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Curbs and Drainage
For combined curb and gutter
sections, the aprons (the portions between
pavements and the
faces of the curbs) should have adequate
hydraulic capacity to carry runoff from most
rainstorms. Making aprons wider reduces the
opportunity for rainwater to move down through
joints between curbs and pavements. Wider aprons
may also discourage drivers from driving close
to curbs.
 Since one
important function of curbs is to collect
runoff, provisions must be made periodically to
drain water away before the roadways are
flooded. In areas where there are storm sewers,
the flow in gutters is diverted through inlets
built into the curbs and/or gutters. In
semi-arid regions where rains are infrequent,
inlets are sometimes only gaps in curbs through
which water can exit. In most other places,
inlets are fitted with iron castings designed to
match the shapes of the
curbs
(another good reason for using standard shapes),
and with grates that extend one or two feet into
the gutters. The spacing of inlets depends on
the amounts of water that must be handled, and
are
calculated to avoid flooding of streets or
roadways except on infrequent occasions, such as
once every ten or twenty years. While
inlet locations must be governed by rainfall and
pavement elevations, designers should consider
their effects on curb jointing. Inlets, which
are more or less anchored in place, should be
isolated from curbs and gutters.
Because the sides of
streets adjacent to curbs are often used by
bicyclists, it is important that grates in the
aprons of curbs have openings that will not be
safety hazards to bicycle wheels. Grates are
available that allow for the safe passage of
bicycles.
...Under Construction...
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