A Manhole is a covered opening in a paved area which allows access below, particularly one that leads to a sewer or an underground utility. It is one that makes inspection, upgrades and maintenance possible.
Creating a manhole comes with quite some of Know-how to ensure you get the right feature for its intended purpose.
Part of its features is its cover, in modern times, there are various ways of covering it I.e either by using a square cover or a round cover which is either a metal, plastic, or concrete made.
Most often, a round cover is used for manholes.
It is a feature that is easily overlooked in urban life but that is the manhole covers that dot a city’s landscape. But why is a manhole cover round?
In this article, I am going to explain more about why manhole covers are round.
Why is a Manhole Cover Round?
A manhole cover is round because there are no angles for alignment, the round shape makes these heavy covers easier to put back on once they have been taken off.
Round covers are also easier to manufacture as well. Another reason manhole covers are round is so they will not accidentally fall into the manhole itself. With around cover, no matter how you hold it, you cannot shove it in. It certainly will not go.
If it were a square, a prankster could hold the cover diagonally over the hole and drop it in to be followed by who knows how many scooters and pedestrians.
There is also an economic reason to why manhole covers are round. There is less surface area on a circular sewer cover than there is on an equivalent-sized square cover, which means that the circular cover also requires less amterial to manufacture.
Another reason is that, manhole covers which are round offer strongest shapes, especially because the cover rests on a shallow lip around the perimeter of the hole.
If you ever thought to yourself that there has to be some logic to it — why some manhole covers are round then, your hunch is correct!
Benefits of a Manhole
Here are some benefits of a Manhole
- They aid in sewage system ventilation by enabling gases to escape
- They help facilitate with the installation of sewer or stormwater lines in convenient lengths
- They aid in sewer system inspections, as well as maintenance works
I hope you enjoyed every bit of this article of a Manhole and Why the cover of a manhole is round. Kindly bookmark us for interesting articles like this.
