When the Alaska Highway was built, wood stave culverts were the standard for handling water that needed to get from one side of the road to the other. Aside from being generally commonplace at the time, the reasons for using them here–and for doing so for so many years after the original construction, include the fact that they could be made from materials that were readily available in the construction area–namely, wood…..and quite simply, they work well and last a long time. I am uncertain as to how long the average life of a wood stave culvert is in the Alcan installations. …but…without doubt, it is a pretty long time. In general, wood stave pipes can last upwards of 50 years. This is because they will not rot as quickly as most would believe. The process of wood rotting requires both air and water….and warmth will accelerate this. So, as either a buried water carrying line or as a culvert in a very cold climate, they can last for decades. I remember seeing them in all my trips of the Alcan except for this most recent one that we just completed. Perhaps I simply wasn’t enough of an eagle-eye to spot them this time…..or perhaps they have at some point over the past 6 years removed the last of them and replaced them with metal or concrete types. If it is the latter this would be a bit of a shame as the presence of the wooden culvert pipes was as much a feature of the road as a remote lodge or a bear or bison wandering around the edge of the roadway.
I remember in Fairbanks, seeing smaller (6-8 inch) wood stave pipes still being made and sold at the hardware store, even well into the 1990’s. Usually they were used in drainage applications at that time. The house I lived in had one. It had been placed there in the 1940’s and was still working fine. As was a larger drain line from an apartment building I managed for a while. The simple technology of wood slats cut and fitted and banded together, centuries old, still works and works well. In spite of this and its successful use in major cities for potable water supply lines it has fallen out of fashion in recent years and doesn’t “meet code” for new construction in many places. However, it is a technology that I believe still has merit in the 21st century. The materials used can be sourced in a sustainable manner, the wood aids in adding some insulative qualities as well…..and of course they can be made to seal properly and retain a good leak-free condition for many many years…..Just like the well fitted staves of a wine or whiskey barrel.
Thank you, nice read.