Manhole Advice/Help!

[Agile]

So who is wanting this replacement to be done?

Who will inspect it?

My advice would be to leave that hard stuff there. Why disturb anything when you don't know what it is?

Perhaps drill it though and tell us how thick it is!

Tony

 

[denso13]

jobbie

Apt

 

[GJKenny]

So who is wanting this replacement to be done?

Landlord wants it done.

Who will inspect it?

Can't say for sure who will they'll get to inspect, probably water company etc... to make sure the cover/area meets current regulations. They're very adamant about this!

I'll definitely keep you posted on the moldy crust but for now my main concern is getting the new double sealed cover fitted to a standard that will pass any inspection in the nearby future.

The brick clear opening is 780 x 640mm and the new frame I've got has a 750 x 600mm clear opening with a further 30mm base all the way round.
Now as the brick clear opening is bigger by 30mm in L and 40mm in W more than the new frame, the new frame will cover the clear opening but the 30mm base that spans from the edge will be reduced to 15mm L sides and 10mm W sides.

Is there a regulatory margin for the frames base, I.e The whole of the base needs to be in contact with a surface area or only partly up to ....mm?

As it would be set in 58mm of concrete and no weight would ever really be placed on it, as the flooring is suspended above it. Even though roughly half the base would now hang inside the clear opening and not be supported, I'm 85% sure it would be absolutely fine/stable but if an inspection happens I don't want to be told too much of the base is sitting over the edge of the clear opening.

If I cannot set the new cover in these conditions, can I reduce the size of the clear opening by skimming a layer of concrete etc.. around it to accommodate the full area of the base. Or does the brick work need to be visible in regulations?

The next cover size up that would fully accommodate without this issue is 900 x 750mm, much too big!

Thanks
GJKenny

 

[Nige F]

Your landlord ? are you a tenant? Why does a landlord think it's up to his tenant to do repairs like that - and it is a double seal old style lid that just needs grease. Does your landlord know anything about buildings?

 

[Nige F]

Guess we'll never know

 

[GJKenny]

Your landlord ? are you a tenant? Why does a landlord think it's up to his tenant to do repairs like that

Thanks for the support but Calm down Nige, we're a happy DIY family round here and my Aunt owns the place!

Yes its a traditional double seal jobbie (some silly cone might say triple!) but as you can see its had it's better days.
I was intending to give it a good clean, grease and leave it after cleaning out the mess in the chamber but the frames badly rusted & corroded/chipped away underneath where the frame hangs over the edge.
It's also got a big crack going along the frame where the cover is resting, you just can't see it in the pics. The frames been there a very long time and was never properly maintained by the previous owners as you can see by the state of the chamber, in this circumstance the decision to change the cover was peacefully made and rightly so as to achieve a preferred higher standard to the whole area and meet regulations.

The new style cover has a few benefit as well apart from being new and not cracked, it's better sealed and doesn't need pounds of grease, it will minimize debris falling in the chamber once it's been restored to good health! It's more hygienic to handle and it's lighter which makes it safe and easier for people gaining access to in the future.

So please can you reacquaint yourself with my last question and give me something proper, I am sure you have got a good idea of what I am talking about and how to do it, come on!

Thanks,
GJKenny

 

[Agile]

I don't think the width is significant.

If I was installing it then I would; bed it onto mortar base and add a fillet of mortar going down about 60 mm to take up the change of size.

You seem to have a very officious aunty!

But I am still not sure why you are so convinced that there is anything beneath the flat surface.

If there is nothing then you could cement it all over and save the cost of a new cover.

Funny tenancy which requires the tenants to do heavy construction work within their tenancy.

Tony

 

[GJKenny]

You seem to have a very officious aunty!

Haha a bit OTT at times but she's lovely and quite the perfectionist who likes things up to date and in good nick, we're very similar in that sense. I think it was a good call here, the existing frame would not have passed any inspection due to the amount of serious faults on it and even if there was never an inspection it shouldn't be left in that condition for us or others.

Funny tenancy which requires the tenants to do heavy construction work within their tenancy.

There's no abuse of human right here as I'm not obliged to do it I'm happy to do it, it's in the blood.
I re-landscaped my mums garden last year, dug up a 15sqm path & patio of large 100mm think Yorkstone slabs, shifted 5tonnes of crap material out and 5tonnes of MOT-1, sand & cement in for sub-base and setting. When the 5t of new material came the buggers wouldn't crane it into the garden as it was against their policy and just dumped it at the kurb outside our flat. I ended up having to carry it one bag at a time through the building, downstairs, through the flat to a holding spot in the garden and then eventually shifted it again up the garden stairs and into the ground. Did this job on my Jack Jones in 8wks and shifted over 16t including slabs, machinery etc... I also raised the patio 150mm from the ground and installed a bespoke Wood Block X design running along the outer edge of the path & patio creating giant flower beds between the path & patio's back walls. Now this was heavy construction, well worth it though as the garden looks lovely, mums happy and it's now a spectacle in the line up from the neighbors windows rather than the jungle next door! I only wish it was like this growing up, I did enjoy the jungle but you can't beat a good family BBq when the suns out, which we couldn't do at home.

Anyway Thanks Tony you're a legend, shouldn't be a problem from here & I'll let you know whats lurking beneath the mystery muck soon!!!!

Nige F, I had high hopes for you! You threw out a few relevant points, one twice,

It looks like a solid crust of S**T

the existing manhole lid is a double seal jobbie - it just needs a couple of pounds (lbs) of manhole grease smeared around the edges - if you can still get it .

and it is a double seal old style lid that just needs grease.

But in all, all irrelevant to my cause and questions!!!
Maybe you should start a private conversation with Agile to get some pointers on how to answer questions properly
and then add some curiosity/banter!!!

 

[Nige F]

Well thankyou for your sage advice, I am suitably humbled and damned by your faint praise.

 

[Agile]

I am still waiting to learn what is under that surface.

Kenny has not answered my question as to why he is so sure there is anything under it.

I don't gamble because I don't like to lose. My current odds would be 6:1 against anything under it so that it could be totally cemented over.

Tony

 

[bpowell555]

What's down there, we must know!

 

[Agile]

Anyway Thanks Tony you're a legend, shouldn't be a problem from here & I'll let you know whats lurking beneath the mystery muck soon!!!!

I am on tenterhooks!

 

[bernardgreen]

When cutting through remember there may be a pocket of gas or fumes trapped under it. This could be noxious, toxic or flammable ( or any combination of those ) so have plenty of ventilation, do not be there on your own and no naked lights.