate 8. The
lateral
shear connector 10 (and other shear connectors which are not shown) are
fastened to
bolts 16 and the corrugated steel plate 8 by nuts 18. The compacted soil fill
and/or
ice 4 is then disposed above the shear connector 10. The cross-linking
structure
provided by the corrugated portions of the corrugated steel plate 8 and the
lateral
extending series of parallel shear connectors 10, coupled with the bolts 16
and nuts
18, provides a strong relatively inexpensive composite load bearing structure.
[0019] Figure 3 illustrates a detailed cross-section view of combination of
com-
pacted soil and/or ice fill and corrugated steel plate and a non-corrugated
steel plate
reinforcement. In this option, a non-corrugated steel plate 23 is fastened to
the top
and/or bottom of the corrugated steel plate 8 by bolt 16. In Figure 3, the
plate 23 is
shown fastened to the bottom of the corrugated steel plate 8. However, it will
be
understood that the steel plate 23 can be fastened to the top of the
corrugated steel
plate 8, or two steel plates, one fastened to the top and one fastened to the
bottom of
the corrugated steel plate 8, can be used if conditions require it.
[0020] Figure 4 illustrates a schematic front view of the open bottom soil and
steel
box culvert with the compacted soil reinforced with layers of geosynthetic
material.
As can be seen, the layers of geosynthetic material 22 alternate with layers
of
compacted soi14.

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[0021] Shear stresses between the compacted soil and/or ice 4 and the
corrugated
steel plate 8 are resisted by the shear connectors 10 which are embedded in
the
compacted soil and/or ice 4 and are secured to the corrugated steel plate 8.
The
corrugated steel plate 8 may have a sinusoidal profile, tapered rectangular
profile or
any other suitable profile for strength.
[0022] The invention is typically constructed as a short span (up to 6m in
length),
open bottom structure which allows roads, highways and other infrastructure to
cross streams without infringing on the wetted perimeter of the stream or
interrupt-
ing the stream gradient. The invention can also be used in other situations
where
short span, open bottom, load carrying structures are required.
[0023] The open bottom box culvert according to the invention has the
following
constructional benefits. The corrugated steel plates 8 provide tensile
resistance to
the bending moments imposed by both dead and live loads. The compacted soil
and/or ice 4 provides compressive resistance to such bending moments. When
reinforced with layers of geosynthetics 22, the compressive strength of the
com-
pacted soil and/or ice is increased.
[0024] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the
foregoing
disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of
this
invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the
scope
of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined
by the
following claims.

Representative Drawing