Millions of deteriorated culverts and storm

sewers across North America need evaluation

and possibly repair or replacement. Almost all
buried pipe investigations have examined
new structures, and much still needs to be
learned about the strength of deteriorated
pipes. This project examined the strength of
corroded corrugated metal culverts.
First, a technique was developed to measure
the remaining wall thickness in corroded
structures. Next, patterns of wall loss were
established for two deteriorated test culverts
provided by the Ministry of Transportation,
Ontario. Finite element calculations were
performed to predict the stability of the two
deteriorated culverts. Full scale experiments
were then undertaken using the facilities in
the GeoEngineering Laboratory at Queens.
Each structure was buried in coarse grained
backfill, and deformations and strains meas-
ured under single wheel pairs and single axle
loading. The more heavily deteriorated struc-
ture (shown in the photograph) was then test-
ed to collapse, and the failure mode estab-
lished: local bending across the culvert
crown, and local buckling of remnants of
steel left between corrosion-induced perfora-
tions at the haunches.
Post-test analyses established the poor per-
formance of existing design equations in Canadian and
US highway bridge codes, and provides guidance on the
use of finite element analysis for stability assessments.
Supervisors:
Neil A. Hoult, PhD, PEng
Assistant Professor
neil.hoult@queensu.ca tel: 613 533 3436
Ian D. Moore, PhD, PEng, FCAE, FEIC
Professor and Canada Research Chair in
Infrastructure Engineering
moore@civil.queensu.ca tel: 613 533 3160
Sponsors: NSERC, US Academy of Sciences
A S S E S S ME N T O F D E T E R I O R A T E D C O R R U G A T E D S T E E L
C U L V E R T S
Q U A N T I T A T I V E P R O C E D U R E F O R C U L V E R T A S S E S S ME N T
Current culvert assessments often rely on the opinions
of the individual inspector regarding the need for re-
pair or replacement. Van Thien Mai developed an ob-
jective quantitative assessment procedure based on:
A. characterisation of remaining steel plate thick-
ness using ultrasonic thickness measurements
B. Calculation of deteriorated culvert stability using
culvert analysis package CANDE or other finite
element programs (e.g. ABAQUS)
V A N T H I E N M A I , M A S C ( 2 0 1 3 )
R E S E A R C H S U MMA R Y
U S E O F A N U L T R A -
S O N I C T H I C K N E S S
G A G E F O R WA L L
L O S S ME A S U R E -
ME N T WA S E V A L U -
A T E D
T WO D E T E R I O R A T -
E D P I P E S A MP L E S
WE R E A S S E S S E D
P R E D I C T I O N S O F
P E R F O R MA N C E
WE R E MA D E U S I N G
F I N I T E E L E ME N T
A N A L Y S I S
S A MP L E S WE R E
B U R I E D A N D T E S T -
E D A T T WO C O V E R
D E P T H S
O N E S T R U C T U R E
WA S T E S T E D U P T O
I T S U L T I MA T E L I M-
I T S T A T E
C O MP A R I S O N O F
ME A S U R E ME N T S
WI T H C A L C U L A -
T I O N S S H O WE D
T H E I N C O N S I S T E N T
P E R F O R MA N C E O F
D E S I G N T H E O R I E S
H I G H L I G H T S
Involved computer
analysis and full-scale
testing of deteriorated
specimens from MTO
Supported by the
Transportation Re-
search Board (US
Academy of Sciences)
Provides input for
development of new
assessment proce-
dures for AASHTO
GeoEngineering Centre at QueensRMC, Queens University
Ellis Hall, 58 University Avenue, Kingston ON K7L 3N6, Canada
613 533 3160 info@geoeng.ca
www.geoeng.ca
Monitoring system and distress seen in the more heavi-
ly deteriorated culvert during ultimate limit state testing
Van taking ultrasonic thickness
measurements in the field.
Local bending



Local buckling