Printing manholes is a creative solution which has many benefits. It can be carried out on-site and solves labor shortage. Besides, it offers relatively shorter periods of disturbance of urban life.
Manholes
Manholes are openings to a confined spaces. Examples are vessels, vaults and shafts. They function as access points for underground public utility, and therefore make inspections, maintenance and system upgrades possible.
In the Netherlands, 2 to 5 % of all manholes are unique. If they need to be replaced, this is usually done by a mason. Since the labor shortage emerged, our team investigated alternative solutions using innovative technologies which were found in 3D printing. Printing these structures has many benefits. First of all, we can measure the manholes using our printing equipment. The printing equipment can then share this information with the printer software. Additionally, the production time is much quicker. As a result, costs decrease and available time increases.
Short manhole print time
Our way or working allows us to print manholes in a short period of time. The software generates the model and the sewer pit can be printed – on-site – within 1 to 2 hours, depending on the dimensions of the manhole and the number of pipes/connections. Furthermore, the urban environment is not disturbed for as long. Because of the fast curing time of CyBe MORTAR, the road can be closed very soon after printing, which means the road is accessible within days instead of weeks. We strive for as little urban disturbance as possible.
Printing Strategy
The manholes can either be produced on-site, semi precast and even in a precast factory due to the flexibility that comes within the 3Dprinters. This results in efficiency in terms of costs and time.