Hydraulic Structures…………………………..…….…. Jumana H.

AL-sabarawi

culvert
The culvert consists essentially of a pipe barrel (conveyance part) under the
embankment fill, with protection works at its entrance and exit. At the entrance a head
wall, with or without wing walls, and a debris barrier are normally provided. If
necessary, an end wall with energy-dissipating devices is provided at the exit.

-Culverts are usually of shorter if the span (<6m).

-The span culvert is usually (span = road width + 3m).
Shape of Culvert
There are many shapes of culvert as shown below:

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Hydraulic Structures…………………………..…….…. Jumana H. AL-sabarawi

Culvert Material:
The culvert barrel made from the following structural material:
- Concrete (Reinforced and non-Reinforced)
- Steel (smooth or corrugated)
- Plastic and other

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Hydraulic Structures…………………………..…….…. Jumana H. AL-sabarawi

Culvert entrance structures:

Properly designed entrance structures prevent bank erosion and improve the hydraulic
characteristics of the culvert. The various types of entrance structures (end walls and
wing walls) recommended are shown in Fig. below:-

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Hydraulic Structures…………………………..…….…. Jumana H. AL-sabarawi

Terminology
Headwater (HW) : Depth from the culvert inlet invert to the energy grade line (EGL).
If the approach velocity head is small then HW is approximately the same as the
upstream water depth above the invert.
Tailwater (TW) : Depth of water on the downstream side of the culvert. The TW
depends on the flow rate and hydraulic conditions downstream of the culvert.

Culvert Design Approaches:

Design based on design flood discharge and allowable headwater elevation. Check
tailwater conditions to verify design.

Types of Flow Control

1. Inlet Control - flow capacity is controlled at the entrance by the depth of
headwater and entrance geometry, including the barrel shape, cross sectional area
and the inlet edge.
2. Outlet Control - hydraulic performance controlled by all factors included with
Inlet Control, and additionally include culvert length, roughness and tailwater depth.

1-Culvert Hydraulics - Inlet Control

Two possible conditions:
A-Unsubmerged : Occur with:
1- Steep culvert invert.
2- Headwater not sufficient to submerge inlet.
3- The culvert barrel structurally short.
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Hydraulic Structures…………………………..…….…. Jumana H. AL-sabarawi

4- Smooth surface of culvert

At this case the flow passes through critical depth near inlet and become supercritical
downstream. Culvert inlet acts effectively like a weir. At higher (TW), when tail water
raise and submerge the outlet, the hydraulic jump may be occur within the culvert
barrel as shown below:

Where:
B = width (diameter) of culvert inlet (weir crest).
A weir coefficient Cw = 3.0 for most suitable design

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Hydraulic Structures…………………………..…….…. Jumana H. AL-sabarawi

B- Submerged : Headwater submerges top of culvert inlet but the barrel does not
necessarily flow full. Culvert inlet acts like an orifice or sluice gate.

𝐷
𝑄 = 𝐶𝑑 𝐴√2𝑔(𝐻𝑊 − )
2

Where:
A : cross sectional area of water way
D : diameter or height the culvert
𝐷
(𝐻𝑊 − 2 ) : ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑙 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒

Cd : Orifice discharge coefficient, varies with head on the culvert, culvert type, and
entrance geometry. For initial calculations a value Cd = 0.60 may be used.

Ex1: A 100ft long circular has a diameter D=4ft , bottom slope 0.02. the culvert a
smooth trapped inlet, not mitered to embankment slope. Determine the headwater
depth when the culvert carriers 120 cfs, under inlet control conditions?
Solution
1)unsubmerged 2)submerged
𝐷
𝑄 = 𝐶𝑑 𝐴√2𝑔(𝐻𝑊 − )
2

𝜋 4
120 = 3 ∗ 4 ∗ 𝐻𝑊 1.5 120 = 0.6 ∗ ∗ 42 √2 ∗ 32.2 (𝐻𝑊 − )
4 2

HW = 4.64 ft HW = 5.93 ft
The inlet control with submerged condition HW = 5.93 ft

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Hydraulic Structures…………………………..…….…. Jumana H. AL-sabarawi

