Catchwater drains and scour checks

LEARNING ELEMENT OBJECTIVES

When you have learned this learning element you should be able to:
- describe the function of catchwater drains and scour checks;
- supervise their construction;
- calculate the distance between scour checks.
CATCHWATER DRAINS (CUT-OFF DRAINS)
Catch (water) drains are ditches more or less parallel to the road. Their function is to catch and lead away the surface water
coming from higher lying areas before it reaches the road.
Wherever possible the catchwater drains should be diverted to natural water courses.
Catchwater drains usually have a trapezoidal cross-section and the excavated material should always be deposited on the
downhill side of the drain.
Fig 10

Catch-water drains - Next to a cut

Catch-water drains - Next to an embankment
Scour checks
Where longitudinal gradients are steep the water gains high speed. Therefore, if no protective measures are taken, scouring is
likely to occur. The simplest way of dealing with scouring, apart from reducing the volume of water by leading it off the road at
frequent intervals (mitre drains) is to reduce the velocity of the water by building scour cheeks in the ditches.
The scour checks hold back the silt carried by the water flow and provide a series of stretches with gentle gradients interrupted
by small waterfalls.
Scour checks are usually constructed in natural stone or with wooden stakes (figure 12). Masonry, or concrete scour checks can
also be constructed (figure 11) but are often unnecessarily expensive.
Guideline for scour checks intervals: (scour checks height = 0.4 m)
Side or mitre drain gradient
%
scour checks interval
metre
12 5
10 10
8 15
6 40
4 not required!
2 not required!
Depending on the situation (the nature of terrain, type of soil) culverts will be necessary (LE-5). Use scour checks and culverts at
regular intervals, especially where the road gradient is 6 per cent or more.

Fig 11
Construction of scour checks
1. The scour checks interval in the ditch is determined according to the slope, see table above.
2. At the place of each scour check the ditch is deepened and widened to provide room for securing the boulders or stakes.
When stakes are used, they should be driven deeply into the ground and stones should be placed downstream of the stakes. See
figure 12.
Fig 12

Scour checks made of stones

Wooden stake scour check