ABSTRACT
The paper analyses a reinforced concrete (RC) culvert with a diameter of 1400 mm and a length of more than 100 m and a soil cover height of 22 m. The structure is located near Tømtebekken in Norway. The main purpose of the paper is to show the influence of the EPS layer on the long-term behaviour of the culvert structure and the surrounding soil. The EPS layer used had a thickness of 500 mm, a width of 2750 mm, and a density of 20 kg/m3. It was located above the culvert crown. The long-term behaviour of the culvert, as well as the earth pressures and displacement, has been monitored for 14 years. The measurements showed that the soil pressure was reduced to 23% of the overburden pressure (weight of the soil). Soil pressures and displacements stabilized over time. The experimental tests were compared with the results of numerical analyses performed in the DIANA FEA numerical program. In the numerical analysis, subsidence and soil pressure during the service of the structure were taken into account. The numerical analysis performed can be helpful in the design of new RC culverts located in the roads and railways. Additionally, the research results may be helpful in assessing the technical condition of the existing RC culverts.
