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[holeworldnz]

Hole World is fully provisioned and prepared to commence work immediately once the country moves to Alert Level-3.

Our team have been in constant communication throughout the lock-down and want to give you a heads up on what Alert Level-3 means for us and what we are doing to make sure you are protected from the risk of transmission to clients and the public…

When we recommence business the safety and well-being of everyone is a top priority. We are following the Ministry of Health’s guidelines and have put the following measures in place to keep everyone safe:

1. Social Distancing:

Our worksites are already well isolated from the public, and our team generally works entirely independently of other parties.

We will plan jobs to improve our delineation with the public to reduce chances of casual interaction even further, through the use of traffic deflection techniques such as cones and cone-bars.

Unless jobs demand additional workforce, we will restrict our operational team to myself and my second in command (my son, who has been subject to comprehensive lock-down with me). This lessens the chance of our team being exposed and/or being in a position to spread the virus.

We will avoid contact with 3rd parties wherever possible, and where such contacts are necessary, maintain appropriate social distancing techniques.

2. PPE:

Our teams will carry and when appropriate use approved Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as latex gloves and surgical masks.

Our teams will be issued with a personal sanitizer aerosol using Isopropyl Alcohol (75% solution).

Spare Covid-19 PPE will be carried in service vehicles.

3. Stricter cleaning and sanitation:

All equipment and vehicle touch points will be thoroughly and regularly cleaned using isopropyl alcohol (75% solution).

We’ll also be keeping cleaning logs of all vehicles. These are available to view on request.

4. Contact Tracing:

We will collect contact details from all visitors in line with contact tracing guidelines & store that information in a contact register on site.

5. Overt Policies:

Our policies and guidelines (as summarised above) are clearly documented & distributed for staff to adhere to.

These policies are iterated as part of our pre-start meeting for each and every job.

These are available to view on request.

For more info on COVID-19 and what we’re doing at our worksites, please email me or give me a call.

Prepared by:

John Twigg, General Manager.

The post Covid-19 Level 3. Business Preparedness. appeared first on HoleWorld.

[holeworldnz]

Our baptism of fire in one of Auckland’s top neighbourhoods.

Up until now our jobs had been mostly private – carparks, driveways, and yard repairs. But today we were on the road for the first time. This recently resurfaced up-market suburban avenue was right in the heart of the city, and we’d been contracted to raise 10 manholes.

It was to be a learning experience for us, as we honed out techniques, and came to understand our extremely effective products a little better. But we also learned a lot about the nature and scope of manhole raising…

Most of the holes were on relatively flat ground, allowing for a textbook reinstatement, but one in particular was on a significant slope, and several others had us scratching our heads. We hadn’t taken into account the state of Auckland’s sewer network, which in this street was well over 100 years old. This meant that some of the edges had decayed and collapsed, so we were not merely lifting the ironwork on it’s frame, but re-engineering the rim so it had something to sit on. We’re delighted to say we left those manholes in much better state than how we found them.

Our first task was to cut a circular collar around the lid and lift out the ironwork. But these were now buried under 30mm of asphalt, and the spray-painted marks were at best an approximation of the location of the ironwork. This might work if we wanted to find the edges use a jackhammer, or even just cut a large enough patch that we would capture the manhole. But our operation was more like microsurgery. We aimed to make the hole as small as possible to minimise the impact of the repair, so we needed to know EXACTLY where the lids were.

The answer to that problem was surprisingly simple. A metal detector helped us map out the extent of the covered metal lid. This did not pick up the top edge of the manhole lid (as we had assumed), but flagged the bottom “foot” of the lid, which extends out some 100mm beyond the top edge. Knowing this we could cut with confidence very close to our marks, to create the smallest possible scar.

Once the pavement was cut, we used a jackhammer to loosen the asphalt on the lid. We discovered that, by loosening the edges, we could lift the whole asphalt block off in a single piece, after which we could attack the concrete poured around the base.

We found in our early reinstatements that the excavation process could be quite unwieldy, and take upwards of several hours. But as we came to terms with the processes we cut the excavation (from tools on to ironworks out) to less than 30 minutes.

Once the hole was cleaned and prepped we began the process of filling the hole with mastic asphalt.

First came the base layer. With temperatures cranked down as low as we dared, the mix was viscous and pliable, and we began layering up the asphalt to meet the new level. Although mastic asphalt is already dense, and requires no compaction, we found the best way to get the level perfect was to take it slightly above the correct level and tamp the lid down into the still viscous asphalt. This was a delicate procedure, as if we left it too late we had to waste time with a gas torch to reheat the asphalt and scrape it away.

