Manholes

The Pocket Guide to O

ET
CK E S
D
P UI
Installing Concrete G

manholes (with
minimum 125mm
wall thickness)

mpa British Precast Drainage Association

Introduction

As the construction industry strives for improved

safety, quality and performance, reduced waste,
lower costs, faster build times and minimised
environmental impacts, precast concrete
drainage manufacturers continue to innovate.

Production techniques continue to advance and

the use of modern logistics systems ensure
excellent product quality and reliable service.
Sourcing constituent parts from local suppliers
and the high use of recycled materials keeps
embodied impacts to a minimum. The design
flexibility of concrete drainage systems means
that many features can be factory manufactured
to meet customers’ specific site requirements.

These offsite solutions improve site safety and

product quality, reduce waste and costs and
speed up installation.

An example of this is the precast concrete

manhole system, where high performance seals
and extra-thick chamber walls ensure long term
watertightness and durability.

Typical precast manhole base.

Precast Manhole Base systems

The system comprises a precast concrete base unit

with channel and benching and predetermined
combinations of flexible and watertight inlet(s) and
outlet. Base units and chamber rings are made with
thicker stronger walls, eliminating the need for a
concrete or granular surround, unless specifically
required by the client.

The excavation is backfilled sooner minimising the

risks associated with open excavations and there is
less need to work in confined spaces. This reduces
time spent in the excavation, further improving site
safety and reducing installation costs.

To help safer offloading the base units and chamber

rings are supplied with cast-in lifting anchors or
lifting holes and the cover slab includes cast-in
lifting anchors.

The Precast manhole base system offers designers,

contractors and asset owners

• Reduced construction time

• Decreased installation costs
• Improved safety on site
• Superior and consistent quality
• Watertight system
• Low carbon footprint
• High jetting pressure resilience
• Natural resistance to flotation
• Can be backfilled using excavated soil
• Suitable for a wide range of pipe connections
• Cover slab transfers loads directly onto chamber wall
– no need to isolate chamber from traffic loads
• Can be retro-fitted with new pipeline connections
without complete replacement of the chamber
• Does not combust in a fire
• 120 year design life
Precast Manhole Base with
Sealed Chamber Rings

3
4

9
10

11
12

15 13

14
Flow
Cut away Detail Cutaway illustration of
available components

1. Manhole Cover 9. Landing Slab

2. Adjusting Units 10. Seal
3. Cover Slab 11. Chamber Section
4. Seal 12. Seal
5. Shaft Section 13. Socket Butt Pipe
6. Seal 14. Precast Base
7. Reducing Slab 15. Spigot Butt Pipe
8. Seal
Installing precast concrete manhole systems

Introduction
5 Fitting the Cover Slab
Traditional manhole installation with in-situ construction of the base, including benching and
channelling, used to take up to 48 hours to allow for the curing of concrete and was not always
successful, particularly in reference to long term water-tightness.
Now, with the precast concrete base manhole systems and innovations championed by the
BPDA members, manhole installation can be completed in about an hour with the following
seven simple steps.

1 Safety 3 Installing the precast manhole base Place the cover slab directly on the last chamber
ring (pre-fitted with sealant/seal) with the access
opening lined-up with the steps.

Apply slight pressure onto the cover slab (using

suitable protection e.g. timber) to seal the chamber.

There is no need to isolate the cover slab from the

chamber walls. The precast concrete chamber and
sealant/seal are designed to accommodate loads
from traffic transferred directly through the cover and
frame assembly. Using precast manholes reduces
Safety must always be the first priority for any
the risk of differential settlement and failure of
construction project and all site activities must sunken covers at the road surface (when compared
be preceded by an appropriate risk assessment. to flexible material constructed chambers). This
Typical activities when using precast concrete simple design detail can mean faster installation,
reduced construction costs and lower risk of failure.
manhole base systems include: vehicle
Prior to lowering into the trench, the precast base
offloading; movement of components to/from
unit may be pre-fitted with a lubricated outlet if
storage to place of installation; trench excavation
required. A plastomeric sealing strip/elastomeric seal

6 Backfilling
and positioning and movement of trench
is used to form a waterproof joint between units. It
support; placing, compacting and levelling of
may be fitted before lifting into position or after each
backfill material; lifting, positioning and fitting
unit has been individually placed. Concrete to
together of components.
concrete contact between units must be avoided.
For assistance refer to relevant legislation and Place the base unit onto the prepared granular bed
MPA British Precast, BPDA and BPDA member and mate the stub pipe with the installed outlet seal.
companies’ safety and installation guidelines. Check the base position for alignment, level and
inverts. Note that precast bases have an inbuilt fall
across the main channel enabling the foundation to
be laid level.

