Culverts are engineered constructs. They act like tunnels and let streams flow under roads or railways. Many of them are used as bridges that can carry the traffic. They let us maintain our transport without interfering with water bodies. Culverts can be found in numerous shapes (e.g., round, flat, pear-like, etc.). The selection of a shape or size depends on the upstream elevation, the desired roadway height, and many other cofactors.
Among them, box culverts have proved to be game-changers. But unfortunately, because of their herculean strength, their use-case scenario often includes massive amounts of water that need their direction to be changed. They have brought a revolution in the construction industry, making the whole process quicker and providing optimal robustness.
Here are the most common 5 uses for concrete box culverts:
Table of Contents
1. Short-span bridges
The most common use of concrete box culverts are short-span bridges. They can be seen everywhere, from highways to waterways, from railways to golf courses. Closing or building a bridge for a long time can create chaos on highways and rural roads and becomes a reason for distress for the general public. So, the less time it takes, the less hassle it is. And box culverts reduce the time dramatically because they are precast.
The lifecycle costs of concrete box culverts are pretty low too. The last decades have needed very little maintenance with little wear and tear. Being precast, they save on labor charges and installation time too.
And they provide unmatched resiliency. In case of a flood or backflow, they’re assured to be in place.
2. Sewage and storm-drains
These box culverts are a very popular choice for every type of water conveyance. That’s why they are regularly used in stormwater drains and sewage for industrial wastes. They adapt to any drainage system. For example, it can drain water out of the streets, clearing any possible waterlogging. It can be beneficial for industrial purposes too. However, most of the industrial waste ultimately reaches the rivers.
These concrete box culverts can help drain a lot of wastewaters, diminishing the water pollution.
3. Waterways and rainwater management
Box culverts can yield systematic long-term management of waterways. They can be used as strong and durable passages. They can help maintain a proper flow of water under bridges and roads. They can also be strategically placed to change the direction of the water flow.
And it’s regularly used to manage rainwater. These can gather the rainwater in case of overloads, manage the excess and then drain it down the river. They can also store the rainwater for later usage.
4. Communication
Many companies make use of concrete box culverts to carry and spread telephone cables, which are often used as dial-up networks in many faraway areas. So, they can protect two modes of communication (telephone and internet) for many places where other more modern ways don’t always provide the same quality.
They are beneficial in cold climates, too, because it can be a back-breaking operation to bury those cables below the frost.
The poles capitulate to floods and earthquakes in locales where the water level can get high. So, these box culverts can be of use there too.
5. Passages for wildlife and underground facilities
Areas with rich wildlife often face disturbances in the roads, and the wild creatures sometimes get irritated by crowds of people. The box culverts can be utilized for wildlife crossings. If there’s a passway built over the streams, it will help the wildlife safely cross as per their will.
It can also be used for many underground purposes. For example, commercial and industrial establishments can use these culverts to create an escape route in any unforeseen circumstance. Many malls and complexes use the box culverts for setting up underground parking. As a direct consequence, the roads suffer less traffic.
These can be used to forge underground storage and even underground connections from prisons.
Conclusion
So, box culverts are like a jack of all trades. They can clear out various probable threats. They also save a LOT of money and provide durability in construction that’s hard to attain. They’ve been all around us with a long list of efficient applications, providing safety and connection.
Concrete box culverts have proven their worth in every scenario where solidity, longevity, and economic gains are of cardinal significance.
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