Overview
Accumulation of debris at inlets of highway culverts and bridge structures is a frequent cause of unsatisfactory performance and malfunction. There are various potential problems associated with debris accumulations. In general, debris accumulations can adversely impact the conveyance through a culvert or bridge structure, exacerbate the contraction and local scour at a bridge structure, increase the hydraulic loading on a bridge structure, and cause upstream flooding. Therefore, consideration of debris accumulations and the need for debris-control structures should be an essential part of the design of all drainage structures.
Structural and non-structural measures have been used effectively to prevent or reduce the size of debris accumulations at bridges and culverts. Structural measures can include features that: (a) intercept debris at or upstream of a structure inlet; (b) deflect debris near the inlet; or (c) orient the debris to facilitate passage of the debris through the structure. Non-structural measures include management of the upstream watershed and maintenance.
The target audience for this course is structural, transportation, and other civil engineers who oversee design or maintenance of culverts or bridges. The course material is based on the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) publication FHWA-IF-04-016, Debris Control Structures – Evaluation and Countermeasures, Hydraulic Engineering Circular 9, Third Edition.
Once you complete your course review, you need to take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of thirty-five (35) questions to earn PDH credits.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained
This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:
- Debris types and problems associated with their accumulation at culverts & bridges
- Estimating the volume of floating debris upstream of a bridge
- Estimating the potential for the debris to accumulate on a bridge
- Estimating the potential maximum size of the debris accumulation
- Guidelines for modeling & analyzing debris accumulations on a bridge
- Structural countermeasures: selection criteria and design guidelines for culverts & bridges
- Non-structural countermeasures: maintenance and debris management
Course
Click on the following link to the PDF document to review the course material before taking the quiz for credit.
Debris Control for Culverts & Bridges
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