Culvert Installation and Replacement in the St. Louis Region
A culvert carries a creek, ditch or storm flow under a driveway, road, parking lot or embankment. Kuesel installs new culverts and replaces failing ones for property owners, facility managers, developers and municipalities across the St. Louis region, with our own union crews. Emergency calls answered 24/7. Call (636) 978-3478.
Signs a culvert is failing
- Sinkholes, dips or cracking in the pavement or ground over the pipe, especially over joints
- Holes in the embankment beside the pipe, or water running outside the pipe instead of through it (called piping)
- Open, offset or separated joints, with soil washing into the pipe
- A rusted-through or perforated bottom (invert) on corrugated metal pipe
- Crushed, bulging or out-of-round pipe
- Scour or undermining at the inlet or outlet, or water topping the road in heavy rain
Based on FHWA culvert assessment guidance. Soil loss around a culvert can lead to a washout of the road or embankment, so these are worth a call early.
Common culvert materials
- Reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) and box culverts: rigid pipe that carries load on its own. Joints are the usual weak point.
- Corrugated metal pipe (CMP): coated steel or aluminum. Flexible, so it relies on the backfill around it. Corrosion and wear along the bottom are common failures.
- Plastic pipe (HDPE, polypropylene, PVC): also flexible, so bedding and compacted backfill matter.
MoDOT notes that flexible pipe generally needs a wider trench and more careful installation than rigid pipe, and it generally designs culvert pipe for a 50-year life. The project engineer or the agency that owns the road specifies the pipe type and size.
How we install or replace a culvert
- 1. Review and permits: plans, survey and the specified pipe. Utility locates (811) before digging. Work in public right-of-way needs the owning agency's permit; St. Charles County, for example, requires a Special Use Permit. MSD review where it applies.
- 2. Remove and prepare: excavate, remove the old pipe, keep water moving during the work, and correct soft subgrade.
- 3. Set the pipe: bedding, pipe at line and grade, backfill compacted in lifts, then headwalls or flared end sections and riprap at the outlet.
- 4. Restore: rebuild the road, drive or slope, with erosion control until it's stable.
Example: at an O'Fallon industrial yard, our drainage scope included 12" RCP storm pipe, a relocated flared end section and a riprap blanket.
Related work: storm sewer, earthwork, soil stabilization and sinkhole and washout repair.
FAQ
- Who is responsible for a culvert under my entrance drive?
- It depends on where it sits and local rules. A culvert on private property is generally the owner's to maintain. Work in public right-of-way needs a permit from the city, county or MoDOT, so check with them before work starts.
- Repair or replace?
- Minor joint or end problems can sometimes be repaired. A perforated, crushed or badly separated pipe usually needs replacement. We look at it and tell you which.
- What pipe will you use?
- The type and size set by your engineer or the agency. MoDOT contracts specify either a pipe type or a group of allowed types.
- Do you handle culvert washouts?
- Yes. Emergency calls answered 24/7 at (636) 978-3478. Keep vehicles off undermined pavement until it's checked.
Sources: MoDOT EPG 724 Pipe Culverts · MoDOT EPG 750.7 · FHWA Culvert Assessment and Decision-Making Procedures Manual · St. Charles County: Working in County Right-of-Way
Culvert failing or washed out?
Emergency calls answered 24/7. Office hours Monday–Friday 7:00 AM–4:00 PM.