After about 20 minutes to allow the mix to cool, we would pour in the bulk of the product to surround the hole. We would fill to 10-15mm below the rim. We would leave this to set hard, allowing us to apply a thin final coat, which was quick and easy to apply, requiring minimum time after completion to complete the finishing.

Using builders sand not only created an abrasive surface to aid skid resistance, but also created a buffer between the sticky asphalt and the floats we were using to finish the surface.

What started out at hole #1 as a tedious and time consuming job, had proven to be quite a straight-forward step-by-step process, which could be quite accurately modeled and scheduled. When we approached the last hole we had barely two hours left on our TMP for the day but we were confident that (even though it was on a significant incline) we could nail it in 2 hours. Everything had to fall perfectly for us, including a mix that would not ooze into the sloping hole. We cut the hole as close as possible to the edge of the rim (which incidentally makes excavation more fiddly, but is worth it for the quality of the job), and had two men working in relays on the jackhammer to lift that lid in time. By the time the lid was out we were 5 minutes ahead of schedule, and the laborious base layer went without a hitch, putting us even more in the black (pun fully intended!). We waited a full 20 minutes before applying the main layer, and again after. We were barely an hour into the process, and had a little more than a bucket of material to go.

By the time the mid layer had cooled, we had cleared the site and packed everything into the truck and trailer. With half an hour left on our TMP we poured the final layer. Five minutes later the job was finished, but we couldn’t walk away just yet, as the surface was still hot, and if we left it the mix would gradually pool at the bottom lip of the repair. So for 20+ minutes we worked the mix, to ensure that it set evenly and flush with the road surface. With the hole stabilised, and our time almost up, we coned off the hole and left. Although by now it should be fully trafficable, we decided an extra 30 minutes would allow it to set hard, so nothing could mark it.

We’d been lucky. We’d had none of the dramas we’d had in earlier holes, where we’d had to overcome issues we hadn’t even contemplated at the outset of the job. But this was a technically challenging reinstatement, given the incline and the lack of daylight, and we’d proven that we could nail it in under two hours from driving onto site to driving off.

While this had been a difficult trial for us, it had been illuminating, and although we’d encountered unanticipated problems, we’d systematically solved them all. So we left the site feeling confident in our methods and our scheduling. We’d learned lots about our products and our procedures, and realised not only could we meet our ambitious targets, but there was room to improve on them and on the quality of the work.

It was clear that there is a limit to how many sites can be managed in a day, and given the disjointed nature of this job (with multiple independent sites) we were never going to finish all 10 holes in one day. But we did gain a much better understanding of what is possible, and in the right circumstances (within a single closure) we see the potential to be completing 10 holes in a day, even if it is a long day.

In other words, with a few tweaks, managing more holes simultaneously makes our processes more efficient and our results more precise. Even if we have to improvise to re-engineer the bases.

Hole World is arguably NZ’s only business set up specifically to repair potholes and manholes. We use mastic asphalt, which is stronger and lasts longer than regular asphalt. And where practicable, we do circular repairs, which are also much more robust. We are fully insured, and SiteWise Green endorsed (high degree of safety in our operation). If you have an issue with your pavement we would be happy to come and take a look at the site and get back to you with a quote.

The post Streets Ahead appeared first on HoleWorld.

[holeworldnz]

This carpark required a variety of solutions to deal with the plethora of potholes dotting the pavement.

This was an old carpark that had been allowed to deteriorate quite badly. It had been repaired several times already, to the point where the patches had potholes. The pavement surface was so old and thin that it was cracking up – particularly at the seams. And the constant traffic dripping oil and spinning tires had systematically torn up the surface. This carpark was a candidate for a complete resurfacing, but we believed that the existing surface could be repaired, giving the carpark another five or so years of life before needing to be repaved.

Our strategy was to divide the holes into three categories.

Pothole – Structural Repairs

Some damage was critical – the risk of damage to people or property was very real, and the HSA 2015 provides stiff penalties for endangering public. It was obvious that the substrate beneath the pavement was compromised, and we would need to excavate these and rebuild the base before resurfacing. These are termed “Structural Repairs”.

Functional Repairs – eliminate the danger , and prevent further decay, but offer little structural benefit to the pavement.

