Noisy manhole covers?

[T i m]

I started to hear a regular 'clonk-donk' as cars were driving over something in the road, like a bit of chipboard shelf but it then persisted for around a couple of weeks.

Yesterday I investigated when we took the dog for a walk last thing and it appears at least one manhole cover has been lifted ... or has worked loose(?) and is now rocking about 5mm when you stand on it?

This is just one of the single piece, all metal (cast iron), slightly rectangular ones with just a BS number on it and no clues to what utility it might serve but from it's location I'm thinking it might be the sewer?

Now when I've seen the workers lift these in the past (and the heavier concrete topped ones) they seem to just hook it out one end and drag it out the way, then drag it back in place again when done with no apparent regard to any crud that might be stuck on the cover or the sides of the hole. I saw them (on CCTV) working on a mains access manhole in the pavement next to us and when they put it back in place they obviously had issue with it seating properly / fully and were jumping up and down on it! ;-(

Now, I've reported this one to the Highways Agency but it looks like it comes under their 'low priority' action so I wondered if there was anything one could do that couldn't be considered as interfering that might help, like brushing some sharp sand into the cracks or something? Ideally I'd like to lift it and give both parts a good brush with a stiff brush and put it back but as it's in the middle of the road ...

I've seen an instance where some Water board guys 'temporarily' fixed one of their noisy manhole covers by trapping rubber gloves in each corner. ;-)

I would have thought that if it was a stone trapped in there it would have been crushed by now but not of it was say a piece of metal (large nail / screw) or steel nut etc.

Whilst I really only notice it during the morning rush hour / school run, it must be pretty loud / annoying for the houses either side?

My minor concern is that it get's worse requiring a replacement that takes even longer to happen. 'Where there's noise there's wear', as my Dad used to say.

Cheers, T i m

[Mike Halmarack]

Rush hour's a torment when you've got one of these seveal feet away. I tried several things: pouring sand between the frame and the lid, which worked for a while, expanding foam with similar effect. In the end it had to be a replacement.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Safety is your main concern, you really need all the barriers and signage to do work, and remember most of the highways in this country use rental played by the contractor to work in the road and in my view this is why it takes a long time to fix. If it were not a major road and one belonging to a local council you might get it sorted faster. I'd certainly not risk my life standing in the road fiddling with a drain cover. If it were not dangerous I'd get the local travellers around to take the cover and flog it. Brian

[Jethro_uk]

A few years ago one of those failed on the A38 Aston Expressway in Brum, and a cars front wheel dropped into it causing a fatal crash.

But, as they say, "low priority".

(IIRC the coroner was pretty unimpressed too).

[nightjar]

...

That can be caused by the brickwork of the hole itself starting to fail, causing the support frame to move. Repairing that requires major works of the sort that normally has to be planned months in advance.

It can also be due to part of the cover or frame breaking off and allowing the cover to rock. That can sometimes be alleviated by pouring sand in, but only if it stays in place and doesn't trickle down the hole because it is part of the frame that has broken.

[JohnP]

The brickwork is usually really poor and all that happens is more packing gets put arounf the top. Better standards for the shaft would save problems later.

[nightjar]

Even a quick fix requires partial closure of the road and, except in an emergency, those need to be planned well in advance to avoid clashing with any other works in the area.

[T i m]

<snip>

Even from this one that must be 50m away from us, it's still like a form of low-level water torture. ;-(

Interesting, thanks.

And can be a much bigger job. I have seen them just change the whole cover / frame pretty quickly (like for like presumably) but this one is right on the crown [1] and the road really only just wide enough for two cars, meaning it's likely they would have to block the entire road for the duration of the works.

We don't mind as we rarely have to go out that way but it is a main thoroughfare for a local estate and a low choice rat run so always causes a lot of disruption when they do.

The good news is that my report has been received and 'in progress':

"Thanks for telling us about this issue.

Based on the information you provided, we have determined that a different organisation is responsible for fixing this issue, so we have passed it to them."

On the High Street however there is a cover that has been loose for

*ages* and is a real CLANK CLANK every time anyone goes over it and because it's right in line with nearside wheel track and so 'blind' to most behind a speed hump (meaning people generally come done on it harder), I'm surprised it hasn't failed completely. ;-(

I may have another look at our one today (it can get pretty quiet between the busy bits, pretty slow and with good sight lines in both directions) and if the relevant organisation doesn't deal with it quickly, I was thinking a couple of 3D printed 'T' section wedges fitted opposite either side of the pivot line might at least deaden the noise till they do.

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

Because the road in question is a bit of a thoroughfare (one of two entry / exits for two groups of houses) they generally get any work done and dusted pretty quickly.

I'm not sure who owns it but I had to report the fault to the Highways, rather than LC.

