AU679495B2 - Improved culverts - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

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AUSTRALIA

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APPLICANT:

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FILING DATE: R. J. WALLACE PTY. LIMITED PL 8365/93 19/ 4/93 Invention Title: IMPROVED CULVERTS The following statement is a full description of this iji~ntion, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 This invention relates to improved culverts or bridges, both hereinzfter referred to as culverts. Culverts are, by definition, a transverse drain or water way and, practically, are generally considered to be something which carries a road or the like and permits water flow thereunder.

Very often, culverts are relatively low, as distinguished from bridges which often span at substantial heights.

Culverts are widely used in civil engineering in roadworks and conventionally have been able to take several forms.

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GO 0 For exemplification only, they may comprise concrete arches or the like which are placed on footings formed in the area of water flow and which are subseqlently covered and compacted with a base material over which a normal road surface is formed. In a second form of culvert, the actual culvert itself may be made of concrete which is poured on site and, again, this is then covered with base material and a road surface is formed thereon.

In these, and other conventional forms, it has been necessary to form the road base and road surface after the culvert structure has been completed which o means that not only are culverts very expensive, as they are labour intensive, but they are also normally relatively slow to produce, which often necessitates the formation of a bypass road or the like or, alternatively, long term closure of the road whilst the culverts are being formed. This is not only expensive but also very frustrating for normal April, 1997 3 road users, particularly when it is kept in mind that in many applications, either a long culvert or a number of culverts have to be formed in the same piece of roadway.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a culvert or a bridge which can basically be assembled in situ and which is ready for use immediately after formation.

The invention, in its broadest sense comprises a culvert or bridge comprising at least one pier or support which is transverse to the direction of the culvert itself, with preformed deck members in the form of double T members having two downwardly directed longitudinal stems one adjacent each side 0* .e thereof, at lease one end of each deck member being located to rest on a pier and are connected thereto, the deck members at each end of the culvert being fixed relative to the road surface and thee being expansion gaps at the transverse junctions between the deck members which are spaced from the ends of the culvert.

*9* 9 In a specific form of the invention, where there are more than two supports, the deck members, where located on the end supports, are fixed against longitudinal movements and expansion gap(s) are provided at the junction of the deck members on the intermediate support(s).

By providing such an arrangement, we can form the entry into the culvert by forming the road base directly adjacent the culvert components and completing the road surface flush with the end of the culvert.

In bridging type culverts and bridges, it has been conventional wisdom to provide expansion gaps at the end which necessitate a very much more complex interface between the normal road and the .jQ "2P51\SPEC\WALLACAM.CAP\AT.RK\22 April, 1997 I M I beginning of the culvert.

The deck members are preferably in the form of double T members having two downwardly directed longitudinal stems one adjacent each side thereof. Such an arrangement permits both direct connection to the supports and also enables the ends of the culverts to be formed so that the filling for the road surface can be abutted up to the end support.

e6 6 6 Culverts of the type of the invention have hydraulic advantages over normal 6e box culverts in that we can provide very substantial spans, relative to previous culverts, and this provides both less resistance to water flow and, 6 *o in particular, minimises the likelihood of any debris build up which can affect the operation of the culvert.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, we shall describe one particular form of culvert made in accordance with the invention, with e reference to the accompanying drawings.

*oo Figure 1 shows a longitudinal view, partly in section of the culvert.

o S Figure 2 shows a plan view of the culvert.

4 *6 Figure 3 shows an enlarged broken longitudinal section especially depicting the footings supporting the culvert.

Figure 4 shows an end view of the culvert prior to filling ;1\APrc\ArA cA.CAP\AT.RA\2Z April, 1997 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 being placed therein.

shows a cross section of the culvert and the arrangement of the deck members.

shows a cross-section of the edges of adjacent two decking members.

shows a cross section of the junction of two of the deck members.

ae a S The culvert of the invention can effectively be fully cast from reinforced concrete off site, and in this way, we can provide components which are extremely accurately sized.

d On the culvert site, it is necessary to provide concrete footings and, in some applications, these may be prepared whilst the road is still usable, although use may be restricted, but in other applications, it will be necessary for the road to be closed while the footings are prepared. If the ground is unstable it may be necessary to provide piles rather than footings, as is known in the art.

e S* Basically, if footings are used, these comprise transverse intermediate footings which are adapted to receive support piers 2, hereinafter called supports, in conventional ways. If piles are used, pile caps can be part of the support piers, or could receive them. At each end, the footings or piles are also adapted to receive a support but may also extend outwardly away from the culvert 3 and may also, if required, be of a width w. PEC\WAiACAM.CAP\AT.RK\22 April, 1997 6 greater than the width of the culvert to provide a retaining wall, as will be described hereinafter.

