International Journal of

Advanced Structures and Geotechnical Engineering

ISSN 2319-5347, Vol. 02, No. 03, July 2013

Hydrological and Hydraulic Study of Bridges / Culverts

NOUMAN KHATTAK1, SALMAN AFZAL2, SYED AZMAT ALI SHAH3,
MUHAMMAD EJAZ SHABAB4, NAVID AHMAD1
1

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan

Department of Civil Engineering, Gandhara Institute of Science and Technology Peshawar, Pakistan
3
Department of Civil Engineering, IQRA National University, Peshawar, Pakistan
4
Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan
Email: salmanafzalkhan@gmail.com

Abstract: This study discusses the hydrological and hydraulics study for bridges/culverts in order to
estimate the 100-year water surface elevation at a given project site. Bridges (and sometimes very
large culverts) are very expensive hydraulic structures which usually have a design period of 100
years. Most bridges fail due to overtopping of flood water. In Pakistan, due attention is usually not
given to this important study, that result in the failure of bridges before reaching their design periods.
In the current scenario, no one can deny the importance of this study especially after the destruction of
bridges due to recent floods (July 2010) in Pakistan. This study is focussed on various hydrological
and hydraulics procedures to calculate the 100-year flood discharge at a culvert site on Long Branch
located under Guinea Road in Virginia, USA. For this purpose, we used Anderson method to estimate
the discharges for various return periods. The bridge engineer can then fix the road level for the
culvert keeping in view a suitable free board value. Such a structure will not be overtopped by a flood
that has a recurrence interval of 100 years.
Keywords: Bridge, Culvert, Return period, Overtopping

1. Introduction
Bridges are very expensive structures. Millions
of rupees are spent on bridges in Pakistan but
most of them do not last longer because either
the hydrological and hydraulics study are not
carried out at all or even if the study is carried
out, it is not properly implemented. Therefore,
the free board provided is not enough to
accommodate the floods of various return
periods. Thus the bridge is overtopped and the
structural integrity of the bridge is put into
jeopardy [1]. There is a need to carryout
hydrological and hydraulics study for a
bridge/culvert and then to apply whatever the
conclusion from the study is derived to a real
world scenario [2].
The project is about carrying out the
hydrological and hydraulics study for bridges
and culverts. Various hydrological and
hydraulics procedures are applied to determine
water surface elevation for floods of various
return periods at a bridge or culvert site [3].
The study will ensure that the structure is not
overtopped throughout its life time and will
remain safe and sound during its usage [4].
Every bridge should be designed to make sure
that 100-year flood will pass without putting the
structural integrity into jeopardy [5]. In most
cases the bridges fail due to overtopping of

flood water [6]. Therefore, bridges should be

designed so that they have enough room to pass
flood water safely without overtopping the
bridge [7].
2. Case Study
This case study deals with an existing culvert
along Long Branch under Guinea Road in
Fairfax County, Virginia, USA as in Fig 1. The
case study is part of the project for replacing the
existing twin corrugated metal pipe (CMP)
culvert (2-7260) with a new galvanized
corrugated steel pipe (2-8159) arches
(GCSPA).
The length of the existing culvert is 36 ft while
the length of the proposed new culvert is 38 ft
with the same cover. The skew for the existing
and proposed new culverts are 3 and 0
respectfully.
Following is the pertinent information regarding
the culverts and the stream, i.e. Long Branch:
Bridge Structure No: 6554
Latitude: N 38 50
Longitude: W 77 16
Existing width: 28-0 face to face of
Guardrails: 26-0 of pavement.

IJASGE 020302 Copyright 2013 BASHA RESEARCH CENTRE. All rights reserved.

NOUMAN KHATTAK, SALMAN AFZAL, SYED AZMAT ALI SHAH,

MUHAMMAD EJAZ SHABAB, NAVID AHMAD

Existing Span Layout: 2-7260 elliptical

CMP.
Proposed width: 35-0 face to face of
Guardrails.35-0 width of pavement.
Proposed Span Layout: 2 New-8158
galvanized corrugated steel pipe arches.
Live stream: Yes
Flooding pro
Existing dwellings or buildings in the
immediate vicinity: No

The existing and proposed scenarios are shown

in Fig. 2. The survey data for the existing
condition for the project is shown in Fig. 3 and
Fig. 4. It is clear from Fig. 4 that the contractor
is allocated a specific area for storage purposes
that creates no less inconvenience for the road
users.
1. Discharge calculations for the existing
culvert
In this project, we took a twin culvert located on
Guinea Road in Virginia, USA. We carried out
the hydrological and hydraulics study for this
culvert and determined the 100-year flood
discharge at the culvert site using various
hydrological and hydraulics procedures. We
found out the 100-year flood discharge by using
the Anderson method.
First of all, we obtained the contour map of the
area from the Fairfax Countys official website.
From the map, we found out the catchment area
by marking the ridges (i.e. the peak contour
values) and then joined all these values, thus we
located the divide of the catchment area on
contour map.

