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Township engineer urges culvert upgrades and new standards after extreme rain events
Summary
Township representatives urged the work group to account for increased precipitation in culvert and small-bridge designs: they are applying NOAA Atlas 14 plus a 25% increase for future-proofing and estimate roughly 50 culverts may need reassessment due to changing runoff and logging-related impacts.
PERRY COUNTY — Township officials urged the county’s transportation work group to re-evaluate culvert sizing and small-bridge designs in light of more frequent extreme rainfall events.
Tom Kropensberger, participating online as a township engineer, said the team is using NOAA Atlas 14 rainfall data and ‘‘adding a 25% increase on top of that, for culvert designs and small bridges.’’ He linked repeated overtopping and culvert failures to recent extreme events and to land-use changes including logging that increase runoff. Kropensberger estimated ‘‘probably 50, 50 ballpark’’ culverts in the county could need review and possible upsizing.
He urged planners to consider life-cycle design that anticipates higher precipitation: ‘‘If you got a 50-year life on a culvert, then you gotta project out how much development you're gonna have and what the increases are gonna be just from impervious cover.’’ Members cited examples of local culverts damaged during past storms and said design practices that ignore recent rainfall increases risk repeated failures and higher long-term repair costs.
The work group did not adopt a formal countywide standard at the meeting; members recommended that Tri County staff document current practices and consider an approach to include revised design guidance in Picture Perry and in municipal planning documents.