The supports, when made, are of the required height and length for the position in which they are to be located and this may be achieved by forming the supports in forms which may be shuttered off at one end at various positions, or at infinitely variable positions, to provide a support of the required dimensions.

*o The width of the support at the top 4 must be sufficient to be able to recei've

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S a predetermined, length of a deck member and it is preferred that the support o* as illustrated, is enlarged at the top of the width of the support would otherwise be more than is necessary for the design load of the culvert. The enlarged portion can extend on either side of the body of the support and can have apertures there through to receive bolts, as will be described hereinafter.

The deck members 5 basically have a length adapted to 'it between S two adjacent supports, which along the main body of the culvert

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could be 7,000 millimetres, and at the ends 6 could, if required, be sornewhat shorter and, further, it will be appreciated that one or two of these could be of a different, normally shorter, length, depending upon the overall length of the culvert.

The invention relies on accuracy of components as the assembly ,^_must fit closely.

.VfEC\WALCAM. CAP\A'. w\2a Apri, z997 7 The width i)f each deck member 7 may be selected partially for ease of handling and, again, to provide the required overall width of the culvert and in the illustration (Fig we provide 4 deck members across the width of the culvert to give a total overall width of 10,000 millimetres with the outer deck members being integrally formed with a curb so that the total effective road width can be 9,500 millimetres.

It is stressed that the various dimensions are preferments for a particular application and they could vary substantially if a required.

For example, for a single lane bridge we can use 2 deck members to give an effective width of 4,500 millimetres or a narrow two lane bridge, for low traffic areas, could use 3 deck members.

Each deck member 7, in transverse section, can be considered to o be of a double 2 formation with the stems of the T being offset to adjacent each side 8. This form of construction is an :efficient structural shape for reinforced concrete beams and also enables the deck members to have a constant cross-section throughout their lengths. This enables deck meAers of different lengths to be made from a single mould, by the use of a shutter or the like, without the ends of the members having a special formation.

In construction, a rubber pad 9 can be located, on the upper WP61\SPEC\WALLACC,5PC\AT.RK\1 April, 1994 I I I 8 surfaces of the support members at least beneath the stems of tho Tees and bolts 20 can pass through the apertures in the support into ferrules or captive nuts or the like in the stems of the Tees.

Located between the adjacent deck members, in the transverse direction, there may be rubber, neoprene or the like resilient strips 10 and these provide closures for the expansion gaps and prevent any foreign material entering between the adjacent ends.

St 4* 4 If adjacent decking members are required to be interconnected they may be interconnected by bolts 11 which can pass through the pairs of stems of adjacent Tees to hold them together.

Practically, we have found that this may not be necessary.

The situation at each end is somewhat different in that the deck member 7 liev on the upper surface of the support 12 which has 4 a complementary shape, such that there is only a narrow gap there between. The face of the support and the end of the deck member 0* 0 are in the same vertical plane 14 and hence act as a retaining wall for back fill. Brackets bolted to ferrules cast into the vertical faces effectively connect the deck members to the support. These brackets may be provided with a connection means whereby a strut 15 can be connected there between to an extension of the footing to resist longitudinal forces arising from traffic and/or earth pressure.

WP61\PE\WALLACC.SPC\AbIK\19 April, 1994 13111 1 -I I 9 Also at each end, I may provide an outwardly directed retaining wall 16, which may be substantially triangular in form which can receive filling which can be compacted into the area at the end of the culvert.

The decking members at the ends, are not adapted to be able to move. If the culvert spans only a single space, such a fixed construction is satisfactory. If there is more than one span, the expansion gaps 17, which would then be necessary, can be e4 provided at the intermediate support(s).

9 9 In order to complete the culvert itself, I may provide guard rails 18 of posts along each side of the culvert.