Nor would I if it was a risk as such. Luckily this is a fairly slow (short stretch of road between two junctions) and most people seem pretty respectful of anyone in the road (outside the rush hour rat-run traffic at least). ;-)

That's a bit of lateral thinking. ;-)

I was thinking of just standing a traffic cone on it and then people would drive round ... following the line of the road, rather than the 'desire line' they all seem to follow when nothing is coming the other way that places their offside wheels (on both directions) over it.

Cheers, T i m

[fred]

Many years ago there were problems with the manhole cover popping in the Hyde Park underpass. The manufacturer was challenged that they didn't meet spec. so they put a speed camera on the job and discovered most cars were well over the limit when they crossed the covers which were designed to work within the speed limit specs

[T i m]

I bet. This is big enough to fully accept most car or van wheels and wouldn't do a truck any good either.

I get that the 'noise nuisance' may not rank very high compared with other works, but as you highlight, who knows when it could escalate to a failure and what that then bring. *Luckily* in this case the traffic is typically only doing ~25 mph but it would still probably do a lot of damage (wheel / suspension / underbody) to any car that fell into it.

Quite ... I'm not sure they always learn from that though (or have the funds / bodies to be able to)?

Cheers, T i m

[newshound]

You've reported it so you have done your civic duty. Someone mentioned expanding foam. If there is a reasonable gap in places, how about a generous injection of No More Nails or similar. On a dry night, when you are sure no-one is watching.

[T i m]

I'll have another look and check but from memory in this case I think it's 'just' the manhole rocking in it's frame and the external / visible parts (at least) of the frame looking sound. I think this has resulted from some sort of works / inspections as there are also several manhole covers on the pavement I now notice aren't fully flush or rock as well (but don't tend to attract vehicular traffic so not as noisy).

;-(

I am amazed what size (and so weight) of vehicle we sometimes get down here (arctic drivers lost looking for a trading estate) so I guess one of those might have been the 'final straw'? I'm more amazed they seem to find their way out though some pretty tight (and often car lined) twists and turns (although that said, we have had a car hit and another written off by them).

Assuming nothing has broken and noting that all the others that don't look to have been disturbed have a good layer of 'stuff' in the gap, I don't know if this one being devoid of such has been caused by it being lifted or (as you say), something giving, allowing it to start to move and then clearing the infill (and so move more).

I think if I knew the interfaces between cover and frame better it might help me understand how I might be able to (safely) try to silence it (and hope that would then be further supported by std road dirt / rain etc), assuming the relevant agency doesn't get to it soon etc.

Cheers, T i m

[Jethro_uk]

And risk a charge of criminal damage ?

A concrete filled cone to make cars avoid it might have more impact ...

[Mark Carver]

Just all those Ring/Nest doorbell-cams !

[AnthonyL]

If you've got arctic drivers in your area I suggest you've got a bigger problem than a manhole, unless the Eskimos were planning some fishing.

[Mathew Newton]

I've noticed that all the manhole covers on our 'new' (2007) estate are made up of two triangles, presumably as each piece is unable to rock regardless how ill fitting they might be/become. That or some health and safety requirement to minimise weight for lifting them out.

[Mathew Newton]

Could you pop out at night, lift a corner and wedge a window glazing packer or similar underneath?

[Steve Walker]

It is to make them non-rocking. If it is like the one in my driveway (I don't know why United Utilities fitted one suitable for HGVs to drive over), it actually makes them heavier, because each half has its own stiffening rib on the hypotenuse, but the two halves are (loosely) linked together, so have to be lifted as one.

There used to be a simple rectangular, cast iron one, but only suitable for a driveway. While investigating a collapsed sewer, they noticed that the lid was cracked in one corner, but also that it stood 1/2" higher than the drive and decided to replace it. They had to rebuild the top of the chamber to adjust for the new, deeper frame and to get the height right. I'd have been happy with just replacing the lid!

And thank God (under the old rules), next-door's kitchen drained into that chamber (although the rest of their house doesn't), as it made it a pre-1937, shared sewer pipe, which, if it were not shared would have been my responsibility and horrendously expensive to fix, as it had collapsed just under my drive and again in the middle of the road.

[T i m]

<snip>

That would make sense and what a good (simple) idea. ;-)

I've seen what look like pretty heavy / thick manhole covers being lifted one and dragged by a single small (one handed) key, a bigger 'T' bar thing two handed and more of a lever / trolley thing (probably as the maximum weights thing came in as you say).

I think I've even seen then re-seating them with a big clowns wooden / rubber mallet thing. ;-)

What I've never seen is anyone cleaning / clearing the frame / cover before re-fitting but have seen several seeming to have issues doing so, because of stuff stuck round the joint. ;-(

I wonder if it's one of those things that where in 'most cases' leaving the crud on means the don't get called back because it's then noisy? The mud / dirt / moss generally giving enough to allow the cover to re-seat but keeping the cracks to a minimum?

Cheers, T i m