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HydraulicDesignManual:DesignFloodandCheckFloodStandards

Section6:DesignFloodandCheckFloodStandards
TxDOTsapproachtoselectingthedesignstandardforadrainagefacilityistouseareferencetablethat
specifiesarangeofdesignAEPsfordifferenttypesoffacilities.Table42providesthedesignfrequenciesfor
TxDOTprojects.Formosttypesoffacilitiesarangeofdesignfrequenciesispresented.Forthosetypesof
facilitieswitharangeofpossibledesignfrequencies,usuallyonedesignfrequencyintherangeis
recommended(indicatedbyanXwithsquarebracketsinTable42).Structuresandroadwaysshouldbe
serviceable(notinundated)uptothedesignstandard.
Table42:RecommendedDesignStandardsforVariousDrainageFacilities
DesignAEP
(DesignARI)
50%

20%

10%

4%

2%

(2yr)

(5yr)

(10yr)

(25yr)

(50yr)

Culverts

Bridges+

Culverts

[X]

Smallbridges+

[X]

Majorrivercrossings+

[X]

Functionalclassificationandstructuretype

Freeways(mainlanes):

Principalarterials:

Minorarterialsandcollectors(includingfrontageroads):
Culverts

[X]

Smallbridges+

[X]

Majorrivercrossings+

[X]

Culverts

Smallbridges+

Localroadsandstreets:

Offsystemprojects:
Culverts
Smallbridges+

FHWApolicyissameorslightlybetterthanexisting.

Stormdrainsystemsoninterstatesandcontrolledaccesshighways(mainlanes):
Inlets,drainpipe,androadsideditches

Inletsfordepressedroadways*

[X]

Stormdrainsystemsonotherhighwaysandfrontageroads:
Inlets,drainpipe,androadsideditches

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HydraulicDesignManual:DesignFloodandCheckFloodStandards

Inlets,drainpipe,androadsideditches

[X]

Inletsfordepressedroadways*

[X]

Table42notes:
*Adepressedroadwayprovidesnowhereforwatertodrainevenwhenthecurbheightisexceeded.
[]BracketsindicaterecommendedAEP.Federaldirectivesrequireinterstatehighways,bridges,and
culvertsbedesignedforthe2%AEPfloodevent.Stormdrainsonfacilitiessuchasunderpasses,
depressedroadways,etc.,wherenooverflowreliefisavailableshouldbedesignedforthe2%AEPevent.
+Itmaybenecessarytocalculatethe4%(25yr),2%(50yr),0.5%(200yr),or0.2%(500yr)AEPfor
scourcomputations.SeetheTxDOTGeotechnicalManual.

Allfacilitiesmustbeevaluatedtothe1%AEPfloodevent.
Selectingadesignfloodisamatterofjudgmentitrequiresbalancingthefloodriskwithbudgetaryconstraints.
Whenconsideringthestandardforadrainagefacility,thedesignershouldfollowtheseguidelines:
Decideonthedesignstandardbyconsideringtheimportanceofthehighway,thelevelofservice,
potentialhazardtoadjacentproperty,futuredevelopment,andbudgetaryconstraints.
Developalternativesolutionsthatsatisfydesignconsiderationstovaryingdegrees.
Afterevaluatingeachalternative,selectthedesignthatbestsatisfiestherequirementsofthe
structure.
Consideradditionalfactorssuchasthedesignstandardsofotherstructuresalongthesamehighway
corridortoensurethatthenewstructureiscompatiblewiththerestoftheroadway.Alsoassessthe
probabilityofanypartofalinkofroadwaybeingcutoffduetoflooding.
Thedesignershoulddesignafacilitythatwilloperate:
Efficientlyforfloodssmallerthanthedesignflood.
Adequatelyforthedesignflood.
Acceptablyforgreaterfloods.
Inaddition,foralldrainagefacilities,includingstormdrainsystems,thedesignermustevaluatethe
performanceforthecheckflood(1%AEPevent).Thepurposeofthecheckfloodstandardistoensurethe
safetyofthedrainagestructureanddownstreamdevelopmentbyidentifyingsignificantrisktolifeorproperty
intheeventofcapacityexceedance.
Theintentofthecheckfloodisnottoforcethe1%AEPthroughthestormdrain,buttoexaminewherethe
overflowwouldtravelwhenthismajorstormdoesoccur.Forexample,thewatermaytraveldownthegutterto
thesamecreekastheoutfall,traveldownadrivewayanddirectlyintoahome,inundatethemainlanes,erodea
newdrainagepathtotheoutfall,orotherproblems.
Theexaminationofthecheckfloodshouldalsoincludeassessmentofthetailwater.Theremaybelocationson
theprojectthatarelowerthanthe100yearwatersurfaceelevation(ortailwater)ofthecreek.Thissituation
mayincreasethehydraulicgradelinethroughthestormdrainsystem,ormayevencausenegativeflow
throughthesystem.Thismaycauseblowoutswhichmayinturncauseanyofthesameproblemsasabove.

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