A reinforced concrete box, referred to as a box culvert in the UK and Hong Kong, is a square or rectangular "pipe" made of concrete with rebar or wire mesh fabric strewn throughout for the addition of extra strength. Multiple such boxes are arranged sideways to make a pipe or tunnel like structure.
It is often used for sanitary sewer trunks, storm drain spillways, pedestrian subways, utility tunnels, catch basins, and other similar underground passage ways. Due to the enormous strength of reinforced concrete, it is often used in sewers or tunnels that have little cover above them which means they will be subjected to the stress of the road atop them.
In India, pre-cast concrete boxes known as "Magic Boxes" are used for the construction of flyovers and underpasses.
Read more about this topic: Precast Concrete
Famous quotes containing the words concrete and/or box:
“The Dada object reflected an ironic posture before the consecrated forms of art. The surrealist object differs significantly in this respect. It stands for a mysterious relationship with the outer world established by man’s sensibility in a way that involves concrete forms in projecting the artist’s inner model.”
—J.H. Matthews. “Object Lessons,” The Imagery of Surrealism, Syracuse University Press (1977)
“All your lovely words are spoken.
Once the ivory box is broken,
Beats the golden bird no more.”
—Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950)