If you have a failing culvert, storm drain, seawall, or other structure, partnering with a trusted company to provide repairs is critical. The sooner this problem is taken care of with the proper culvert repairs, the better. Here’s what you need to know:
What Is a Culvert?
A culvert is a tunnel-like path that water moves through. It helps to channel water from one side of a roadway (or near an embankment) to the other. Culverts work like a tunnel structure under a roadway, driveway, or another surface, allowing pedestrians and cars to cross over the top while water passes underneath. Most often, they are made from reinforced concrete or steel pipe. Culvert repairs become necessary when something occurs to limit the function and movement of the water.
Examining the Problem
It can be easy to identify a collapsed culvert if there’s structural damage on the exterior. Other times, that’s not the case. Sometimes, it can be more difficult to determine if a culvert pipe repair is needed, especially if you cannot see the damage under the roadway or surface. This is where having an extensive inspection is critical. To do that, turn to a culvert repair company to get more information about what you can expect.
Types of Culvert Repairs
The key to long-term, sustainable outcomes is to ensure proper culvert restoration is completed. In some more extreme cases, that may mean complete culvert replacement. However, often you will just need to make repairs to the existing structure. Some of the methods that could be used include:
- Cast in place. This method allows for a high-strength coating to be applied to the interior. This can help to extend the life of the pipes.
- Sliplining. This method involves the addition of a slip lining within the existing culvert to repair the damage and improve overall structural integrity.
- Geopolymer. This method is the use of mortar to rehabilitate manholes and culverts, as well as other pipes that are large in diameter by using a material that is not likely to corrode over time.
- Shotcreting. This method is a type of affordable trenchless technology where a significant amount of concrete mixture is sprayed into the area.
How to Determine the Best Method for Your Situation
Concrete culvert repairs do not always call for excavation of the area and starting over. If there is significant collapsing of the pipes and lines in the middle, however, this is going to make it more likely that a full replacement is needed. However, concrete pipe repairs can be carried out in a range of ways without creating a lot of damage to the exterior, which often helps to reduce the overall cost of the process.
The key to getting what you need is to contact an experienced culvert company like K.E. Braza to provide a full inspection of the area. Then, it is necessary to have a plan created to develop a long-term solution.