HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

Lesson -7 HIGHWAY DRAINAGE

Mr. PRAMOD KUMAR BEHERA
( M. Tech. in Transportation Engg., IIT KGP )

Assistant Professor School of Civil Engineering KIIT University

HIGHWAY DRAINAGE
It is the process of removing and controlling excess surface and sub-soil water within the right of way. During rains, part of the rain water flows on the surface and part of it percolate through the soil mass as gravitational water until it reaches the ground water below the water table It is two types Surface drainage Sub-surface drainage Removal and diversion of surface water from roadway and adjoining land is termed as surface drainage.
Diversion or removal of excess soil water from the subgrade is termed as sub-surface drainage. Some water is retain in the pores of the soil mass and on the surface of the soil particle by surface tension and adsorptive forces, which cant be drained off by normal gravitational methods is known ass held water

Significance Of Drainage
Excess moisture in soil subgrade causes decrease in strength or stability of a soil mass. The road sub-grade may be softened and its bearing capacity reduced. Variation in moisture content in expensive soils, causes variation in the volume of sub-grade and thus causes failure of roads. If rain water is not properly drained and allowed to flow along the road side for long distances, slip and land slides may occur causing road failures. Flexible pavements failure by formation of waves and corrugations is due to poor drainage.

Cont
Continuous contact of water, with bituminous pavements causes failures due to stripping of bitumen from aggregates like loosening or detachment of some of the bituminous pavement layers and formation of pot holes. Rigid pavements prime cause of failure in by mud pumping which occurs due to water in fine subgrade soil. Excess moisture causes increase in weight and thus increase in stress and simultaneous reduction in strength of the soil mass.

Requirements Of Highway Drainage

Surface water should not be allowed to remain standing on the road pavement and shoulders. It should effectively drained off without allowing it to percolate to subgrade. Side drains should be of sufficient capacity and having sufficient longitudinal slope so that it may drain of all the collected surface water, efficiently. Surface water flowing across the road pavement should not develop cross ruts or erosions on road surface and shoulders. For this, high embankment slopes should be protected either by turfing or pitching.

Cont
The surface rain water from the adjoining area, should not be allowed to come towards the road surface. Seepage water and other capillary waters should be drained off by suitable underground drainage system. Highest level of ground water table should be kept well below the level of subgrade, preferably by atleast 1.2 m. In water logged areas, special measures should be taken to keep down the harmful salts.

SURFACE DRAINAGE

DITCH

SUB-SURFACE DRAINAGE
Control of Seepage Flow Control of Capillary Rise
Granular capillary cut-off method

Impermeable capillary cut-off method

Control of seepage flow

Granular capillary cut-off

Impermeable capillary cut-off

CROSS DRAINAGE
When a stream or river happens to cross the road alignment, facilities for cross drainage has to be provided. When road alignment gets away from the ridge line, the rain water on the area incircled by ridge and road alignment has to be passed from one side of the road to the other lower side. At the point of crossing, masonry structure known as cross drainage work or drainage structure has to be constructed.