Application of Steel Culverts in Section of Osijek- Đakovo Motorway

Application of steel culverts in road construction in the world is not a recent development. Their application in Croatia is sporadic and almost negligible. Construction of concrete tube culverts is a usual practice, for a number of reasons: developed construction technology, trained labor for the construction of such culverts, satisfactory design life, simple maintenance, etc. Despite all this, at a section of the Osijek– Đakovo motorway, in a number of locations, steel culverts have been constructed as a more cost- effective solution. The paper describes experience with the application of steel culverts at a section of the Osijek–Đakovo motorway. The procedure of the construction of steel culverts from spiral tubes and corrugated structural plate and the applied construction technology are presented. Advantages of the application of steel culverts have been pointed out, except for construction of new roads and in reconstruction of existing roads.