Risk Assessment
and Update of Inspection Procedures for Culverts
A project
funded by the Ohio Department of Transportation
Co-PI with G.
F. Mitchell and T. Masada
In the state of
The 1982 ODOT inventory documented nearly
eight thousand culverts, mostly constructed of steel and reinforced concrete,
with service life ranging from a few months to over forty years. Since 1982, new coatings and materials have
been utilized by ODOT for culverts. Many
of the culverts associated with
A
wide variety of pipe materials, treatments and structural designs are prevalent
in the short span culverts, potentially leading to various failure mechanisms.
Loss of culvert integrity could result in temporary roadway closure and
considerable remediation costs. Total collapse of culverts could pose a major
safety risk to motorists. Use of short
span culverts has increased in many ODOT districts. The inventory of culverts
less than 10 ft. in span needs to be updated, and
comprehensive, statewide inspection plans and risk assessment procedures must
be developed. Different inspection and
risk assessment procedures should be established and applied to each culvert
type.
The primary objectives of this
investigation will be to update the inventory and develop statewide inspection
plans and risk assessment procedures for culverts with spans less than 10
ft. Specific tasks include: