The Superintendent's Desk

Municipal Road Management Insights and Highway Department Best Practices

Kinds of Highway Drainage

Kinds of Highway Drainage

December 24, 2018
Listed in Stormwater Management

Effective roadway drainage is one of the most important and often underestimated elements of road design, construction, and long term maintenance. Water is the single greatest enemy of pavement structures. When drainage systems fail or are poorly designed, water accelerates pavement deterioration, weakens subgrade soils, increases freeze thaw damage, and creates ongoing maintenance issues. Understanding the difference between roadway drainage and roadside drainage helps clarify how water should …continue

Understanding Water Movement

Understanding Water Movement

December 24, 2018
Listed in Stormwater Management

Hydrologic Cycle Rain and snow falling on the ground will run overland or soak into the ground. Eventually all the runoff will reach lakes, streams, or the ocean where the water will evaporate and start the cycle all over again Water Movement Around Roads When maintaining and building roads and streets, we must be concerned with water flowing around them. Figure 2 shows a conceptual drainage system and how watermay enter a road. Water may enter roadways through “cracks and surface defects&…continue


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