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The Snap-Tite Culvert Lining System

Having a preventative maintenance plan is the key to repairing drainage culverts before they fail. Once a culvert becomes a casualty, repair no longer is an option. Then there is no choice but to use more expensive options such as jack and bore or dig and replace method. A preventative maintenance plan helps railroads budget for any potential culvert failures.

The high-density polyethylene (HDPE) Snap-Tite® culvert lining pipe system is the repair solution. Major Class I and a handful of short lines have used Snap-Tite over the years. More and more, Snap-Tite is accepted and preferred as the culvert repair method.

Snap-Tite has a patented male/female machining that allows the pipe to be 'snapped' together, piece-by-piece. There is no special training or specialized equipment required — and most jobs are completed with a backhoe, shovels, a come-a-along and chains. This relining method gives railroads the option to use their own crews to do the work.

The Snap-Tite pipe joining system, along with a gasket, provides a watertight seal and long-life reliability, meeting ASTM D3212 standard requirements. It is also easy to install, since it typically weighs as little as 10 percent of concrete, ductile iron and clay pipes. Due to HDPE pipe flexibility, Snap-Tite also comes in oval shapes to fit inside elliptical or boxed culverts. Snap-Tite length ranges from two to 50 feet, and it is available in diameters from eight to 84 inches. Larger diameters are also available on request.

In addition, Snap-Tite meets AASHTO Standard M326 for rehabilitating culverts; offers flexibility for insertion into misaligned concrete or rusted deteriorated corrugated metal pipe; and tough but lightweight, the Snap-Tite joint makes a solid water-tight mechanical connection that can be pushed or pulled. Also, downsizing pipe is not a problem because the hydraulic characteristics of HDPE pipe allow for equal or better flow.

For more information visit www.culvert-rehab.com or call 1-800-CULVERT.