Pipe Culverts

 If your driveway to your home or business enters from any sort of public roadway, chances are, you cross over a pipe culvert. Roadways are usually designed with a crown in the middle, or a slope to either side. Crowning and sloping causes rainwater to run to either side of the roadway. The purpose of this design is to divert rainwater off the roadway to keep it from puddling in the road. As a result, the sides of the roadways are equipped with drainage ditches. In order to install your driveway over (or through) the ditch, a pipe is first put in place so the water can continue to freely flow through the ditch. Then your driveway is installed over the pipe. 

 These pipes are available in many different materials. They could be constructed of steel, pvc, corrugated plastic, concrete, or other material. They also vary in size and strength. Professionals should be equipped with the knowledge and experience to tell you what size, strength, material, and specifications will meet your application.

  Pipe culverts are also used to divert storm water drainage under sidewalks, levee systems, pond dams, and access roads of many kinds. 

 In our last article we mentioned a roadway that was full of culverts which were all stopped up with sand and silt. When water rushes downhill during heavy rainstorms, it often erodes the ground, carrying dirt inside the culverts. As the water slows down and stops, it tends to leave a layer of sand and silt in the culvert. After this happening over and over, the layers of sand will begin to pile up, consequently stopping up the culvert. When the culvert becomes stopped up, the rainwater has no choice but to find the path of least resistance - usually over your driveway, access path, pond dam, etc.. This always results in erosion, property damage, and costly repairs that could've been avoided with proper maintenance and care.

 

 The best way to keep this from happening is to pay attention to what flows into your culvert. We often put "check dams" in place in order to slow the water down and catch the sand and silt before it reaches the culvert. Other preventative methods are sometimes put into place such as concrete seal slabs or aggregate floorings leading up to and exiting the culvert. We often use temporary gratings and silt fencing in order to keep in place long enough for a grass flooring to be established surrounding the entrance and exit of the culvert.

  

 But we get it. Life just gets busy and you don't have the time to properly maintain pipes. That's what Pate LLC Site Services is here for.

 If you're thinking of installing a culvert for your driveway, sidewalk, jobsite access, pond, dam, levee, etc... let's talk! It is one of our expertise. Already have a culvert and worried about it getting stopped up? We have a solution for that too.

 See our website for contact info. There's also a form to fill out if you'd like us to contact you.

Click here for details >> Pate LLC Site Services We'll keep you flowing 💦💦😑😏