Fig 1. Site Location Map

Fig 2. Proposed plan of the bridge

International Journal of Advanced Structures and Geotechnical Engineering
ISSN 2319-5347, Vol. 02, No. 03, July 2013, pp 90-94

Hydrological and Hydraulic Study of Bridges / Culverts

Fig. 3 Survey Data-1

Fig. 4 Survey Data-2

International Journal of Advanced Structures and Geotechnical Engineering
ISSN 2319-5347, Vol. 02, No. 03, July 2013, pp 90-94

NOUMAN KHATTAK, SALMAN AFZAL, SYED AZMAT ALI SHAH,

MUHAMMAD EJAZ SHABAB, NAVID AHMAD

A divide is a line that separates the two

catchment areas. The catchment area was then
estimated using principle of triangulation. We
divided the whole area into triangles and
calculated the area of each triangle by using the
Eq. 1:
Eq. where At is the total
area of the catchment and from Eq. 2:
Eq. 2
where Ai is the area of ith triangle
S is half of the perimeter of the triangle as in
Eq. 3:
S=1/2(a+b+c)
Eq. 3
where a, b and c are the sides of triangle
The areas of all the triangles were added to
obtain the total area of the catchment, thus the
total catchment area is approximately 2.2 sq
miles. Then we found the distance between the
culvert and most remote point, L (i.e. longest
route or path) which is 2.335 miles.
Afterwards, we found the slope between 10 %
and 85% length of longest path by using Eq. 4:
S = (elevation at 85% of L-elevation at 10% of
L) / (distance between 10% and 85% of L)
Eq. 4
From the contour map:
Elevation at 85% of L = 375.00 ft
Elevation of point in question = 291.50 ft
Distance between 10% and 85% of L =
85% L-10% L = 1.7515 miles
Putting values in the above equation, we get:
S=(375-291.5)/1.7515
S = 47.673 ft/mile
The procedure for 100-year flood discharge
calculation by Anderson method is as follows:
The Anderson formula is given in Eq. 5:

Qf = 230 Rf KA.82 T(-2.48)

Eq. 5

The lag time T for completely developed and

sewered watersheds using Table 1 is found as
follows:
T=0.56(L/S)0.52
T=0.55(2.335/47.673)0.52

T = 0.318 hr
Rf is found using RN = 5.5, R100 = 2.2 (from
Table 2) and I = 30% as follows:
Rf = (RN + 0.01 * 0.9 (2.5 * 2.20 - 5.5)) / (1.00 +
0.0151)
Rf = 5.418
Hence, K is calculated as
K = 1+0.015*0.3
K = 1.45
Therefore, the discharges for different return
periods are calculated using Anderson Method
and are given in Table 1. as follows:
Table 1. Peak discharges using Andersons
Method
Discharges for
Value(cfs)
different return
periods
Q5-yr
2266.00
Q10-yr

2758.13

Q25-yr
Q50-yr
Q100-yr

3978.22
4978.22
5978.00

2. Conclusions and Recommendations

The following conclusions have been drawn
from the results of this study:
1. During high floods, a bridge is overtopped
by flowing water due to which its structural
integrity goes into jeopardy and results in
economic loss to the country.
2. When a bridge is damaged, its reconstruction
takes longer time and the communication
between the two communities ceases.
3. For the above mentioned problems, it is
mandatory to conduct the hydrological and
hydraulics study for existing and proposed
bridges/culverts.
4. In hydrological and hydraulics study, the
peak discharge for 100 years i.e. Q100-yr is
found at a bridge site for fixing the deck
level of the bridge (usually Q25 for culverts).
5. Recently the major floods (July 2010) struck
most of the bridges in Pakistan and damaged
them badly due to the negligence of
hydrological and hydraulics study.

International Journal of Advanced Structures and Geotechnical Engineering

ISSN 2319-5347, Vol. 02, No. 03, July 2013, pp 90-94

Hydrological and Hydraulic Study of Bridges / Culverts

Recommendations:
The hydrological and hydraulics studies for
all the existing bridges in Pakistan should
be carried out properly.
2. The bridge engineer must conduct these
studies before providing sufficient free
board at a new bridge site.
3. The deck level of the bridge must be at least
2 ft above the maximum water surface
elevation (as per a general rule in USA).
1.

5. References
[1] Bonner, Vernon R. and Brunner, Gray,
1994, HEC River Analysis System,
Hydraulic Engineering 94, Volume 1,
pages 376-380, Proceedings for the ASCE
1994 National Conference on Hydraulic
Engineering.
[2] Brunner, Gary W. and Piper, Steven.,
1994. Improved Hydraulic Features of the
HEC River Analysis System, Hydraulic
Engineering 94, Volume 1, pages 502506, Proceedings for the ASCE 1994
National Conference on Hydraulic
Engineering.

[3] Federal Highway Administration (FHWA),

1985. Hydraulic Design of Highway
Culverts, Hydraulic Design Series No. 5,
US Department
of Transportation,
Washington, DC.
[4] HEC, 1994. HEC River Analysis System,
Technical Paper No. 147, Davis, CA,
August 1994.
[5] Calderon, Camilo, 2006, Spatio-temporal
variability of evapotranspiration rates and
its effect on distributed hydrologic
modelling of a regional water balance:
M.S. Thesis, University of Oklahoma, 93p.
[6] Seilheimer, T.S., and Fisher, W. L., 2008,
Instream flow assessment of steams
draining the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer:
Final report submitted to the Oklahoma
Water Resources Board, 49p.
[7] Vieux, B. E., and Moreno, M. A., 2008,
Arbuckle-Simpson
Hydrology Study,
Distributed water resources assessment:
Final report submitted to the Oklahoma
Water Resources Board, University of
Oklahoma School of Civil Engineering and
Environmental Science, 44p.

International Journal of Advanced Structures and Geotechnical Engineering

ISSN 2319-5347, Vol. 02, No. 03, July 2013, pp 90-94