Name: Ayaz Ahmed

Reg No: 2478

Assignment No: 02

Date: 15-March-2021

Submitted to: Dr. Salamat Khattak

 Describe the highways drainage System. Also explain the slopes and types of
drainage channels.

Highways drainage System: Highway drainage system is the process of removing and
controlling excess surface and sub soil water within the roadway or right of way. Adequate
drainage is essential for the protection of the investments made in the highway structures.
Therefore, design, construction and maintenance of appropriate highway drainage system is one
of the most important tasks of a highway engineer. It is important to provide an effective
drainage system for all categories of roads in rural and urban areas in order to prevent early
deterioration and failures of various components of a road including the road pavements.

Slopes and types of drainage channels:

Slopes:
Transverse slopes:

 Removes water from pavement surface

 Facilitated by cross-section elements (cross-slope, shoulder slope)
Longitudinal slopes:

 Minimum gradient to maintain adequate slope in longitudinal channels

Longitudinal channels:

 Ditches along side of road to collect surface water after run-off

Channel design and construction:

The cheapest drains of all are unlined channels, which can be cut along the roadside with a road
grader. The sides of an unlined drain should not slope by more than 1 in 2 to ensure that they
will be stable. If the slope along the drain is greater than about 1%, the drain may be damaged by
scouring, and some lining will usually be required to protect the channel bottom from the fast-
flowing water. For slopes of 1-5%, partial lining is likely to be sufficient and will cost less than
complete lining (Fig. 11). In a partially lined drain, special protection is needed at the most
vulnerable points, such as culverts, drain junctions, sharp bends, and steep sections.

Another cheap measure, especially suitable for the upper part of a partially lined channel, is to
lay turf or sow grass, whose roots will help to hold the soil in place. The most satisfactory
grasses are those that spread sideways and cover the surface of the soil. Their rapid growth can
be encouraged with fertilizer, by laying topsoil, and by building temporary checkwalls to cause
silt to be deposited.

For relatively gentle slopes, the lining does not have to be of solid concrete or masonry.
Compacted gravel or stone will be sufficient. Various types of permanent and temporary lining
are shown in Fig. 12. Drains with vertical sides always need a lining to support the sides. As this
type of channel is used only when space is in short supply and when the drains have to pass
close to houses, the lining must be strong enough to protect adjacent house foundations.

Lined drainage channels often fail because the lining does not allow water to enter from the
ground at either side. Either this causes water pressure to build up and overturn the linings, or
the water runs alongside the drain, cutting a parallel channel. The solution is to provide
weepholes, about 10 mm in diameter, in the lining at the sides. This can be done with short
lengths of pipe running horizontally through the masonry and embedded in the mortar, spaced at
intervals of not more than 1 m.