Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Best Material

What manner of culvert material has the best longevity?

Concrete, galvanized, iron drillstem (oilfield pipe), or other materials?

What are the various cost efficiencies over time, owing that they'd all have pretty much the same replacement costs due to requiring excavation?

Culvert under a road or as a submerged drain?

The culvert that will go through the dam. As I do not know what the overall elevations are due to undergrowth I do not yet know where I will be building access roads so the dam may, or may not, be driven on.

I also neglected to insert fiberglass culvert in there.

I would not use fiberglass. The inside of fiberglass in not smooth. Pipe scourer will be a problem. Of your other pipe types, I would pick concrete. 'O' ring concrete if it is available. I have no experence with drill pipe. It may be fine. I never liked galvanized. The bottom of galvanize pipe will rot in a few years.

There is a lot more to outlet pipe design than pipe type. It is a good idea to talk with someone, in your area, with experence in design.

Also the top of the dam should be wide enough to drive a pick up. (10 feet wide) If the pond is very small, you can get away less width.

I’m a plumbing utility contractor. The concrete would be best. Other then the cost of concrete you might look as cast iron and PVC depending on the size. Galvanizing will rust over time. For longevity go with the concrete. Oh ya add a load of stabilizing sand around it. It’ll last you for ever.

I figured concrete would be the best way to go overall, considering it's weight and thickness. Not terribly sure about costs and installation headaches yet, but that will be learned as time goes by.

I am not planning on running it under the entire dam, rather upward along the inner face of the dam to the desired water level to spill down the back. 2x 24" or 36" culverts vertically stacked will provide water level and overflow control, but I imagine I'll also need a spillover sluice of some sort. That'll draw sediment during peak flow periods, and keep my wolves from staging an escape through the drainway as long as I fence off the sluice well.

Adding a related question - What type of anti-seep collars can you put on a concrete culvert?