Forensic Study on a Collapsed Structural Plate-Arch Culvert in Ohio

Abstract

In April 2014, a large structural plate arch culvert collapsed in Licking County, Ohio. The structure’s demise appeared to be related to a slope failure experienced by the roadway embankment fill above the inlet section. Shortly after the incident, a team of researchers from Ohio University conducted a forensic investigation of the structure. The team collected forensic data by visiting the site, testing soil samples taken near the culvert, and reviewing any past relevant documents. The team then employed the traditional slope stability analysis method, the AASHTO LRFD method, an empirical method found during a literature search, and computer simulation methods to gain further understanding of the culvert failure. The results of these analyses pointed the cause of the culvert failure toward what was speculated based on the field observations.