Culvert Cleaning Methods

[David Merrill]

Suggestions sought for DIY cleaning of accumulations of solidified, clay based sediments from long neglected roadside culverts ?

Some culverts run under the pavement of single-lane neighborhood private lanes and are pretty accessible from at least one end. Others running parallel to the pavement (e.g., at driveway accesses) tend to be filled in at the ends and less accessible. Most culverts are cement construction (some corrugated steel) and range from 8 to 20 inches inside diameter and up to 20 feet in length. Some are almost 90 percent blocked.

Ideas so far include high pressure hose (but limited water supply from wells, no city water) and some sort of scrapers affixed to ends of lengths of metal pipe (not convenient where culvert ends are not accessible above grade).

David Merrill

[jim]

if its on public property call up the city and they will fix it for you with a fast high pressure pump flush and vacuum truck cleaning..if its on private property, well they still might do it.. they do in the area i live in.. where i live if you needed a manhole cover or box, you simply went to the water board and the supervisor would tell you to take what you need.... they, govt. would also come out and cut trees on your property...i never needed this... if mud/dirt is needed call them up and they would send you a truck load out.. they changed it to you pay for the stuff and they deliver it to you(no charge for the truck).. i have a friend/co worker who had payed for the concrete and delivery of same and the govt. workers did the finishing on the driveway......... county right next door will do none of this.... so you can check it out and see what your city/county people will do for you.....

[Dan G]

If you can, clear the the silt from each end to the proper grade, even a little low. The next several heavy rains should clear it for you. The only way they can silt in is if the current gets stopped and the sediment falls out of solution. The other possibility might be that the pipe is bellied or collapsed. If you can see a full circle of light at the far end, this will not be true. The one other possiblity would be that it was set with negative grade. Bellied or negative grade will need to be excavated and reset.