INDEX

SECTION 5: MANHOLES, CHAMBERS AND CATCHPITS

5.1 CEMENT, REINFORCEMENT, AGGREGATE AND WATER 74

5.2 BRICKLAYING AND PLASTERING 74

5.3 COVERS 74

5.4 MANHOLES AND INSPECTION CHAMBER CONSTRUCTION 74

5.4.1 PRECAST CONCRETE MANHOLES 75
5.4.2 INSITU CONCRETE MANHOLES 75
5.4.3 INSPECTION CHAMBERS 76
5.4.4 CHANNELS AND BENCHING 76
5.4.5 PIPES INTO MANHOLES AND INSPECTION CHAMBERS 76
5.4.6 TESTING MANHOLES 77
5.5 PRECAST CONCRETE SPECIALS 77

5.6 MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT 77

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 SECTION 5

MANHOLES, CHAMBERS AND CATCHPITS

5.1 CEMENT, REINFORCEMENT, AGGREGATE AND WATER

All cement, aggregate, reinforcement and water used, shall comply with the
requirements of sections 2 and 6 of this Specification.

5.2 BRICKLAYING AND PLASTERING

All brickwork and plastering shall comply with the requirements of Section 9 of
this Specification.

5.3 COVERS

Unless otherwise specified or shown on the drawings, covers shall be of cast iron
and comply with BS 497 or SABS 558, with triangular heavy-duty manhole
covers in roadways and circular medium duty covers elsewhere. The Employers
initials shall be cast on the upper surface of the cover.

5.4 MANHOLES AND INSPECTION CHAMBER CONSTRUCTION

Manholes and Inspection Chambers shall be constructed in accordance with the

drawings and should the tendering Contractor offer an alternative design, full
details must be submitted with his tender.

In all cases, pipe gradients shall be continuous through the manhole, and the
benching on junction manholes shall provide for smooth free flow in all of the
channels in the manhole.

No concrete, including the base, shall be poured under water, and particular care
shall be exercised to ensure that the complete manhole structure, especially at the
points where pipes enter the manhole, is waterproof.

5.4.1 Precast Concrete Manholes

Precast members used in this construction shall be in accordance with the

drawings issued with this Specification and shall comply with relevant SAZS

Aggregate used in manufacture of the precast sections shall preferably be

limestone or dolomite, to the Engineer's approval. Unless otherwise specified,
manhole chamber rings shall be reinforced with not less than 100 mm2 of hard
drawn steel wire, placed circumferentially per 300 mm of height with suitable

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 longitudinal steel. Shaft rings shall be similarly reinforced with not less than 570
mm2 of hard drawn steel wire per 300 mm of height.

The Tenderer must submit full details of the precast products on which his tender
is based, including slab thickness, reinforcement details, design concrete strength,
and the loading which medium and heavy duty slabs are designed to carry.

Precast manholes shall be constructed with an insitu base slab of well compacted
20 Mpa concrete and pre-cast chamber, chamber roof, access shaft and shaft
cover which shall incorporate step irons as detailed and specified.

The chamber ring shall be in the form of a butt-ended pipe, the ends of which
shall be roughened to give adequate bond with the mortar joint at base and roof
slab, and intermediate ring joints shall be O.G. Particular care shall be exercised
to prevent the ingress of ground water at the joint between the chamber ring and
the base slab.

Care must be exercised in backfilling behind precast manholes to ensure adequate

compaction, uniform around the circumference of the manhole, and to eliminate
future settlement.

Cover frames shall be bedded on a prepared cement mortar (1:3 mix) bed and
where necessary shall be tilted to conform with the slope on surfaced roads. The
frame is to be set such that the closed cover shall be flush with the road surface,
and in open country shall project 150 mm above the ground surface.

5.4.2 Insitu Concrete Manholes

The concrete mix used shall be 20 Mpa except in water logged or bad ground
where the Engineer may order 30 Mpa concrete, mechanically vibrated.

Chamber wall and floor slabs shall not be less than 150 mm thick, the actual
thickness depending on site conditions and as directed by the Engineer.

Step irons shall be built into the walls and shafts, as concreting proceeds and the
Contractor must allow in his rates for setting the step iron into position trimming
shutters etc.

Unless otherwise instructed manhole walls and the outer faces of manhole shafts
shall be cast against rough external shutters.