0*99 Once the culvert is formed, filling material is packed into each end to provide a body onto which the normal road surface may be laid and this terminates below the surface of the culvert by the 9 9 thickness of the road surfacing material. That is, when the road surface is laid, it terminates at the same level as the upper surface of the culvert, which directly provides the roadway.

During formation, this upper surface can be deliberately formed to provide a grip for vehicles passing over the culvert.

It will be appreciated froh. the forgoing description that apart from the culvert footings or piles, the rest of the assembly can be produced remotely and be assembled on site by the use of bolts WP a\PeCWALLAC M9Pe\AT.K\10 Aprflo 1994 u I and studs. This means that even a substantial culvert can be completed in a relative.y short time. Once the culvert is located, it is only necer try to compact filling material at each end and to form this to accept road surfacing material which continues from the surface of the road as it enters the culvert to the culvert ends.

It will also be appreciated that should it become necessary, for any reason, the various culvert components can be released from

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their connection Lo the adjacent components and then jacked or otherwise lifted to permit a crane to remove them and, subsequently, they can be replaced or can be replaced by some alternative deck member.

Persons who are knowledgeable in the art of bridge building will see that the culvert of the invention differs from more conventional bridges in that the slabs which form the floor of the bridge, terminate on the end supports, which effectively act together as a buttress for the earth buildup on the side away from the bridge.

More conventionally, bridges have a buttress or the like poured in situ and internally, in respect of the direction of the bridge, the support means for the bridge decking, the two components effectively being separate.

Also, as far as the particular shapes and sizes of the various WPtV3PC\WA.LACE.SPC\ATRK\1Q April, M4 11~ components are concerned, these can readily be varied by persons skilled in the civil engineering art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

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Claims (8)

1. A culvert or bridge comprising at least two piers or supports which are transverse to the direction of the culvert itself, with preformed deck members in the form of double T members having two downwardly directed longitudinal stems one adjacent each side thereof, which permits direct connection to the supports and which enables the ends of the culvert or bridge to be formed, these deck members being located there between and resting thereon and connected thereto, and which are fixed against movement and all deck members having expansion gaps at their junctions.

2. A culvert or bridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein the deck members which are located on the end supports of the culvert are fixed against longitudinal movement where said deck members lie on the upper surface of the support which has a complementary shape to the deck member.

3. A culvert or bridge as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each support is enlarged at the top and has apertures there through to receive bolts.

4. A culvert or bridge as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a rubber pad is located on the upper surface of the support member for bolts to pass through apertures supPS\GEAC3P.K\2a April, 1997 OM a-MMM SIM'- 13 in the support into ferrules or captive nuts.

A culvert or bridge as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein adjacent decking can pass through the stems of adjacent Tees to hold them together.

6. A culvert or bridge as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bracket is bolted to the end support and the bracket is provided with a connection means whereby a strut can be connected thereto and connected to a. horizontal extension of the footing which holds the support to resist longitudinal forces arising from traffic and earth pressure. e 0 S 4000 goe so so 0 4:64 east so a s 0*

7. A culvert or bridge claims wherein at directed retaining in form and which area at the end of as claimed in any one of the preceding each end is provided an outwardly wall which is substantially triangular can receive filling compacted into the the culvert.

8. A culvert or bridge as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the components are fully cast from reinforced concrete off site. A culvert or bridge as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein any oi. the individual components can be \P W \a 2 Aprl, 1.997 14 released and removed from the culvert and replaced by alternative components. A culvert or bridge substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS 27th DAY OF March 1997 99 C 4. 4.* C. Ce a S. ACm 'Cd, SO R. Cf. WALLACE PTY. LhIMITED By Its Patent Attorneys A. Tatlock Associates R94 *91 kS a *\P'v~UAHCPA- 2 Apil 19 ABSTRACT A culvert or bridge having at least two piers or supports (2) which are transverse to the direction of the culvert itself and which support deck members located there between and which may be fixed against longitudinal movement. Expansion gaps (17) are provided at junctions between deck member. Brackets are bolted to the end support at each end of the culvert and connected to the bracket is a strut (15) which is also connected to a horizontal extension of the footing which holds the support. All the components can be fully cast from re-inforced concrete off site, and can be released and removed from the culvert and replaced by alterative components. a S *e4 S **o o*e )EC\%ALLACE.SPC\AT.RK\18 September, 1996 MOMMOMMEW