Have you ever looked down at the road and walked? If you do, you would have come across these circle metal covers located all over them. These are manholes. Well, to be more specific they are manhole covers. The covers are sheltering the manholes, which are accesses to stormwater and sewer systems. If you are a curious person, thoughts of the functions of manholes might have crossed your mind. If so, you are amongst a very few people who do so. Most people live their whole lives without knowing the purposes of manholes.
Manholes: What are they and what do they do?
Manholes are access points used to access the short water and sewer systems located below the surface. Sewer systems used to transport the undesired substances of our bodies. They ensure that these substances are transported carefully, and away from civilised society above. Other than that, stormwater systems are used to relocate and redirect excess water that comes from rainfall and storms. This is essential to avoid any flood or accumulation of dirty water. Manholes are deep, and can be so deep that you need manhole steps to access them. Manholes are vertical in length,and they have a hollowed out cylindrical shape to them. Here are four reasons as to why manhole covers are necessary for a modern society.
First, manholes are necessary to allow the ventilation of sewage systems. Sewage systems can be filled with smells and gases produced from the mixture of undesired substances. Sometimes, they tend to cause expansion and heat. To avoid any incidents, these gases are released through the manholes and into the air. Next, manholes are used to ensure that the stormwater line and sewer lines are laid accordingly based on the set lengths. When construction of these systems are carried out, or added, manholes are used to access these areas and allow the engineers to keep track of the lines laid in.
Third, manholes are also used to aid in the inspections of the stormwater and sewage lines. These systems should be checked regularly for any issues or obstructions. If the inspectors fail to clear the obstruction it may cause more blockage that will become major problems. Manholes are also used for maintenance purposes. Fourth, manholes are ways to allow the municipality to alter the directions of the stormwater and sewage systems, integrate into these systems and align the systems. These are important aspects of ensuring the system works.
Where can you find these manholes?
Manholes are usually found all over the place. However, they are more common in cities and urban areas, and are usually located in the middle of the road or pavement. There are no set places for these manholes to be. The placement of these manholes depend on the diameter of the stormwater and sewer systems. Here are the four places where you can find manholes. At locations of line changes, line alignment changes, line size changes and at junctions of lines.
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