Skip to content

DESIGN

Strength & versatility for your most demanding applications

Concrete is one of the most durable and long-lasting construction materials on the planet.  Utilized for centuries to build roads, fortresses, and colosseums.  With better admixtures, improved production techniques, and engineering innovations, concrete has evolved to become more resilient than ever.  

As a result of its longevity, products like concrete pipe and box culverts have benefited in terms of their strength and flexibility allowing them to be used in almost any project.  As a rigid system, with as much as 85% of the products strength comes from the pipe itself making less than 15% dependent on the soil and the reliability of the installation.  This minimizes risk and lowers the long-term costs of the project. 
 
Additionally, with a variety of tools like the Design Manual, fill-height tables, and design software, you can be sure that what is being designed is backed with sound engineering and a variety of sizes, shapes, joints and seal options.  There is also an array of linings and coatings to help the product handle the most aggressive environment.
 
 
With the factor of safety designed into the product, concrete pipe and box culverts are some of the safest and the most resilient products available in the market allowing them to withstand even the most extreme weather events.  Additionally, having multiple classes of products allow for versatility in our design calculations that serve any project needs.
 
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our Design FAQ page to learn more about direct vs indirect design, D-loads, the different classes of pipe, and more!
 
VISIT DESIGN FAQs
 

FILL HEIGHT TABLES

Fill-Height-Table

LRFD Fill Height Table

CONCRETE PIPE

ACPA-Website-Fill-Height-Table-Eliptical-1

LRFD Fill Height Table

ELLIPTICAL & ARCH

Concrete Pipe Design Manual

The Concrete Pipe Design Manual is an indispensable tool to help engineers select the type, size, and strength requirements of pipe. It eliminates the lengthy computations and includes standard installations using the indirect design method. More than 330 pages of tables and figures covering hydraulics of sewers and culverts, live loads and earth loads, supporting strengths and supplemental design data are listed. Detailed example problems of specific applications illustrate the use of the time saving design aids included in the manual.

The Design Manual is a companion volume to the Concrete Pipe Handbook.

Sherman Dixie box project installation section

RELATED RESOURCES