Thirty-nine corrugated aluminium and 10 corrugated steel rib stiffened box culverts were evaluated. In situ chord and chord-ordinate dimensions were measured and compared to design dimensions. In addition, durability information was obtained. Eight of the box culverts had not been manufactured in conformance with the design shape. The most common deviation was a larger crown width and shorter leg length. There was a significant difference between the constructed crown shapes of steel and aluminium box culverts. The steel box culverts were in general crowned, whereas the aluminium box culverts had mid-chord-ordinate dimensions less than the design dimension. The amount of crowning in the steel box culverts decreased with increased crown widths. A potential crown corrosion problem exists on metal box culverts caused by seepage of groundwater containing road salt through bolted seams. The problem is of greater concern on steel boxes because the plate as well as the bolts have corroded. Finite element analyses of the structure capacity of erected shapes different from the design shape of the structures were performed. Slight variation in the culvert geometry has a noticeable but not severe effect on deflections and moments.
Abstract