Hydraulic Design Series No. 4 provides an introduction to highway hydraulics. Hydrologic techniques presented concentrate on methods suitable to small areas, since many components of highway drainage (culverts, storm drains, ditches, etc.) service primarily small areas. A brief review of fundamental hydraulic concepts is provided, including continuity, energy, momentum, hydrostatics, weir flow and orifice flow.

The document then presents open channel flow principles and design applications, followed by a parallel discussion of closed conduit principles and design applications. Open channel applications include discussion of stable channel design and pavement drainage. Closed conduit applications include culvert and storm drain design. Examples are provided to help illustrate important concepts. An overview of energy dissipators is provided and the document concludes with a brief discussion of construction, maintenance and economic issues.

As the title suggests, Hydraulic Design Series No. 4 provides only an introduction to the design of highway drainage facilities and should be particularly useful for designers and engineers without extensive drainage training or experience. More detailed information on each topic discussed is provided by other Hydraulic Design Series and Hydraulic Engineering Circulars.

This publication is an update of the third edition. Revisions were necessary to reflect new information given in the third edition of HEC-14 (Hydraulic Design of Energy Dissipators for Culverts and Channels), the third edition of HEC-15 (Design of Roadside Channels with Flexible Linings), and the third edition HEC-22 (Urban Drainage Design Manual).

Hydraulic Design Series Number 5 (HDS 5) originally merged culvert design information contained in Hydraulic Engineering Circulars (HEC) 5, 10, and 13 with other related hydrologic, storage routing and special culvert design information. This third edition is the first major rewrite of HDS 5 since 1985, updating all previous information and adding new information on software solutions, aquatic organism passage, culvert assessment, and culvert repair and rehabilitation.

The result is a comprehensive culvert design publication. The appendices of the publication contain the equations and methodology used in developing the design charts (nomographs) and software programs, information on hydraulic resistance of culverts, the commonly used design charts, and Design Guidelines (DG) illustrating various culvert design calculation procedures. The number of design charts provided has been reduced recognizing the increased use of software solutions; however, the full set of culvert design charts will continue to be available in the archived second edition of HDS 5.

This circular contains a series of hydraulic capacity charts which permit the direct selection of a culvert size for a particular site without making detailed computations.

The charts in this circular do not replace the nomographs of Hydraulic Engineering Circular No. 5 (HEC No. 5). The procedures given in the two circulars supplement each other by providing a solution for most designs likely to be encountered. Both circulars give identical answers in certain ranges of hydraulic operation, but the nomographs of HEC No. 5 must be used for the higher headwater depths and in cases of submerged outlets. This circular discusses the requirements and limitations for the use of the capacity charts and the instructions tell when HEC No. 5 must be used.

The designer, after becoming familiar with the capacity charts, will discover that these direct-reading charts have advantages over the trial and error procedure used in HEC No. 5. For instance, the capacity of the various types and sizes of culverts in common use can be compared rapidly and the charts provide a more accurate solution for low headwater depths which is the main limitation in the use of HEC No. 5. Sometimes the chart answer must be modified if a special culvert is used or an unusual site condition is encountered, but for the majority of culvert problems the capacity charts are adequate for the selection of a culvert size.

A list of the culvert capacity charts is provided for easy reference. All symbols, notations, and descriptive terms used are the same as in HEC No. 5 and the appendix contains a discussion of the hydraulic computation methods used in compiling the culvert capacity charts.

In addition to the capacity charts and instructions for their use, this circular includes a brief discussion of other design considerations to emphasize that culvert capacity is only one of the many problems confronting the engineer in the design of a culvert.

(See also HEC-13. Superseded by HDS-5.)

This manual provides hydraulic design methods for circular and rectangular culverts with improved inlets. Improved inlets are bevels, side-tapers, and slope-tapers which are modifications to the culvert entrance geometry . These improvements can greatly increase the performance of a culvert which is operating in inlet control. Design charts, tables and computation sheets are provided in the manual.

(Now superseded by HDS-5.)

Flexible linings provide a means of stabilizing roadside channels. Flexible linings are able to conform to changes in channel shape while maintaining overall lining integrity. Long-term flexible linings such as riprap, gravel, or vegetation (reinforced with synthetic mats or unreinforced) are suitable for a range of hydraulic conditions. Unreinforced vegetation and many transitional and temporary linings are suited to hydraulic conditions with moderate shear stresses.

