Lightweight drain covers reduce risk of theft

With scrap metal prices soaring, some European countries are suffering from a spate of drain cover thefts. Serious safety issues arise for road users of all categories as a result of drain cover theft, with utility companies and local councils being left with the additional burden of replacing stolen ductile ironwork. However Ultracrete, part of the Instarmac Group, has a solution in the shape of its recently launched coverTEC range of pedestrian and road composite manhole covers and frames. These lightweig
March 2, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

With scrap metal prices soaring, some European countries are suffering from a spate of drain cover thefts.

Serious safety issues arise for road users of all categories as a result of drain cover theft, with utility companies and local councils being left with the additional burden of replacing stolen ductile ironwork.

However 2492 Ultracrete, part of the 240 Instarmac Group, has a solution in the shape of its recently launched coverTEC range of pedestrian and road composite manhole covers and frames. These lightweight and durable products can take the place of conventional ductile ironwork and eliminate the problem of theft.

The composite covers offer other benefits too as their light weight reduces handling requirements and the risk of installation injuries for personnel, while they also offer improved anti-skid performance.

This last feature is of particular importance to vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists and cyclists, who are at risk during periods of wet or cold weather from conventional iron covers installed in the roadway.

The Ultracrete coverTEC products meet European requirements and the range includes covers and frames. The covers are made from an advanced composite structure of glass fibre and resin, so they are light in weight as well as providing a durable and a safe alternative to conventional ironwork. These composite covers have no scrap value, eliminating the theft problem prevalent in some countries. The covers are also approved by various motorcycling and cycling bodies as a safer alternative to conventional iron products. The coverTEC manhole covers and frames can be used with Ultracrete's range of highway maintenance products and can be installed using the firm's approved reinstatement system. This provides a five year service life guarantee while the fast installation means that a road can be open to traffic within the hour. The new coverTEC range has already been used and trialled across the UK and offers a reduction in replacement costs.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Reducing road deaths and injuries
    October 3, 2016
    The International Transport Forum is releasing a new report intended to help cut crashes worldwide. The report has been compiled by international experts and analyses the experience of Safe System countries and offers guidance for countries seeking to reduce road deaths. The report highlights need for a new approach to cutting the casualty toll and is called Zero Road Deaths and Serious Injuries: Leading a Paradigm Shift in Road Safety. It has a number of core recommendations. The conventional approach
    Read More
  • New barriers are helping improve road safety
    June 30, 2014
    A series of new guardrail technologies and barrier developments are now coming to market - Mike Woof writes. An array of technical developments is helping improve highway safety for road users. New barrier and guardrail technologies can offer greater conspicuity so as to alert drivers, along with better restraint capabilities. Gregory Industries offers a wide range of steel and cable barrier types and has now developed an attachment system for international use. This fixes the guardrail to the post and in t
    Read More
  • Stirling Lloyd in the fast lane: Waterproofing Warsaw’s Rowecki Bridge
    January 19, 2016
    Warsaw’s General Stefan Rowecki Bridge, or the Grota Bridge, is the second largest in the Polish capital and, as part of the Trasa Toruska expressway, it is the busiest. The structure, which opened in 1981, handles 150,000 cars daily, so repairs were always going to be tricky if minimal disruption to traffic was to occur. The steel orthotropic deck consists of two structurally independent parts – each with four traffic lanes. This meant that pedestrians and cyclists were restricted to two very narrow track
    Read More
  • Specifying barriers correctly for optimum roadway safety
    April 29, 2015
    Mike Dreznes, executive vice president at the International Road Federation (IRF) discusses the proper utilisation of longitudinal barriers as a road safety priority Road authorities have a duty of care to ensure infrastructure not only meets safety requirements but provides protection for all road users. Crash barriers play an essential role in maximising safety, lowering the risk of sudden impact for road users and also allowing redirective capabilities. If a road authority has a rigid hazard locate
    Read More

Highlighted Content