Other holes were not so serious, but still needed to be filled to prevent them from expanding and becoming a threat. For these holes we would simply clean out the existing hole using a router and wire brush, and fill these to stabilise the surface. While not offering the same strength as a structural repair, these “Functional Repairs” would prevent, or at least, slow the surface from deteriorating in that area.

The last category was the trouble spots. These are areas where the surface has deteriorated, but it is stable, and not likely to decay quickly. Given that 80% of the carpark had some degree of “Alligator Cracking” on the surface, there is no practical way (short of a full repave) to redress these cracks, so we recommended these be left alone, and treated as and when they developed into potholes. This might be months, but in most cases is likely to be years from now.

Cracked seams were excavated and filled to offer structural strength to the pavement.

It wasn’t just the potholes we addressed. We also looked at the seam cracks. It’s no coincidence that most potholes form along the seams since this is arguably the weakest point of the pavement. And once the cracks reach right through, the moisture gets underneath, and begins to break down the edges. For the worst of the seams we implemented a structural repair, cutting a 100-150mm wide channel the length of the seam, and excavating all the chipped and cracked edges, before compacting and filling with highly robust mastic asphalt. For some of the lighter damage we opted for a crack-fill, routing the seam to give us a well defined edge, and filling with Mastic Asphalt.

Stand-alone pothole – damaged most likely by oil drips softening the asphalt, and wheels turning, ripping it up.

Having addressed the key problem areas, we then set about finding and spot-filling the smaller potholes dotting the yard. Most of these were in the parking bays where cars stop and drip oil (which over time softens the asphalt). And add the turning moment – where cars turn the wheels without moving – grinding the surface with their tires, and it’s easy to see how this surface gets so bad.

A couple of the smaller holes were actually part of a larger area laced with alligator cracks. If these are left alone, the surface will rapidly decay as there is noting locking the pieces in place on the surface. So spot-filling these areas is like placing a keystone in a wall – without it, the surface has no strength at all, but with it the surface is once again firm (although for how much longer depends on the extent of the damage underneath. It appears that this surface has water seeping up through it – possibly from a damaged pipe – and I expect this will be quite fragile even with the repair).

There is no doubt that this carpark will need minor repairs again in the not-to-distant future. But with an efficient maintenance plan it should provide many more years of service to it’s owners and the public.

Hole World is arguably NZ’s only business set up specifically to repair potholes and manholes. We use mastic asphalt, which is stronger and lasts longer than regular asphalt. And where practicable, we do circular repairs, which are also much more robust. We are fully insured, and SiteWise Green endorsed (high degree of safety in our operation). If you have an issue with your pavement we would be happy to come and take a look at the site and get back to you with a quote.

The post The Hole Nine Yards appeared first on HoleWorld.

[holeworldnz]

A new approach to raising manholes promises repairs which are quicker, stronger and smarter.

Have you ever been driving along and noticed a circle spray painted in the middle of the road? Chances are you’re on a recently resealed road, and the mark is to flag a buried manhole lid that has been paved over.

This is not a mistake.  It is usually because the existing manhole was not at the right level for the new road. By paving over the top of the manhole the contractors are assured of an even uniform surface across the entire road thanks to their million-dollar paving machine. Once the road has firmed up a crew can come back and reset the manhole precisely at the right level. To attempt this with soft asphalt during the paving process requires hand spreading of the asphalt and invariably leads to an uneven surface.

But there’s still plenty of problems with raising the manholes. You can’t just cut around the paintmark.

Unless the centre of the hole was triangulated, the mark on the road is going to be an approximation of where the manhole is. In the past, you would try to delicately jackhammer (is that an oxymoron?) the surface where you think the cover might be in the hope of hitting the metal rim underneath. And once you’ve excavated enough to find the edges, you could then set up your perimeter and saw a nice big square around the hole.

A traditional repair uses concrete to reset the foundation for the manhole. This seems like a good idea, because concrete is strong and does not compact. But there’s many flaws with the use of concrete, starting with the type of concrete used (fast setting concrete is generally not strong enough) and the way it’s laid (not adequately vibrated to remove air pockets). And once it’s set and covered with asphalt, then it’s assaulted by a compactor which is most likely turning everything under the surface to dust.

And then there’s the size of the hole.

Ideally, using the old approach, you want the asphalt patch to cover the concrete and also some of the surrounding substrate for additional lateral strength. In fact, it’s fair to say that in a traditional repair, a small patch suggests it has insufficient overlap of the concrete plug, which could shorten the life of the repair.