Design procedures are given for four major categories of flexible lining: vegetative linings; manufactured linings (RECPs); riprap, cobble, gravel linings; and gabion mattress linings. Design procedures for composite linings, bends, and steep slopes are also provided. The design procedures are based on the concept of maximum permissible tractive force. Methods for determination of hydraulic resistance applied shear stress as well as permissible shear stress for individual linings and lining types are presented.

This edition includes updated methodologies for vegetated and manufactured lining design that addresses the wide range of commercial products now on the market. This edition also includes a unified design approach for riprap integrating alternative methods for estimating hydraulic resistance and the steep slope procedures. Other minor updates and corrections have been made. This edition has been prepared using dual units.

The Standard Specifications for the Construction of Roads and Bridges on Federal Highway Projects (FP) is issued primarily for constructing roads and bridges on Federal Highway projects under the direct administration of the Federal Highway Administration. It is also used by the U. S. Forest Service and other Federal agencies on their projects. These specifications are cited as “FP-14” indicating “Federal Project” Standard Specifications issued in 2014 and contain both United States Customary and Metric units of measure.

 View/Download the FP-14  (Acrobat, 3.99 MB)
 View/Download the FP-14  (Word, 1.83 MB)

The El Cerrito Green Streets Pilot Project consisted of installing a series of stormwater treatment rain garden cells at two locations along San Pablo Avenue in the City of El Cerrito. The project also included water quality monitoring, community outreach, and technology transfer to local governments.

The purpose of this pilot project was not only to directly improve localized water quality, but also to promote the public’s awareness of stormwater pollution, and expand local governments’ existing stormwater management toolbox to include green infrastructure approaches. The scope consisted of rain garden construction, water quality monitoring, development of outreach materials and interpretive signage, and training of City maintenance staff.

Construction started in March 2010 and was completed in July 2010. Two years of post-construction wet weather monitoring was conducted at one rain garden cell to gage proper functioning and quantify pollutant removal effectiveness. The first year of monitoring was observational, the second year included influent and effluent sampling during four storm events. These samples were analyzed to quantify the pollutant removal efficiencies of the rain gardens for: PCBs, pyrethroids, suspended sediments, mercury, and copper.

Outreach activities of the project occurred throughout the planning, construction and monitoring phases of the project. Many of the outreach materials developed for the project, such as the video podcasts, interpretive signage, and educational pamphlets will continue to provide useful information about the art and science of green streets. Some of these are available on the Estuary Partnership website at www.sfestuary.org. A half-day training session in the field provided all City maintenance staff with an understanding of the purpose, design, and function of rain gardens, as well as basic inspection and maintenance procedures.

The rain gardens were constructed in the late spring/early summer of 2010, retrofitting about 750 linear feet of sidewalk. Curb cuts direct flows from the adjacent street and sidewalk into depressed vegetated treatment cells underlain with amended soils. The bio-retention cells of the rain gardens filter pollutants before the stormwater is discharged via under-drains plumbed to existing storm drain pipes that discharge to either Baxter Creek or Cerrito Creek, both of which flow to the San Francisco Bay.

The two sites have an estimated treatment volume area of 20,700 cubic feet. Visual observations indicate the rain gardens are functioning properly. The water quality monitoring results showed that the study rain garden cell is successful in reducing pollutant concentrations for most pollutants analyzed. The one exception was mercury which showed 6 mixed results from the samples collected. More monitoring is needed to understand how dissolved mercury may be better treated using these systems.

The robust outreach program associated with the project successfully engaged multiple target audiences. More than 50 local stakeholders such as adjacent property owners, residents, and commercial business were reached through direct mailings. The project webpage on the Estuary Partnerships website has received nearly 600 hits. The three video podcasts, available on YouTube have gotten about 1,400 views since they were posted. Interpretive signage at the two rain garden facilities continues to educate passers-by.

The City maintenance staff continues to upkeep the gardens using techniques reviewed at the training session. The plants are thriving, adding a lush quality to the streetscaping. Additional technology transfer includes the transmittal of the projects final report and water quality monitoring technical memo to the Countywide Clean Water Programs around the Bay Area.

This manual presents a guide for the proper installation of concrete pipe. For many years, the American Concrete Pipe Association has conducted comprehensive research and analysis of the factors which affect the field performance of concrete pipe. The knowledge and beneficial practices gained through research and experience are presented in this manual.

While focusing on the construction of the pipesoil system, this manual also addresses those factors critical to the completion of the entire system, from delivery of the concrete pipe to the jobsite, to the acceptance of the installed pipeline. This manual is intended as a guide and is not to supersede the project specifications.