5.4.3 Inspection Chambers

Inspection chambers shall be constructed in accordance with detailed drawing.

Unless otherwise specified the covers and frames shall comply with Grade C
light duty rectangular covers and frames, Table 6, solid section having a 600 mm
x 450 mm clear opening, all as BS 497. Frames shall be set so that the highest
levels of surrounding ground are not less than 100 mm below cover levels.

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5.4.4 Channels and Benching

Unless otherwise specified, in the case of 100 mm to 225 mm diameter sewers,

the channels in manholes shall be formed in half round channels of the material
used on the pipeline, using straight channels, bends and channel junctions where
necessary all laid true to level and grade and properly bedded and jointed in 1:2
cement mortar.

In the case of 300 mm diameter and larger sewers, channels in manhole base
slabs shall be formed to slope and grade complete with bends, junctions etc., all
with the largest possible radius.

For 100-mm diameter house connection pipework, which joins the sewer at
manholes, half round channels shall be formed in the concrete base slab as
detailed on the drawings with bends of minimum centreline radius.

Benching shall be constructed of 20 Mpa mix concrete unless otherwise

instructed and shall be grano-rendered as specified, placed into position while the
concrete is still green and properly keyed to it, laid to falls, and made good to
channels, and where necessary carried through the invert, 20 mm thick, all
finished true to line and level with a smooth uniform finish.

In backdrop manholes, the 90 bend at the foot of the backdrop shall be turned to
face the channel outlet to eliminate splashing of the benching.

5.4.5 Pipes into Manholes and Inspection Chambers

Manhole and Inspection Chamber positions shall be accurately located and the
base slabs set out before pipelaying commences. When completing the
pipelaying, the pipes entering and leaving the manhole shall be laid to grade and
cut to length such that the face of the socket or spigot of the pipes entering and
leaving the manhole shall be as shown on the drawings.

During pipelaying the pipes entering and leaving the manhole shall be firmly
supported on a continuous haunching of 10 Mpa concrete, the manhole base slab
being cast complete immediately the sewer lengths on either side of the manhole
have been completed.

Care must be taken during the pouring of the base slab to ensure that the concrete
is properly consolidated around the pipes but without disturbing them from the
true grade line. Particular care must also be taken in pouring the base slab, to
prevent the future ingress of ground water from under the base slab.

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5.4.6 Testing Manholes

Completed manholes shall be watertight and in testing, the inlet and outlet
pipework shall be plugged with expanding stoppers and the manhole filled with
water to top of roof level.
The manhole shall show no signs of leaking or weeping and the water level shall
not fall for a period of one hour. Except in waterlogged ground where every
manhole will be tested, it is intended to test not more than 5% of the manholes
constructed for water tightness, and the rates submitted for manhole construction
must include for the supply and disposal of all water and all equipment necessary
to carry out the testing and disposal of the water.

5.5 PRECAST CONCRETE SPECIALS

Precast concrete specials, e.g. boxes for meters, stop-cocks, valves, etc., shall be
in accordance with the drawings and of approved manufacture using 30 Mpa
concrete with maximum aggregate size 12 mm (or other approved mix) and shall
be made by a processing involving vibrating or pressing.

5.6 MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT

Manholes and Inspection Chambers will be paid as a lump sum for the particular
diameter of chamber at the depth to invert stated in the Bill of Quantities.
Measurement shall be taken from the invert level of the sewer to the underside of
the frame of the cast iron or precast concrete cover, and shall be broken down in
gradations of 0,5 metres.

The rates quoted shall include for extra excavation beyond the normal trench
width and depth in soft material (Ref. 3.6) and for all materials and labour etc.,
required to completely construct the Manhole or Inspection Chamber in terms of
the Specification and Drawings. They shall include for step irons, any special
shaft rings, make up brickwork and plastering beneath the cover, and shall include
the supply, delivery and fixing of a medium duty cover and frame, either in cast
iron or precast concrete as called for in the Bill of Quantities. Heavy-duty covers
shall be measured and paid as an extra over item. No extras shall be allowed for
bends in the main sewer, or for connections into the Chamber.

Valve chambers, etc., will be paid as a lump sum for each item as described in the
Bill of Quantities, and the lump sum price shall include for all costs necessary to
completely construct the item in accordance with the Specification and Drawings.

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