If you have have questions about concrete pipe or box culverts, you're in the right spot. If you can't find what you are looking for, though, don't hesitate to reach out and someone from the ACPA will reach out and help find you a solution.
Joints are manufactured with various geometries and tolerances, and therefore the best way to determine an acceptable joint gap is to work with the manufacturer and define the best solution that will work for your project.
Joints are manufactured with various geometries and tolerances, and therefore the best way to determine the radius is to contact the manufacturer.
Concrete pipe is a rigid structure and does not behave the same as a flexible pipe (thermoplastic and corrugated steel tubes). Concrete pipe is a rigid structure that depending on the installation type can support majority of the applied loads. Flexible pipe is no more than a conduit that requires compacted import material to hold it in place and support the applied loads. For rigid pipe and flexible conduits to meet the design life of a project, the bedding and backfill is designed and installed differently.
Each shipment of pipe is loaded, blocked and tied down at the plant to avoid damage during transit. However, it is up to the receiver to make certain, damage has not occurred in delivery from the plant to the construction site. The ACPA's Concrete Pipe & Box Culvert Installation Manual to guide contractors in the onsite handling and installation of concrete pipe.
You can either use the ACPA Fill Height Tables to look up the required class of pipe or download Chapter 4 of the Concrete Pipe Design Manual for a thorough explanation of how to calculate the required class of pipe.
The classes of pipe represent the minimum D-load capacity a pipe produced to that class must have. The classes are designated in ASTM C 76, or AASHTO M 170. The required D-load capacity per pipe is as follows:
| Class | 0.01 inch Crack D-load (lbs/ft/ft) | Ultimate D-load (lbs/ft/ft) |
I II III IV V | 800 1000 1350 2000 3000 | 1200 1500 2000 3000 3750 |
ACPA’s Concrete Pipe producers follow strict quality control procedures to make sure they provide the highest quality to our nation’s infrastructure system. Requirements for manufacturing concrete pipes can be found in ASTM, AASHTO, and other standards and specifications.
The ACPA's quality control program, QCast, outlines guidelines for quality production and testing of concrete pipe. For any questions with regards to the manufacturing of concrete pipe contact your local manufacturer , schedule a plant tour, or contact ACPA.
In most cases the manufacture of concrete pipe and box culverts, and their installation and testing requirements are either governed by ASTM Standards or relatively equivalent AASHTO Standards. To make specifying concrete pipe easier, the American Concrete Pipe Association has compiled all the relevant ASTM standards into one manual, “ACPA’s Annual Book of Selected ASTM Standards”, which can be found on our Resources web page.
ASTM Standards
AASHTO Standards
ASTM Standards
AASHTO Standards
For a full explanation on inspection see the ACPA “Post Installation Evaluation and Repair of Installed Reinforced Concrete Pipe.” Longitudinal Cracks–Concrete is strong in compression but weak in tension. Reinforced steel is provided to handle the tensile stresses. Hairline longitudinal crack in the crown or invert indicate that the steel has accepted part of the load. Cracks less than 0.01 inches in width are minor and only need to be noted in the inspection report. Cracks greater than hairline cracks, or those more than 0.01 inch in width but less than 0.1 inches, should be described in the inspection report and noted as possible candidates for maintenance. Longitudinal cracking in excess of 0.1 inch in width may indicate overloading or poor bedding.
A phenomenon, known as autogenous healing often occurs between two surfaces of cracks in buried concrete pipe. Autogenous healing is the ability of concrete to heal itself in the presence of moisture and air. This explains why the healing occurs in concrete pipe where moist conditions are higher than those of other concrete structures. During this process, calcium carbonate, (a hard white substance), forms when moisture reacts with un-hydrated cement powder and regenerates the curing process. This self-healing process creates a monolithic structure. In Ohio, the Department of Transportation developed a post construction inspection standard for installed pipe that requires nothing be done to a pipe with a crack width up to 0.06-inch, due to the autogenous healing that is expected to occur.
