Municipalities in South Africa can significantly reduce the ever-present threat of manhole cover theft by adopting a range of innovative NMC polymer resin manhole covers – distributed nationwide by fluid conveyance solutions provider Incledon.

Incledon national product manager for civils, Kelly Wilson, points out that the company is a distributor of the polymer resin products, which have been manufactured locally since 1992, by Cape Town based National Manhole Covers (NMC).

“NMC manhole covers have no scrap value whatsoever and can prove to be invaluable for local municipalities, as the biggest challenge with traditional cast iron manhole covers is the fact that they can be sold for up to R500 at local scrap dealers, resulting in thousands of units going missing annually,” he explains.

Wilson highlights the fact that NMC polymer resin manhole covers are compliant with SANS 1882 2003 specifications, which were established in recognition of the need for an alternative to cast iron and concrete.

“According to the minimum criteria set by the SABS, a polymer concrete manhole cover should be able to withstand a load of up to 13 500kg. This minimum weight surpasses the maximum wheel load required and enforced by the National Department of Transport,” he continues.

Wilson says that a polymer resin manhole cover costs around 40% less than a similar manhole made from cast iron, thereby enabling the buyer to swiftly and economically address a backlog of open manholes. “Polymer resin manholes can also be custom made to fit open frames, as opposed to the cast iron option – where the entire frame has to be removed and replaced.”

Resin manhole covers are also ideally-suited to telecommunications companies as they come standard with an interchangeable locking device, reducing the risk of cables theft.