IJSRD - International Journal for Scientific Research & Development| Vol.

3, Issue 06, 2015 | ISSN (online): 2321-0613

A Comparative Design of One Cell and Twin Cell RCC Box Type Minor
Bridge
B. Sravanthi1 G.RamaKrishna2 Dr. M. Kameswara Rao3
1
M.Tech. Student 2Associate Professor 3Professor & HOD
1,2,3
Department of Civil Engineering
1,2,3
Malla Reddy Engineering College Autonomous), Secunderabad
Abstract Bridges are required to be provided under earth bridges depending on their span which in turn depends on
embankment for crossing of water course like streams, the discharge. The culvert cover upto waterways of 6 m
Nallas across the embankment as road embankment cannot (IRC:5-19981) and can mainly be of two types, namely, box
be allowed to obstruct the natural water way. Bridges are or slab. The box is one which has its top and bottom slabs
also required to balance the flood water on both sides of monolithically connected to the vertical walls. In case of a
earth embankment to reduce flood level on one side of road slab culvert the top slab is supported over the vertical walls
thereby decreasing the water head consequently reducing the (abutments/ piers) but has no monolithic connection
flood menace. These can be constructed with different between them.
material such as masonry (brick, stone etc) or reinforced A box culvert can have more than single cell and
cement concrete. Since bridge pass through the earthen can be placed such that the top slab is almost at road level
embankment, these are subjected to same traffic loads as the and there is no cushion. A box can also be placed within the
road carries and therefore, required to be designed for such embankment where top slab is few meters below the road
loads. Culverts are required to be provided under earth surface and such boxes are termed with cushion. The size of
embankment for crossing of water course like streams,. This box and the invert level depend on the hydraulic
Paper deals with box culverts made of RCC, with and requirements governed by hydraulic designs. The height of
without cushion. The size, invert level, layout etc. are cushion is governed by the road profile at the location of the
decided by hydraulic considerations and site conditions. The culvert.
cushion depends on road profile at the culvert location. The
scope of this Paper has been further restricted to the II. NEED FOR RESEARCH
structural design of box. The structural design involves This Paper is devoted to box culverts constructed in
consideration of load cases (box empty, full, surcharge loads reinforced concrete having one, two or three cells and
etc.) and factors like live load, effective width, braking varying cushion including no cushion. The main emphasis is
force, dispersal of load through fill, impact factor, co- on the methodology of design which naturally covers the
efficient of earth pressure etc. Relevant IRC Codes are type of loading as per relevant IRC Codes and their
required to be referred. The structural elements are required combination to produce the worst effect for a safe structure.
to be designed to withstand maximum bending moment and The IS: 1893-1984 (Clause 6.1.3) provide that box
shear force. The Paper provides full discussions on the culverts need not be designed for earthquake forces, hence
provisions in the Codes, considerations and justification of no earthquake forces are considered. Although box of
all the above aspects on design. Proper design covering maximum three cells has been discussed but in practice a
these aspects has also been given in the Annexure. To our box culvert can have more cells depending on the
knowledge, these matters have neither been covered in any requirements at site. Culverts are provided to allow water to
text book nor in any special publication at one place. This pass through the embankment and follow natural course of
project deals with box minor bridges made of RCC. The flow but these are also provided to balance the water level
size, invert level, layout etc. are decided by hydraulic on both sides of embankment during floods, such culverts
considerations and site conditions. The cushion depends on are termed as balancers (IRC:78-2000), although there is no
road profile at the bridge location. The structural design difference in the design.
involves consideration of load cases (box empty, full,
surcharge loads etc.) and factors like live load, effective
width, braking force, dispersal of load through fill, impact
factor, co-efficient of earth pressure etc. Relevant IRC
Codes are referred. The structural elements are designed to
withstand maximum bending moment and shear force.
Key words: Minor Bridge, RCC Box Culvert, Single &
Double Cell box Culvert, IRC Codes

I. INTRODUCTION
It is well known that roads are generally constructed in
embankment which comes in the way of natural flow of
storm water (from existing drainage channels). As, such
flow cannot be obstructed and some kind of cross drainage
works are required to be provided to allow water to pass
across the embankment. The structures to accomplish such
flow across the road are called culverts, small and major Fig. 1: Double cell Box Culvert acting as a Minor Bridge

