Long‐Term Behavior of Buried Large‐Span Culverts

Abstract

A study is reported on the modeling of large‐span flexible corrugated culverts in the centrifuge environment with emphasis on simulating the construction sequence and long‐term viscous consolidation behavior in cohesive backfills. First, a fully instrumented prototype was selected, which reported both stresses and strains in the culvert and soil mass both during construction and for the long term. Second, a technique was developed in which placement of soil lifts followed by compaction was carried out in the centrifuge under increased acceleration. Third, correlation between prototype and model deflections, stresses and strains in the culvert wall and the surrounding soil mass was obtained at the end of construction for repetitive tests under various levels of acceleration. Finally, long‐term (four months) correlation of model versus prototype behavior: culvert stresses and soil stress‐strain is reported. It is concluded that centrifuge modeling is both an economical and viable means of studying short‐ and long‐term behavior of flexible large‐span culverts, if the construction sequence with the inclusion of the compaction process is undertaken.