CJGeo’s grouting crews perform box culvert repair throughout the Eastern United States. These repairs include compaction grouting to address settlement, void filling to address piping, and chemical and epoxy grouting to address cracks and low volume infiltration.
Settlement
Sometimes, box culverts experience settlement. For settlement driven by consolidation of underlying soils, polyurethane compaction grouting improves the bearing capacity of the underlying soils. This can reduce the amount of anticipated settlement. Polyurethane compaction grouting in box culverts is much easier than cementitious compaction grouting. The 1/2″ diameter injection tubing is easily hand installed.
Settlement happens when the ground supporting a culvert can no longer bear its weight, which causes it to sink or separate at the joints. To fix this, CJGeo uses compaction grouting to inject a stiff grout that strengthens the ground below so it can support more weight. For precise lifting, we inject high-density polyurethane foam beneath the structure. The foam expands with enough force to lift the settled sections back to their original grade. This stabilizes the culvert without any digging.
Box culvert repair using plural component polyurethane.
Piping
Piping refers to water flowing outside of a box culvert structure. It is quite common, and is often accompanied by differential movement within precast structures. Piping erodes the bedding or backfill material of the box culvert.
Polyurethane grouting to fill the voids caused by piping and stop water flows is fast, non-disruptive, and offers a permanent solution. As rigid cellular plastics, the lifespan of geotechnical polyurethanes exceeds 100 years. Geotechnical polyurethanes, such as CJGrout 35NHV61 can be injected directly into flowing water. They react and expand to stop the water flow, and are impermeable. CJGrout 35NHV61 is also certified for potable water applications, so is environmentally friendly and inert.
Piping is what happens when water washes away soil from around a culvert. This creates empty spaces and can lead to dangerous sinkholes. We solve this with chemical grouting, injecting special resins into the soil around the culvert. This grout soaks into the soil and hardens into a waterproof, rock-solid mass, which stops water flow at the source. For active leaks through joints, we use water-activated polyurethane grouts that expand quickly to form a permanent, flexible seal.
Plural component polyurethane backgrouting of a box culvert.
Cracks
Most cracks aren’t worth repairing. The most important thing to evaluate is the cause of the crack. Once the cause is identified, the proper box culvert repair method can be determined.
Tight and dry cracks are usually left alone. If a crack is large enough to let water & soil pass through, they can eventually lead to piping and settlement. To avoid developing piping and settlement, grouting cracks to seal them against water and soil migration is important.
Cracks that are relatively tight and not accompanied by appreciable voids are usually repaired using chemical grouting. Depending on the likelihood of the structure moving in the future, either a hydrophilic or hydrophobic grout may be most appropriate.
For cracks that are accompanied by voids or significant erosion or water flow, plural component polyurethane grouting is usually best. A distinct advantage of plural component polyurethanes is their rigidity, which allows them to provide excellent bearing capacity.
Cracks weaken a box culvert’s structure and let water leak in. CJGeo fixes this with structural crack injection. We inject thin polyurethane or epoxy resins directly into the cracks. This material flows deep into the crack and bonds with the concrete, restoring the culvert’s original strength and creating a long-lasting, waterproof seal from the inside out.
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