2- Culvert Hydraulics - Outlet Control

Culvert flowing with outlet control can flow with barrel full or partial flow as flowing:

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Hydraulic Structures…………………………..…….…. Jumana H. AL-sabarawi

How to determine Head (ΔH = HW – TW):

𝐻𝑊 + 𝑆0 𝐿 = 𝑇𝑊 + ℎ𝑒 + ℎ𝑓 + ℎ𝑣 … … … … … … 𝐴
Where:
HW - TW = headwater - tailwater
ΔH = total energy head loss.
he = entrance head loss.
hf = friction losses.
hv = velocity head.
Entrance Head Loss, he
𝑉2
ℎ𝑒 = 𝐾𝑒
2𝑔
Culvert Entrance Loss Coefficients, Ke
Pipe with projecting square-edged entrance 0.5
Pipe mitered to conform to fill slope 0.7
Box with wing walls at 30o to 75o to barrel 0.4

Friction Losses, hf :
𝑛2 𝐿 𝑉2
ℎ𝑓 = 29 4 ( ) 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑈𝑆 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 "𝑓𝑡"
2𝑔
𝑅3

𝑛2 𝐿 𝑉 2
ℎ𝑓 = 20 4 ( ) 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑆𝐼 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 "𝑚"
2𝑔
𝑅3

Velocity head, hv :
𝑉2
hv=
2𝑔

According Eq.A will be:

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Hydraulic Structures…………………………..…….…. Jumana H. AL-sabarawi

20 𝑜𝑟 29 𝑛2 𝐿 𝑉 2
𝐻 = (1 + 𝐾𝑒 + 4 )
2𝑔
𝑅3

In fig.(a and c), the headwater (HW) calculated by eq. below:-

𝐻𝑊 = 𝑇𝑊 + 𝐻 − 𝑆0 𝐿

And fig. (d and e), the headwater (HW) equal to the same equation above, but the tail
water (TW) calculate by flowing:
yc +D
TW = yc ≤ D
2

Outlet Velocity:
The outlet velocity will be necessary when the designer need to prevent a large scour
hole at end of culvert (beginning the downstream channel), to determine the outlet
velocity by:
1- For inlet control:
Using by Manning's eq. after knowing the geometric characteristics of D/S channel
2- For outlet control:
By equation below:
𝑄
𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 =
𝐴𝑜𝑢𝑡
Aout= d × B
B = width or diameter of culvert
d = by following:
TW>D d=D
D>TW>yc d = TW
TW≤ yc d = yc
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Hydraulic Structures…………………………..…….…. Jumana H. AL-sabarawi

Ex2 : Determine the headwater for reinforcement concrete box culvert has following
data: D=1m, B=1m, L=40m, n=0.012 and S=0.002. the inlet is square-edged on three
edges and has a headwall parallel to embankment. The outlet is control, tailwater depth
is 0.6m and discharge is 3 m3/s?
Solution
𝐻𝑊 = 𝑇𝑊 + 𝐻 − 𝑆0 𝐿
20 𝑜𝑟 29 𝑛2 𝐿 𝑉 2
𝐻 = (1 + 𝐾𝑒 + 4 )
2𝑔
𝑅3
Tw =0.7m < D=1m partial flow
𝟑 𝒒𝟐
𝒚𝒄 = √
𝒈

𝟑
( 𝟒⁄ )𝟐
𝒚𝒄 = √ 𝟏
= 𝟏. 𝟏𝟕 𝒎 > D
𝟗.𝟖𝟏

Yc =1 (yc max = D)
yc + D 1+1
TW = = = 1m or TW = 0.7 m
2 2
TW=1m
A= 1*1=1m2
P= 1+1+1+1=4m
R=A/P =1/4 =0.25 m
2
20 𝑜𝑟 29 𝑛2 𝐿 𝑉 2 20∗0.0122 ∗50 (4⁄1∗1)
∆𝐻 = (1 + 𝐾𝑒 + 4 ) = (1 + 0.5 + 4 )
2𝑔 2∗9.81
𝑅3 0.25 3

