Question
What are main dissimilarities in applications between pipe culverts and box culverts?
Answer
Essentially, culvert resources covered hydraulic structure that conveys fluid. So in a broad sense, pipe culverts in small scale stand for normal pipes similar to precast concrete pipes.
In conditions of hydraulic presentation, circular section is best geometrical sections between all. Consequently, for relative little discharge, precast concrete pipes and ductile iron pipes are usually used which are circular in shape. For applications of extremely large flow, precast concrete pipes and ductile iron pipes might not be obtainable in present market. In this connection, cast-in-situ structure has to be employed. It is further than doubt that fabrication of formwork for circular shape is not easy when compared with regular box culvert structures. Still, circular shape is mainly hydraulic efficient structure which way for a given release, area of flow is smallest amount. Thus, it helps to save cost of extra linings compulsory for choice of box culverts.
But, box culverts do own a number of advantages. As in they can manage with large flow situation anywhere headroom is partial since height of box culverts can be reduced while size of pipe culverts is permanent. Secondly, for some difficult site situations for example excavation of arrangement in rock, for same equivalent cross-sectional area, width of box culverts know how to be designed to be lesser than that of pipe culverts and this improves smaller quantity of excavation and backfilling.