Sewer maintenance chambers that are damaged and leaking not only put a strain on the environment, but also on local authorities and their communities. Billions of euros are spent every year across Europe on the renovation of wastewater infrastructure, with the costs of repairing a concrete manhole ranging between 3,000 and 5,000 euros*, approximately AUD$5,400-$9,000.
Concrete chambers can suffer from multiple types of damage including dynamic stress, corrosion, water leakage and limited life spans. REHAU’s AWASHAFT maintenance holes offer a new, innovative approach to mitigate these common problems.
Technically superior
Every AWASHAFT is made out of pure, high-quality polypropylene, without any of the recycled materials or fillers you can find in other synthetic chambers. The benefit of using a pure material is a perfect balance between high levels of stiffness and impact strength. That means that cracks do not occur at all, making it immediately watertight.
The AWASHAFT ladder steps are made of glass-reinforced plastic, a corrosion-resistant material. This means that 22 per cent of the damage that has plagued sewer chambers until now will not even develop**.
The polypropylene used in AWASHAFT is also resistant to aggressive substances with pH values of 1 to 13, including biogenic sulphuric acid corrosion, making it suitable for the drainage of aggressive industrial waste and able to quickly absorb temperatures of up to 90°C.
Every AWASHAFT also comes with a 100-year life span and a ten-year warranty for peace of mind.
Safe and reliable
The AWASHAFT is incredibly lightweight – up to 95 per cent lighter than a concrete chamber. That means installers won’t need heavy duty machines to help with installation – two people is plenty! This also speeds up the process, reducing installation time by 25 per cent.
Unlike concrete, there is no need for a make-up ring when adjusting the height of the AWASHAFT. The height adjustment can be simply achieved by shortening the plastic cone and the bearing ring is inlaid into the road’s base course. If the road settles, the bearing ring will settle with it, meaning the cover will not start to jut out.
Reduced costs
There are generally heavy costs associated with concrete manholes, driving the progressive increase in demand for a cost-effective alternative.
Modern injection moulding technology reduces the costs of a synthetic chamber, and installation of a REHAU chamber made of pure polypropylene is 37 per cent*** more affordable than its traditional counterpart.
With the background knowledge that the material component only makes up ten per cent of the total cost of the construction, the additional costs of acquisition become negligible.
This partner content is brought to you by Rehau. For more information, visit awashaft.myrehau.com.
* IKT comparative test manhole renovation,2016.
** DWA (German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste) study about the state of sewage systems in Germany 2015.
*** Technical article in the magazine ‘Strassen und Tiefbau, June 2013