2 Preparation When using “wide wall” precast concrete

manhole chamber rings, the excavated soil can
Precast concrete manhole bases can accommodate
be returned as backfill, unless an alternative
a wide range of standard pipe materials and sizes.
arrangement is specified by the client.
The versatility of concrete also means that as
Compact the backfill soil as specified in the design.
requirements change over time, new pipe
connections can be retro-fitted into existing Ensure that the steps are correctly aligned.
chambers without compromising or needing to Use precast concrete adjusting units to obtain a
replace the existing system. maximum distance of 675mm to the first step
rung from the cover level.
Total time from Step 1 to 6 is typically
Excavate a trench of appropriate dimensions to around 1 hour.

4 Fitting the chamber rings

accommodate the manhole structure. The trench
It is not necessary to use concrete or granular
must allow sufficient working space outside the
backfill material to install the precast concrete
chamber for access and backfilling to the
manhole system. This can lead to time and cost
required specification, taking into account the
savings and lower environmental impact.
ground conditions, depth of excavation and any
other relevant factors. The heights of the Due to the self-weight of precast concrete
manholes, they are naturally resistant to flotation in
manhole components supplied by the
areas of high groundwater and during flooding.
manufacturers are nominal, so it is beneficial to
measure the units prior to installation in order to
assist with obtaining the required height of the
completed chamber.

The manhole can be built on either:-

7 Operation and Maintenance
- 5-20mm graded, 14mm or 20mm single-sized,
suitably compacted aggregate to provide a
≥ 150mm level base, with an additional blinding
layer of fine material where required to account
for unevenness or any other environmental factors.

- 150mm deep GEN 1(C8/10) concrete. The base

unit should be placed whilst concrete is wet so it Make sure that the joints are clean and free from Precast concrete manhole base systems
can be set level otherwise a levelling screed with foreign objects before fitting the next chamber adopt offsite principles and provide a high
a minimum depth of 15mm-50mm will be required ring unit. quality, robust product made in a factory
between the foundation and the unit to prevent The plastomeric sealing strip/elastomeric seal should controlled environment. They are strong and
point loading. already be in place on the installed unit and ready to durable and eliminate the risk of inconsistent
receive the next chamber ring unit. quality from site based operations. They are
Precast manholes are quick turn-round from order designed to remain watertight and maintain
to delivery to enable faster build times. Some Repeat with further ring units until the chamber
their structural integrity for over 120 years.
configurations are stock items (e.g. straight through) has been constructed to the required height.
available for Just-In-Time delivery keeping stored site Concrete drainage systems have been in use since
material to a minimum. Additionally, chamber rings and Victorian times. In recognition of their proven
cover slabs are typically ex-stock items which helps A plastomeric sealing strip/elastomeric seal is an performance, they are fully adoptable by all UK water
keep costs and build times to a minimum. integral part of the system to ensure watertightness. utilities, highways and other major asset owners.
Manhole Access

Whatever the shape of the manhole, if it

includes stepping for access, the Health and
Safety Executive’s confined spaces regulations
recommend 900mm clearance between the
stepping and the back of the shaft.

Stepping usually protrudes by at least 120mm,

so for compliance users will need to consider a
circular manhole with a diameter not less than
1050mm.

Further, if the sewer is to be adopted, users

also need to be aware that 1050 diameter
manholes have a cross section that is too small
to comply with the Sewers for Adoption minimal
nominal internal dimension requirements and
the chamber will need to be up-sized to
1200mm.

The minimum size of the chamber is also

determined by the size of connecting pipework.

Sewers for Adoption minimum chamber size

Size of connecting pipework Minimum chamber size
Pipes <375mm diameter 1200mm diameter
Pipes 375 – 450mm diameter 1350mm diameter
Pipes 450 – 700mm diameter 1500mm diameter
Pipes 700 – 900mm diameter 1800mm diameter

Standards and Certification

Precast concrete manhole systems have

widespread utility & client approval and can be
included in standard specifications. They are
kitemarked to BS 5911-3:2010+A1:2014, and
compliant to Standards BS EN 752:2017 and BS
EN 476:2011 and all UK water industry adoption
standards.
Published by
The British Precast Drainage Association
The Old Rectory, Main Street, Glenfield,
Leicestershire LE3 8DG
T: 01162 325 170 F: 01162 325 197

email@precastdrainage.co.uk
www.precastdrainage.co.uk

For further details on manhole design and installation

consult the BPDA Technical Guide which can be
downloaded from www.precastdrainage.co.uk

The British Precast Drainage Association (BPDA) is the main

trade association representing the interests of the manufacturers of concrete
pipes, manholes, box culverts and sustainable drainage systems in the UK.
The association is active in the research and promotion of the many technical,
commercial and environmental benefits of precast concrete drainage systems.
BPDA is a product association of the British Precast Concrete Federation Ltd.