So back to the guy with the jackhammer, it really didn’t matter if the hole was a bit bigger than required because that will result in a stronger patch.

But thanks to advances in technology we don’t need a big patch any more.

Finished article, with grit applied to match the surrounding pavement

Holeworld have replaced concrete and asphalt with a UK (HAPAS) certified mastic asphalt product designed specifically for raising manholes. It is dense, so requires no compacting, and can be built up in layers. The manhole can be positioned perfectly every time. And it binds well to the iron, the substrate and the concrete base (the top of the manhole chamber).

And we don’t saw-cut a massive patch. We use a circular cutter to core a hole barely bigger than the foot of the manhole cover. The resultant chimney filled with our built-for-purpose product promises what should be a life-of-the-road repair.

There is just one last problem for us to resolve, and that is how to find the exact location of the manhole without needing to jackhammer up the road first.

The answer is surprisingly simple.

If a metal detector can find a coin under 200mm of pavement, it can sure as heck find a 60kg iron rim barely below the surface. You can see the results of our test in the video below.

Video demonstration of metal detector locating manhole under asphalt.

Holeworld specialize in pothole and manhole repair, offering innovative products and improved systems to deliver repairs which are quicker, stronger, and smarter.

  The post Raising the Stakes appeared first on HoleWorld.

[holeworldnz]

Walking in the sound shroud

Noise abatement ensures equipment ready for night use.

When we approached a major paving contractor about managing manholes during their paving operations, we learned something very interesting. Because concrete saws were too noisy to be used at nights, most manhole raising was done on a second visit, usually during the day. Knowing a little about the cost of establishing a Traffic Management solution, which can run into thousands of dollars a day, we figured this was an important problem for us to focus on.

In Auckland, the rule is that no tasks generating more than 75db can be performed after 8pm. We measured our circular cutter and not surprisingly, the high pitched screech of the cutting blade measured around 85db – significantly over this mark.

We immediately got the engineers involved, looking at ways to muffle the sound. We identified three ways to bring the noise within limits.

The first two are quite simple. We can expand the shroud around the cutting blade and insulate it with a noise dampening coating. Given the abrasive nature of the slurry generated when cutting concrete, this will be a difficult solution to maintain as the insulation will tend to get torn up.

Second, we can insure that the cutting surface is well liquefied. On a new asphalt mat this will be relatively easy since the cutter has a massive water tank delivering water to both sides of the cutting face. On a flat surface this will provide more than enough water to submerge the cut, but on a sloping surface we will look to augment the flow of water into the crack ahead of the blade to maximise the muffling effect.

The third solution, while initially quite radical, is actually the easiest. We can enshroud the cutter in an acoustic tent, to minimise sound escaping towards homes. The issue with this is we are running combustion engines generating exhaust which is trapped in the tent. But fortunately our equipment runs on remote control, so we can stand outside the tent to operate it.

So in March we decided to put the cutter to the test. We measured the noise output without any shroud, then with a single-lined  tent and finally with a double lined tent. Although the levels tested next to the tent were above the maximum allowable, when the noise was measured from 20m away, the noise was within the allowable level.  The test conditions were far from ideal, due to a number of issues.

Most notably, because the test was to be conducted at SFI (who import the acoustic panels we used in the trial), we brought our own pavement to cut up – a slab of mastic asphalt taken from the TV3 car park a month or so earlier. It was however a little on the small side, and so we were only cutting an arc about 1/3 of the circumference. This was not a problem mechanically, as we set the cutter on a frame to ensure it was stable. But the fact this test-slab was sitting above the true pavement most probably amplified the noise and, coupled with the sloping surface, water which would normally pool around the cut was free to run off making for a noisier operation. In other words, even though we are already within our tolerance, there are a few simple steps we can take to further mitigate the noise. Also, during our test the legs of the tent-frame were screwed up, and the acoustic panels were not fully bedded on the ground. This would have allowed sound to escape under the shroud, which would have raised the level significantly.

This test was pretty rudimentary, and designed predominantly to see whether the solution was safe and viable, and whether we were in at least the right ball park in terms of noise suppression. We were delighted with the result and believe that, with a little tweaking, we can get the noise levels well within limits for night work.

Watch the video of our sound trials by clicking this link:

      The post A Sound Solution! appeared first on HoleWorld.

[holeworldnz]

Keeping kids safe at school.

