Comments on: Why are manhole covers round? …and other trivia about the pesky drains covers

By: Ravichandran

Ravichandran — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:08:21 +0000

Edit:

The probability of manholes collapsing out of traffic would be more with square covers than with circular cover.

By: Ravichandran

Ravichandran — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:01:51 +0000

The reason could be, Sewage lines are mostly created at the center of roads. The traffic on the roads always press the manholes, on a straight line parallel to the traffic. Circular Covers would distribute the weight across, while square covers would receive the pressure along the sides. Thus square covers would receive more pressure in to the holes than the circular one. The probability of manholes with square cover is more than the one with circular cover.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 01 May 2006 15:42:46 +0000

Well if marketers have their way round manhole covers won't be an issue.. here's an image of a Folgers coffee promotion in NYC: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/353/70/1600/coffee_manhole.jpg

By: delta

delta — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 06:09:22 +0000

Why is a manhole called a manhole?

I know it could be called a manhole coz the hole on a man's body emits stinking stuff from it & stinks to high hell (especially when they've had curry, beer, kebab, FOOD in general!)

But why is it a MANHOLE?

answers on a postcard

By: Ranjit Wankhede

Ranjit Wankhede — Mon, 09 May 2005 18:44:27 +0000

Well puzzled over why its called a manhole cover when it should be also called a femalehole

By: sniptools

sniptools — Fri, 19 Nov 2004 05:11:41 +0000

Just saw this and had to include it on this site:

If Richard Feynman were asked this question:
http://www.sellsbrothers.com/fun/msiview/#Feynman

Hilarious!

By: Earnon

Earnon — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 07:23:59 +0000

Round works. Anythimg else is just masturbation on the customer's dime.

It's simple, elegant and effective. Can't be dropped into the shaft. Simple to fabricate. Strong. Impossible to improperly install.

Jesus, this is a no-brainer.

Only an arrogant egotistical jackass—more concerned with "making his mark" than with delivering the best solution to his customers—would choose to use a second or third rate design like a non-round manhole cover.

By: owen

owen — Fri, 20 Aug 2004 16:13:38 +0000

Another property: round is cheaper. Less material is required for the pipe, and there is the simplest alignment execise to join with the system below. It all goes together just like plumbing pipes. Really big, heavy, pipes. Saving time in aligning these is worth quite a bit. And yes, as mentioned, the compression factor is better, which means less material again.

I don't know I'd say a cylindrical pipe is the natural shape for a human being climbing down a ladder, though. Square also works well when you put the rungs down one corner. The other corners give good elbow, rump, & heel clearance.

And for anyone who thinks you'd have to be an untrained twit to drop a cover down a shaft, keep in mind that the people doing it do it at all hours, in all weather, and during long overtime responding to emergencies.

By: Willow

Willow — Mon, 17 May 2004 01:12:49 +0000

1. The commonly told story, which may even be true, is that manhole covers are round so some moron from the civil department of you municipality won't be able to drop them accidentally into the manhole.

I explore drains. Not sewers, drains, which also commonly have round manhole covers. The snide tone of the above suggests that you have never actually had to lift a manhole cover. They are heavy. Very heavy. The process of pulling one back over a shaft when entering a drain can easily result in it falling in if it is not round, which will probably kill you and anyone else below you. I have seen non-round manhole covers fall into drains.

Willow of the Sydney Cave Clan.

By: jp

jp — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 10:18:41 +0000

No, but they all contain nothing but air.…