ΔH= 1.96m
𝐻𝑊 = 𝑇𝑊 + ∆𝐻 − 𝑆0 𝐿 = 1 + 1.96 − 0.002 ∗ 50 = 2.86𝑚 < 𝐻𝑚𝑎𝑥

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Hydraulic Structures…………………………..…….…. Jumana H. AL-sabarawi

Culvert "Hand" design procedure:

1- Establish design data (Q, L, So, HWmax, Vmax., culvert material, cross-section and
entrance type).
2- Determine "first trail" size culvert (arbitrary A=0.1Q).
3- Assume "Inlet control", and determine "HW" from two equations.
4- Assume "Outlet control", and determine "HW" from equations, determine "TW" by
using manning eq. or taken from hydrologic data.
5- Compare "HW" values that resulting from steps 3 and 4. The higher HW, governs
and indicates the flow control existing under the specified conditions for the trail
calculation.
6- Try other size and repeat steps 3 and 4 until design specification are met.
7- Compute Outlet Velocity assuming area based on (TW), yc or yc as appropriate.

Ex3: Design the circular culvert for data below:

Q25 = 190 cubic feet per second
Q50 = 230 cubic feet per second
L = 200 feet
So = 0.01 feet per foot
Allowable HW = 10 feet for 25 and 50-year storms
TW = 3.5 feet for 25-year storm
TW = 4.0 feet for 50-year storm
Circular concrete culvert with a projecting entrance (Ke=0.2), n = 0.012?
Solution
Let A=0.1Q =0.1*220 =22ft2
𝜋×𝐷
= 22 → 𝐷 = 5.29 𝑓𝑡
4

A) Inlet control

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Hydraulic Structures…………………………..…….…. Jumana H. AL-sabarawi

1)unsubmerged 2)submerged
𝐷
𝑄 = 𝐶𝑑 𝐴√2𝑔(𝐻𝑊 − )
2

5.29
220 = 3 ∗ 5.29 ∗ 𝐻𝑊 1.5 220 = 0.6 ∗ 22√2 ∗ 32.2 (𝐻𝑊 −
2
)

HW = 5.77 ft < 10ft HW = 6.96 ft <10 ft

B) Outlet control
HW=Tw+ΔH-SL
TW given =4 <5.29 partial flow
𝑦𝑐 +𝐷
𝑇𝑊 =
2
𝑄2 𝐴3
=
𝑔 𝑇
𝐷2 𝜃𝜋
𝐴= (𝜃 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃) = 3.498( − sin 𝜃)
8 180
𝜃 𝜃
𝑇 = 𝐷 sin( ) = 5.29 sin
2 2
𝜃𝜋 3
2202 (3.498( −sin 𝜃))
180
= 𝜃 θ=2510 = 109
32.2 5.29 sin
2
109 5.29
𝑥 = cos ( )∗ = 1.535 𝑓𝑡
2 2
5.29
𝑦𝑐 = 1.536 + = 4.181 𝑓𝑡
2
4.181+5.29
𝑇𝑊 = 4.735 𝑓𝑡
2
TW = 4.735 ft
𝛼 2.09
cos ( ) = → 𝛼 = 75.596 θ=360-75.596 =284.4
2 2.645
5.292
𝐴= (284.4 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛284.4) = 20.75 𝑓𝑡 2
8
𝐷𝜃 5.29∗284.4
𝑝= = = 13.129 𝑓𝑡
2 2∗180
R =20.75/13.129 =1.58 ft
20 𝑜𝑟 29 𝑛2 𝐿 𝑉 2 29∗0.0122 ∗200 2202
∆𝐻 = (1 + 𝐾𝑒 + 4 ) = (1 + 0.2 + 4 ) 2∗32.2∗20.752 = 2.886𝑓𝑡
2𝑔 1.583
𝑅3
𝐻𝑊 = 𝑇𝑊 + ∆𝐻 − 𝑆0 𝐿 = 4.735 + 2.886 − 0.01 ∗ 200 = 5.621𝑓𝑡 < 𝐻𝑚𝑎𝑥
The inlet is control with submerged condition and use one pipe with dim ≥
5.29 ft

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