The local high school had an issue in a recreation area between two key building complexes. An inspection hatch had collapsed right in the middle of the thoroughfare, leaving a messy and hazardous hole right where the kids walked. Noone was quite sure what was inside the hatch, although it was understood to be a disused water valve. The grate covering the valve had long since collapsed, and the plastic rim had been gradually crushed over time, leaving an ugly mess filled with dirt and candy wrappers. Previous attempts to cover the hole had failed, and for safety reasons, it was time to do something about it.

We excavated down through the tube to the valve underneath. The handle had rusted away and the valve was no longer serviceable, so after consultation with the school’s plumbing service, a decision was made to pack around the valve, then backfill the hole and asphalt over it. The school undertook to trim the top lip off the plastic tube, and to fill the tube. We came in after and filled the hole with IKO Permatrack – HAPAS approved highways grade mastic asphalt. This product is designed especially for this type of work, and is impermeable, fast setting, and requires no compacting. It is also exceptionally robust, and should provide a relatively permanent fix.

We were on site for a little over an hour. The hole preparation was quite straightforward, using our circular cutter we created a perfect bevelled circular hole. No corners means a stronger hole and more evenly spread loads, as well as looking neater and having a smaller surface area. The Permatrack was already at optimum temperature when we arrived on site, so as soon as the hole was cleared and primed we filled it. By the time we’d applied sand to the surface (for skid resistance) the clock had not yet passed the hour mark. However, we stayed on site for a further 20-30 minutes to continually massage the mix and prevent it from pooling (due to the very slight camber in the pavement).

Many roads and carparks have similar sized potholes which where the surface has been breached, but the structural integrity of the substrate is still largely in tact. These can be very quickly and effectively repaired before they become problematic because, if left alone, they will grow quickly in size and depth – particularly as rain and traffic erode the substrate – resulting in a costly and complex structural repair to the road.

If you have potholes or manholes which are showing signs of cracking or where the ground around them is loose, then it’s better to act quickly to get the problem fixed. Call us for a consultation and obligation free quote.

    The post Class Work appeared first on HoleWorld.

[holeworldnz]

Each new hole we fill is a learning experience. This one was no exception.

Arriving on site, the truck parks immediately ahead of the hole. It’s protecting the workers from any traffic which might come down the driveway, as well as providing a barrier for pedestrians.

The manhole was located in a local school ground, and was on a sloping driveway. The hole had failed several times, and had been filled with asphalt and concrete on different occasions. Still, the surrounds were broken, and you could certainly catch a shoe in the resulting hole.

This hole had a number of issues – some ours, some theirs. The slope was one problem, but I’ll get to that. First, lets talk about the cutter…

A week ago we’d been working on a manhole when the cutter suddenly stopped rotating. It would still go up and down, but not round and round. This was only a minor problem, as we were able to spin the cutter by hand – not wasy, but certainly possible. The ground was stable, and the job was smooth, so we were not too perturbed.

The hole was quite deteriorated – the white marks indicate the extent of the cut

We were worried though, when we were unable to fix the rotation. What we thought was a blown fuse turned out to be a bit more serious, as the control board had failed, and needed replacing. Our supplier was very obliging, and whisked one out to us by courier, but that was coming from China, and we still had work to do.

No problem!

We took the motor apart, and determined that it was working fine, so we simply by-passed the control board and wired the motor directly to the battery (via a couple of isolator, a fuse, a switch and a variable speed unit (to give us a perfect rotation speed).

So this was the first test of our jury-rig, and I’ve got to say, we’re pretty clever. It worked like a charm.

Rather than sit the cutter on the manhole lid it was mounted on a custom frame to bridge the sides and conform with the slope of the road.

But the hole did present us with another problem. The lid was level with the manhole underneath, while the road surface had a distinct slope. Just wheeling the cutter in to place we managed to wipe off part of the protective rubber strip under the protective cover of the cutter. Clearly we could not (efficiently) cut a hole with the cutter at an angle to the road surface…

No problem again!

The cutter came with a special frame, which I thought was quaint – the machine worked perfectly well without it. But in this situation the frame bridged the road surface, and allowed us to seat the cutter flush with the surface, not the lid. End result was a perfect cut!

Once we lifted off the manhole, it was time to test out our new cap. We placed it over the hole, and jumped on it, to see if it moved. But no. It was firm in place. The cap would allow a paving crew to mill right over the hole without stopping, and pave over it without needing to deviate the paver from it’s course or manually level the road. But for us it simply allowed us to clean up the hole without any rubble dropping down into the pit below.

