Abstract: Based on the project of the culverts under high embankments in the expressway from Shiyan to Manchuanguan,the distribution characteristics and variation laws of the vertical earth pressure on culverts are studied by theoretical anlysis,numerical simulation,as well as field tests.The formula for the vertical earth pressure proposed by GU An-quan is modified to get the values which are closer to those measured in the field tests.The results show that there is earth pressure concentration on the top of culverts under high embankments,and that the concentration coefficient increases with the height of the fill,but it approaches the limit value at a certain height of fill,then decreases slightly.