The research paper is devoted to study of culverts from metal corrugated pipes (CMP) and helically corrugated steel pipes (HCSP). Modern design solutions of culverts from CMP and HCSP are differ as compared with used before (bottom with various types of roughness, inlet and outlet heads, type and size of corrugation) and there is not enough experimental data for their design. The aim of the study is to test CMP and HCSP models to determine their hydraulic parameters, such as roughness and resistance coefficient, critical bias and so on. The laboratory equipment and method of experimental study as well as results of the tests of CMP and HCSP with protective tray at the pipe bottom and without it under different operation modes are given in the research paper. The results of the study show that roughness coefficient under pressure hade mode can be determined using Norton equation only for HCSP, Norton and Einstein-Banks equations are corrected for CMP. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.