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 A Comparative Design of One Cell and Twin Cell RCC Box Type Minor Bridge
(IJSRD/Vol. 3/Issue 06/2015/116)

Sometimes the road alignment may cross a stream IV. IMPACT OF LIVE LOAD
at an angle other than right angle, in such situation a skew Moving loads create impact when these move over the deck
culvert may be provided. For a smaller span there would be slab (top slab). The impact depends on the class and type of
no difference in the design of culvert but it may require an load. The IRC:6-2000 Code gives formula to obtain impact
edge beam and the layout of wing walls will have to be factor for different kind of loads by which the live load is to
planned as per skew angle. For a box culvert, the top slab is be increased to account for impact. The box without cushion
required to withstand dead loads, live loads from moving where the top slab will be subjected to impact is required to
traffic, earth pressure on sidewalls, water pressure from be designed for live loads including such impact loads. Any
inside, and pressure on the bottom slab besides self-weight such impact is not supposed to act on box with cushion.
of the slab. Hence no such impact factor shall be considered for box
A multi cell box can cater for large discharge and with cushion. The impact by its very nature is not supposed
can be accommodated within smaller height of to act at lower depth and no impact is considered for the
embankment. It does not require separate elaborate bottom slab of the box. It does not affect the vertical walls
foundation and can be placed on soft soil by providing of the box and not considered in the design.
suitable base slab projection to reduce base pressure within
the safe bearing capacity of foundation soil. Bearings are not
needed. It is convenient to extend the existing culvert in the
event of widening of the carriageway at a later date as per
future requirement, without any problem of design and/or
construction.

III. CO-EFFICIENT OF EARTH PRESSURE

The earth can exert pressure, minimum as active and
maximum as passive, or in between called pressure at rest. It
depends on the condition obtained at site (Terzaghi4 and
Gulati5). For example in case of a retaining wall where the
wall is free to yield and can move away from the earth fill
the pressure exerted by the earth shall tend to reach active
state and thus be minimum
Fig. 4: Impact of Live Load on Double cell Box Culvert

V. DESIGN OF TYPICAL BOX

Based on the above discussions and clarifications design of
a typical box covering all above mentioned points are
presented as Annexure. The box of 3 m x 3 m without
cushion and with 5 m cushion has been given. Various load
cases have been given for the maximum design moments.
The box has also been checked in shear and shear
reinforcement provided as required. The relevant parameters
are mentioned in the design.
It is seen that they compare well. The design of box
can, therefore, be carried out by STAAD. Pro as well. Input
data sheet, bending moment diagram and shear force
diagram as obtained by STAAD. Pro are given in the Paper
at Annex C. The analysis part to get these design moment
Fig. 2: Double cell Box Culvert End Cross Section and shear values for relevant members which runs in
number of pages, is not given in the Paper as it will add to
the length without serving much purpose. The STAAD. Pro
is well known computer software commonly used.
A. General Codes
The design of various components of the bridge, in general
are based on provisions of IRC/IS Codes. Wherever IRC
code is silent, reference is made to other Indian/International
codes and standards. The list of IRC Codes (latest revisions)
given below will serve as a guide for the design of
structures.
IRC: 5-1998 Standard Specifications and Code of
Practice for Road Bridges, Section I General
Features of Design.

Fig. 3: Double cell Box Culvert Middle Cross Section

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 A Comparative Design of One Cell and Twin Cell RCC Box Type Minor Bridge
(IJSRD/Vol. 3/Issue 06/2015/116)

