Introduction
Culverts are essential infrastructure components that facilitate water flow beneath roads and railways, preventing flooding and erosion. However, leaks and structural damage can compromise their functionality, posing environmental and infrastructural risks. Learn how innovative repair systems, employing injection techniques and grouting methods to seal leaks and stabilize surrounding soil, can be utilized to repair culverts economically and effectively.
This quick guide explores the significance of maintaining culvert integrity through advanced repair solutions, highlighting the importance of addressing leaks and cracks to ensure the longevity and reliability of these underground waterways.
What exactly is a Culvert?
Functioning like underground tunnels, culverts are subterranean waterways, enabling the movement of water from one side of a roadway or another type of traffic embankment to the other side.
From an aerial view, a culvert might be also likened to a bridge, purposefully crafted to enable the transit of vehicles or pedestrian traffic over a water passage.
Various materials can be employed to construct culverts, such as corrugated steel pipe, reinforced concrete, or other suitable materials.
SealBoss Culvert Repair Systems
SealBoss delivers comprehensive solutions for the rehabilitation and leak repair of culverts, effectively sealing water seepage through cracks and joints.
Moreover, the SealBoss Culvert Repair Injection Systems are designed to fill any existing voids in the soil that surrounds the culvert and to stabilize any loose soil that may impair the traffic embankment above it. This is accomplished using permeation grouting techniques, which make use of low viscosity polymer foam resin, grout injection lances and appropriate pumping equipment.
With our repair systems the service life of a culvert structure can be extended at reasonable cost.
Culvert Damages and Inspections
Culverts, also known as storm culverts, are tunnel-like structures designed to enable water to flow beneath obstructions such as roads, railways, or trails. Typically enveloped by soil, these culverts, when compromised by leaks, can contribute to soil erosion and the formation of sinkholes, thereby potentially damaging the overlying structures.
SealBoss presents a range of cost-effective solutions for repairing culvert leaks and stabilizing soil permeation. These systems are designed to effectively address water leakage through cracks and cold joints, as well as the accompanying issues of soil erosion.
Failure to address deteriorating and leaking culverts can result in significant, potentially dramatic damage and risk to both the environment and infrastructural elements.
Culvert Repair using Injection Grout –
Applicable to Precast Pipe, Reinforced Concrete and other Material Culverts
SealBoss Injection Systems offer a versatile solution, suitable for culverts constructed from various materials.
Depending on the design and job site conditions, hydro-active grouts can be either directly injected into the concrete structure to seal cracks and voids, or introduced into the soil behind the structure. The latter method creates a waterproof curtain, fills voids, and permeates the soil to achieve stabilization and compaction.
Culvert Leak Repair from the Inside of the Structure
- Crack & Joint Repair in Thick Concrete Culvert Structures – Drill into the structure in an angle
- Curtain Injection / Soil Permeation – Drill through the structure to the outside of the culvert to fill the void and crate a curtain behind the structure
- Set Injection Packers
- For Soil Permeation Grouting use Injection Lances
- Repair wide pipe penetrations with Seal-Oakum prior to injection
- Start injection at the bottom if applicable
- SealBoss Seal-Oakum / Oakum Soakum Technique
Always have SealBoss Seal-Oakum at the jobsite to plug larger voids and joints. The Oakum Soakum Technique explained here.
Culvert Leak Repair from the Outside
- If inaccessible, inspect culvert using survey camera equipment for leaks and damages
- Map out and mark injection locations on the accessible structure above the culvert
- Set Injection Lances to specification
- Start injection to specification
SealBoss Culvert Repair System Training
We offer in-depth training on the application of high-pressure polyurethane water stop foam injection, using various SealBoss tools such as Injection Pumps, Hydro-Active Grout Systems, Injection Packers, Injection Lances, and Seal-Oakum.
A technical specialist from SealBoss will be present on-site to provide training and assistance to the contractor, with the ultimate aim of creating a work crew that feels confident and at ease with the application process.
The training will cover the use of pumps, setting up packers, and the injection procedure, including cleanup activities. Contractors will also be taught how to apply the catalyzed resin-soaked SealBoss Seal-Oakum.
Should you have any queries regarding culvert repair, feel free to reach out to our team of skilled SealBoss representatives. We can schedule an on-site consultation and provide comprehensive training on our injection systems.
