Drainage conduits are man-made devices used to prevent flooding by draining water into a sewer system or natural waterway. Drainage ditches are essential for limiting or preventing flooding of roads and surrounding areas. Good drainage is important on roads crossing slopes, and culverts are installed as an integral element of modern construction to ensure proper drainage. Many governments evaluate proposed new construction in terms of its impact on stormwater runoff and potential flood risk.
A drainage conduit is a man-made device used to convey water. Usually constructed of or lined with concrete, steel, or some type of plastic such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), drainage gutters are designed to prevent flooding by draining water into a sewer system or natural waterway like a stream or a river. Drainage ditches are most frequent along roadsides and are essential for limiting or preventing flooding of roads and surrounding areas. A drainage ditch can be many miles long, or it can extend long enough to channel water under a roadway. Some are flat bottomed, while others are oval or circular in shape, and some are enclosed, especially when channeling water under a roadway, while many are open. Drains are ubiquitous in all developed areas, not just where rainfall is heavy.
Good drainage of rainwater and snowmelt is of paramount importance on roads crossing slopes and it is not uncommon to see a drainage culvert channeling water under the roadway, from the uphill side to the downhill side. This is a specialized type of culvert called a cross drainage culvert. Cross drainage ditches are best installed under a roadway when it is being built, and civil engineers routinely include them in the planning of any modern road. Unless constructed properly, this type of culvert can fail and the roadway under which it travels could collapse. In the United States, when a transverse drainage culvert exceeds 20 feet (6.1 meters) in width, it is classified as a bridge and subject to periodic inspection for structural integrity.
Modern landscapers and builders generally install culverts as an integral element of their construction to ensure proper drainage. In most rains, for example, some of the water is absorbed directly into the ground and some runs off; if the runoff exceeds the capacity of the natural and man-made infrastructure to accommodate it, flooding occurs. Paving reduces the surface area that can absorb water, increasing the risk of flooding unless steps are taken to contain the water. Retention ponds and drains are essential components of any flood prevention system and are required in many jurisdictions.
Similarly, many governments are addressing increased flood risks by evaluating proposed new construction in terms of its impact on stormwater runoff and potential flood risk. These ratings are used to inform the granting of building permits. In these jurisdictions, proposed new construction that does not adequately provide stormwater runoff management is very unlikely to be approved.
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