IRC: 6-2000 Standard Specifications and Code of dispersal of loads either through walls or through fills
Practice for Road Bridges, Section-II Loads and effective width loses its applicability.
Stresses. 13) The design of box is covered by three load cases dealt
IRC: 21-2011 Standard Specifications and Code of in this paper. The forth situation when whole box is
Practice for Road Bridges submerged under water, provide design moments etc
less than given by the three load cases hence need not
B. Design of Elements be considered.
The live load intensities obtained are applied on the 14) The design of box with cushion done by STAAD. Pro
top slab and analysed to obtain the forces at various computer software compares very close to manual
required locations in top slab and side walls. design.
Combination factors according to IRC:6-2010
Annexure B Table 3.2 are multiplied to the forces to REFERENCES
obtain the design forces. [1] IRC:5-1998, Standard Specifications and Code of
The maximum & minimum base pressures are Practice for Road Bridges, Section I.
applied onto the bottom slab and analysed to obtain [2] IS:1893-1984, Criteria for Earthquake Resistant
the forces and these forces are multiplied with the Design of Structures, Fourth Revision.
combination factors to obtain the design forces. [3] IRC:78-2000, Standard Specifications and Code of
For the serviceability limit state, rare combination is Practice for Road Bridges, Section VII, Foundation
adopted to check the stresses in various components and Substructure.
and Quasi-permanent combinations to check cracking [4] Terzaghi and Karl, Theoretical Soil Mechanics, John
Wiley and Sons, ING. Tenth Printing, 1962.
VI. CONCLUSIONS [5] Gulhati, Shashi K. and Datta, Manoj, Geotechnical
1) Box for cross drainage works across high embankments Engineering, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company
has many advantages compared to a slab culvert. Limited, 2005.
2) It is easy to add length in the event of widening of the [6] IRC:21-2000, Standard Specifications and Code of
road. Practice for Road Bridges, Section III.
3) Box is structurally very strong, rigid and safe. [7] MORT&H (Ministry of Road Transport and
4) Box does not need any elaborate foundation and can Highways), Standard Drawings for Box Cell
easily be placed over soft foundation by increasing base Culverts, New Delhi, 2000.
slab projection to retain base pressure within safe [8] Krishna, Jai and Jain, O.P., Plain and Reinforced
bearing capacity of ground soil. Concrete, Volume II, Nem Chand & Bros., Roorkee
5) Box of required size can be placed within the (U.P.), 1966.
embankment at any elevation by varying cushion. This [9] AASHTO (American Association of State Highways
is not possible in case of slab culvert. and Transportation Officials), Standard Specifications
6) Right box can be used for flow of water in skew for Highway Bridges, 17th Edition, 2002.
direction by increasing length or providing edge beam [10] IRC:6-2000, Standard Specifications and Code of
around the box and it is not necessary to design skew Practice for Road Bridges, Section II.
box. [11] Ramamurtham, S., Design of Reinforced Concrete
7) Easy to construct, practically no maintenance, can have Structures, Dhanpat Rai Publishing Company, Tenth
multi-cell to match discharge within smaller height of Edition, 1985.
embankment. [12] IRC: 5-1998 - Standard Specifications and Code of
8) Small variation in co-efficient of earth pressure has Practice for Road Bridges, Section I General Features
9) little influence on the design of box particularly without of Design.
cushion. [13] IRC: 6-2014 - Standard Specifications and Code of
10) For culverts without cushion (or little cushion) taking Practice for Road Bridges, Section-II Loads and
effective width as per provision in IRC:21-2000 Stresses.
corresponding to for continuous slab shall not be [14] IRC: 18-2000 - Design Criteria for Prestressed Concrete
correct. It is likely to provide design moments and shear Road Bridges (Post Tensioned Concrete).
on lower side hence not safe. [15] IRC: 21-2000 - Standard Specifications and Code of
11) For box without cushion braking force is required to be Practice for Road Bridges, Section-III Plain and
considered particularly for smaller span culverts. Reinforced Cement Concrete.
Further for distribution of braking force effects the [16] IRC: 22-1986 - Standard Specifications and Code of
same effective width as applicable for vertical Practice for Road Bridges, Section-VI Composite
application of live load shall be considered. If braking Construction.
force is not considered or distributed over the whole [17] IRC: 78-2014 - Standard Specifications and Code of
length of box (not restricted within the effective width) Practice for Road Bridges, Section-IV Foundations
the design shall be unsafe. and Substructure.
12) It may be seen that affects effective width, mainly
applicable for the top slab (particularly for box without
cushion) and braking force. As regards bottom slab and
top and bottom slabs of box with cushion due to

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