We were not about to remount the iron lid directly on the manhole, so we built a spacer layer using the same Neuchatel MWR mastic asphalt that we would use for the entire job. The cap did come in handy again, as we used this to gauge the level of the lid relative tho the road surface.

Once we were happy, and the layer had set sufficiently (ideally around 15 minutes) we began to fill the bulk of the hole with MWR. We aimed to get the layer across the entire surface, and bond it with the primed edge of the asphalt. Due to the depth of the hole, this layer took a little longer to set, and we spent a lot of time massaging the MWR to keep it relatively level with (but slightly below) the road surface. Initially this took quite a lot of effort, but once the top started to set, we got on with other tasks, only occasionally returning to knead it back uphill, until it had set.

Now all that remained was to apply a final coat, and sand the finish. By this stage my camera crew had left for football practice, and I didn’t capture the finished hole. I’ll go back tomorrow to check, and get a photo then.

HoleWorld is a specialist manhole reinstatement and pothole repair provider. Their systems and products and revolutionary in NZ, overcoming the multitude of problems faced by conventional methods of repair, and offering life-of-the-road fixes. For more information, call us on 027-421-5214 or email us at [email protected]

[holeworldnz]

Just when you thing things are becoming routine, someone throws in a curve-ball like this.

This manhole was badly degraded, and looked to have subsided as it was not set flush with the pavement

This manhole was on a sloping pavement behind a warehouse, and was obviously in need of attention.

From the outset it looked to be a routine reinstatement. The pavement had cracked around the edge of the manhole, and it seemed to have sunk into the gravel. The concrete was cut with two distinct slabs, which I imagined was due to some earlier failure. Because of this we decided to cut the minimum thickness – just enough to ensure a clean finish – which would allow us more time to inspect the hole as we cleared it out.

Given the uneven surface I was not sure what to expect from the cutting, but that proved effortless. We set the blade circumference to take in all the damaged asphalt, and most of the first block of concrete. A touch with the jackhammer loosened the asphalt and in moments we had exposed the aggregate around the manhole.

This is where things started to get interesting.

Our decision to minimise the cut depth had been a good one. Our first surprise was a metal cannister about 20mm under the pavement. Had we cut for another 30 seconds we most likely would have hit it. We did not disturb it or try to discover it’s purpose, but I assume was a water valve. The next surprise was a much bigger one. As I probed around the iron lid, breaking up the gravel which was attached to the rim, the jackhammer suddenly dropped several inches into the ground. We took it out, and cleared the loose gravel, to find a square hole under the foot of the metal rim.

It turned out that this round manhole was set on a square drain

At this point our reinstatement went more from a cautious excavation to a forensic search, and most of the rest of the work was conducted with a wire brush and a garden trowel. We soon found another similar hole, then another and another. As we carefully extracted the material, it became evident that the manhole was situated very precariously over a square hole.

Clearly this reinstatement was compromised. Our advice to the client would have been to swap out the manhole cover for a square one. But the client was unavailable for consultation, and no expenditure was authorised. Clearly the manhole couldn’t be left in this condition while we waited for an answer, so the decision was made to complete the reinstatement as agreed and submit the photos to the client for later review and or subsequent action.

Our original plan had been to lift the manhole lid out, and pack a layer of Neuchatel MWR Mastic Asphalt underneath to bring the lid flush with the pavement. But with so little space underneath, and the lid so finely balanced right on the lip, we decided it was judicious to leave the rim where it was, and rely on our product to hold the lid firm.

Due to the fact there was very little underneath to support it, the manhole was left directly on the concrete drain, and the surface contoured to meet the pavement

After that, the reinstatement went like clockwork. A base layer was applied stopping around 20mm from the surface of the hole, and this was allowed to ‘break’ for 30 minutes so that it created a firm base for the final layer. Given the slope of the pavement, we set the mixer to low heat, so the asphalt would cool quickly as we worked it to the contour of the pavement. And once it had set satisfactorily, we sanded the surface for skid resistance.

Because this work was done in parallel with some other asphalt repairs there was no down-time on the job. Even with the painstaking excavation work, the actual time ‘on the tools’ had been less than an hour.

The finished work ensured that the manhole was fixed firmly in place, and the seal around it was watertight. While we hope the client will take our advice and switch the cover for a square one, we are confident that we have strengthened this manhole, and lessened the likelihood of it moving or caving in.

For more information, contact us at Holeworld.