Editing Culvert (section)

==Minimum energy loss culverts==
[[File:Culvert pipe (8242090899).jpg|thumb|Corrugated metal culvert]]

In the coastal plains of [[Queensland]], Australia, torrential rains during the wet season place a heavy demand on culverts. The natural slope of the flood plains is often very small, and little fall (or [[hydraulic head|head loss]]) is permissible in the culverts. Researchers developed and patented the design procedure of minimum energy loss culverts which yield small afflux.<ref>Apelt, C.J. (1983). "Hydraulics of minimum energy culverts and bridge waterways". ''Australian Civil Engineering Transactions'', '''CE25''' (2) : 89–95. Available on-line at: [http://staff.civil.uq.edu.au/h.chanson/reprints/apelt_83.pdf University of Queensland].</ref><ref>Apelt, C.J. (1994). "The Minimum Energy Loss Culvert" (videocassette VHS colour), Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland, Australia.</ref><ref>Apelt, Colin. (2011). [https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/shado/Learned%20Groups/Interest%20Groups/Engineering%20Heritage/EHA%20Queensland/McKay%20Landmark/CJA%20Speech-MEL%20Redcliffe.pdf "The Minimum Energy Loss Culvert, Redcliffe"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220122706/https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/shado/Learned%20Groups/Interest%20Groups/Engineering%20Heritage/EHA%20Queensland/McKay%20Landmark/CJA%20Speech-MEL%20Redcliffe.pdf |date=20 December 2016}} (prepared speech: Award of Engineering Heritage National Landmark By Engineering Heritage Australia on 29 June 2011).</ref>

A minimum energy loss culvert or waterway is a structure designed with the concept of minimum head loss. The flow in the approach channel is contracted through a streamlined inlet into the barrel where the channel width is minimum, and then it is expanded in a streamlined outlet before being finally released into the downstream natural channel. Both the inlet and the outlet must be streamlined to avoid significant form losses. The barrel invert is often lowered to increase the discharge capacity.

The concept of minimum energy loss culverts was developed by a shire engineer in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] and a professor at the [[University of Queensland]] during the late 1960s.<ref>See:
*Chanson, H. (2003). "History of Minimum Energy Loss Weirs and Culverts". 1960–2002. ''Proc. 30th IAHR'' [The International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research] ''Biennial Congress, Thessaloniki, Greece'', J. GANOULIS and P. PRINOS, ed.s, vol. E, pp. 379–387. Available online at: [http://staff.civil.uq.edu.au/h.chanson/reprints/iahrss1.pdf University of Queensland].
*Chanson, Hubert, Web page: [http://staff.civil.uq.edu.au/h.chanson/mel_culv.html Hydraulics of Minimum Energy Loss (MEL) culverts and bridge waterways] ''staff.civil.uq.edu.au'', accessed 15 January 2022</ref> While a number of small-size structures were designed and built in Victoria, some major structures were designed, tested and built in south-east Queensland.