The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Fri Mar 07, 2008 11:40 pm**

Nipped round to see me mum earlier and she has just had her poured concrete path removed and replaced with block paving.

The locally respected guy that did it said that nothing could be done with the manhole, they just re did the mortar around the outside of it.

Its an ashfelt public path to the left in the last pic and there is some kind of precast concrete block level with it which I assume forms the top of the manhole.

Could this be replaced with some kind of block paving manhole without too much of a step / trip hazard? Can the block thats level with the pavement be removed a small amount to get something in?

It's all a bit fugly at the moment

so any advice on the manhole appreciated. The dodgy looking pebles etc are being sorted in due corse.

Glad I found the site, a mine of information!

Posted: **Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:01 am**

The "locally respected guy" hasn't got my respect. you can get a recessed manhole tray if you want to fill it with block paving. the haunching should be angled more and kept down a little so that it is covered with your choice of materials. a bit of a bodge up. did he lay the edging course on compo, or concrete?

Posted: **Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:47 am**

Thanks for the reply

No idea what the edging course is laid on, I didnt know it was being done and just happened to pop round and saw it on the off chance.

How would the recess tray be made to meet the foot path? Would there have to be a step there or do you have to modify the precast concrete former thing thats level with the path to lower the tray in?

Posted: **Sat Mar 08, 2008 11:04 am**

bit harsh there sean
there appears to be a concrete lid under the cover,and the recessed tray would stick up 100mm creating a trip hazard

but you are right on one count
where is the kerbs,edgings or restraint?

LLL

Posted: **Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:37 pm**

Sorry for being professional about it lll. so you would leave a job in that state then? personally i would take the biscuit off ( its not too big as you can see ! )and drop the manhole to accommodate the new tray. judging by the depth of the compo surround it wouldn't have to be dropped much. the guy asked for advice and i gave him my opinion. makes me wonder if it was one of your jobs ???

Posted: **Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:54 pm**

didnt even square mh up with paving . does look bodged up:

Posted: **Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:21 pm**

Not sure about mixing Basket weave with the existing Herringbone ?
Looks a bit odd !

Posted: **Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:21 pm**

Thanks for the replies.

seanandruby: Is the biscuit the concrete slab (with a hole) thats under the manhole cover? Are they normally reinforced or will I be able to chip it out?

How much depth from paving surface level do you have to go down to get the tray in?

Posted: **Sat Mar 08, 2008 8:53 pm**

seanandruby wrote:Sorry for being professional about it lll. so you would leave a job in that state then? personally i would take the biscuit off ( its not too big as you can see ! )and drop the manhole to accommodate the new tray. judging by the depth of the compo surround it wouldn't have to be dropped much. the guy asked for advice and i gave him my opinion. makes me wonder if it was one of your jobs ???

thanks for your kind words sean
yes it looks rough
yes why haven't they followed the herring bone pattern
yes where is the restraint

but as DDD has said when us common or garden workers price jobs to do it right ,we get outpriced by the clowns doing this.
i am interested to know matt how much your mum paid for this work?
and also could you lift the cover and get a picture of the inside of the manhole,for all we know the invert might be very shallow
LLL

Posted: **Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:37 pm**

Looks like a FU to me, and there's no good reason why either a recess tray of a decent non-trampolining cover couldn't be fitted to that chamber, even if, as Sean says, it involves lifting the biscuit and taking out a ring section.

Posted: **Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:00 pm**

Didn't get chance to take a piccy today. The manhole has pretty much been exactly the same for the last 20 odd years. When the guy came to quote the said they would not be making mods to the man hole etc, my ma agreed to this. They just re did the haunching in the exact way it was originally done.

Posted: **Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:16 pm**

Then that's all there is to it - I guess it all comes down to the specification and price quoted.

Would have looked far better to have had it incorporated into the paving, but there ya go!

Posted: **Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:28 pm**

Yeah I wasn't complaining about it, sorry if it came across that way. I was asking if it would be possible to change to a more ascetically pleasing cover and if you used a recess tray if there would be a step up or if it is indeed possible to chip the concrete ring out thats underneath.

The guy that did the work said it was "not possible", I'm not sure if that was from a cost or legality point of view.

Posted: **Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:35 pm**

you do tend to get what you ask for and what you want to pay for. job last done 3 mh one in blockpaving was recessed other 2 in paving, paved around and gravel over the top at customers request. plant pots put on gravel job done

Posted: **Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:38 pm**

As I say the getting what you asked / pay for part is not in question. Its the possibility of changing it and the steps involved. Hopefully once I have some pics without the cover on ill be able to get some pointers!

The Brew Cabin

Unsightly manhole...