CULVERT-v01: An Open-Source Web Application for Assessing Culvert Vulnerability to Floods and Flood induced Erosion
Abstract
CULVERT enables practitioners to evaluate culvert vulnerability to flooding, sedimentation, and debris flow hazards. The platform incorporates advanced watershed delineation using digital elevation models, multi-method hydrologic analysis—including non-stationary regional frequency analysis (RFA), rational method (RM), and graphical peak discharge method (GPDM)—and hydraulic capacity assessment based on Federal Highway Administration guidelines (Inlet-control, outlet-control and Manning's roughness coefficient). Additional modules support streambank erosion vulnerability analysis (SBEVA), Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) implementation, and watershed debris flow modeling (WDFM). CULVERT features a fully dynamic and interactive visualization interface, project management, automated technical report generation, and robust data management capabilities. By integrating diverse analytical tools within a user-friendly environment, the platform provides resource managers, transportation engineers, and environmental professionals with a scientifically grounded decision-support system for assessing and mitigating infrastructure vulnerabilities under evolving climate conditions. The application is publicly accessible at https://culvert-at-risk.org, and the source code is available via GitHub to promote transparency and reproducibility.
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Publication date
- 8 January 2026
- Document type
- Dataset