Metal Culvert Repair with Fiber Reinforced Concrete

About the project:

Rehabilitation of corrugated metal pipe culvert inverts - the portion of the structure that typically exhibits the most deterioration with age - using concrete is a viable and cost-effective treatment. Currently, a thickness of 4 inches of concrete is added to the invert of the culvert to provide the needed 2-in cover for the welded wire mesh.  This added depth in certain cases may significantly alter the natural hydrology of the waterway and create a physical barrier to aquatic organisms.  One approach to minimizing the thickness of culvert repair material is to use fiber-reinforced concrete with or without additional biaxial geogrid material for strengthening. This study will analyze the performance of fiber reinforced concrete, in the form of prepared cloth and cast-in-place concrete, for culvert  repairs. The results of the study are expected to provide material properties and placement procedures that will be incorporated into a VDOT special provision for rehabilitating the inverts of metal culverts with concrete.

Project Team

Principal Investigators