Culvert (nonfiction)

Culvert under the B3270 One of a set of culverts under the B3270 to allow any floodwater from the nearby River Loddon to pass under, rather than over, the road.

A culvert is a structure that allows water to flow under a road, railroad, trail, or similar obstruction from one side to the other side. Typically embedded so as to be surrounded by soil, a culvert may be made from a pipe, reinforced concrete or other material. In the United Kingdom the word can also be used for a longer artificially buried watercourse.

A structure that carries water above land is known as an aqueduct.

Culverts are commonly used both as cross-drains for ditch relief and to pass water under a road at natural drainage and stream crossings. A culvert may be a bridge-like structure designed to allow vehicle or pedestrian traffic to cross over the waterway while allowing adequate passage for the water. Culverts come in many sizes and shapes including round, elliptical, flat-bottomed, pear-shaped, and box-like constructions. The culvert type and shape selection is based on a number of factors including requirements for hydraulic performance, limitation on upstream water surface elevation, and roadway embankment height.

The process of removing culverts, which is becoming increasingly prevalent, is known as daylighting. In the UK, the practice is also known as deculverting.

In the News

• 

  Writer and philosopher Culvert Origenes tells interview that "living in a culvert is not as glamorous as you might think."

Nonfiction cross-reference

External links:

• Culvert @ Wikipedia
• culvert @ Wiktionary