Manhole Inspection

Manholes are an important and significant part of collection system integrity. Atlas Inspection Technologies offers highly qualified and experienced technicians to inspect, record, and report on the status of these critical assets.

Manhole Maintenance

Manholes are essential components of the sewer collection system and are often the only points of access into our underground infrastructure for conducting important maintenance tasks for pipes such as: cleaning, rehabilitation, and inspection. Without manholes, open-cut excavation and diversion of street traffic would be the only means of access. Therefore, manhole inspection and maintenance is one of the highest priorities in collection system management.

Manholes also offer an important opportunity for addressing the costly problem of infiltration and inflow (I/I), which is a major cause of sewer overflows, that pollute our waterways and environment. A manhole is essentially a vertical pipe that gives access to the horizontal pipes that form a collection system. An 8 foot deep manhole of typical design has about the same surface area as a 50 ft segment of 8 in. pipe. When thought of in terms of underground surface area, manholes become a major part of a collection system.

The data we gain from manholes also gives us valuable insight into the overall condition of the sewer system such as: flow rates/hydraulics, presence of corrosive elements, evidence of surcharge, and overall capacity.

Manholes – An Inspection and Rehabilitation Priority

Manholes ought to be a major priority in terms of inspection and rehabilitation needs when age and condition is considered. For example, in the US, there are at least 20,000,000 manholes in the ground, and about 50% of those manholes were installed prior to 1960. Typically, a manhole will last 50 years before it requires serious maintenance and rehabilitation. As of now, it is estimated by the National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) that 18% of all manholes contain serious structural flaws.

Atlas Inspection Technologies’ Manhole Inspection Solutions

Atlas will assist you in reaching your goal of successful collection system maintenance. Our technology will enable efficient assessment of the entire surface area of each manhole in high resolution, an interactive 360˚ view from anywhere inside the manhole, highly accurate measurements of rim-to-invert and mainline pipe diameters, AutoCAD integration of an interactive geometric profile, exact GPS location of the manhole, and the ability to freely upload this data into a GIS database for network access and collaboration amongst all decision-makers.

Manholes and Cost Effective Collection System Maintenance

At the core of successful and cost-effective collection system maintenance is a proactive inspection program that utilizes technology which produces quality data in a consistent way, enables over 2 to 4 times the field production of traditional CCTV, and also allows an engineer to conduct a “virtual inspection” of the asset. With these tools for data collection and analysis, maintenance work can be prioritized, and the most effective method of rehabilitation can be implemented – the result of this process, if followed from beginning to end, makes it possible to achieve the end-goal of collection system maintenance: the elimination of sewer overflows and emergencies.

To request a recorded version of the March 2010 Webinar: "Manhole Inspections – New Technologies that Save You Money" Click: Manhole Inspection Webinar.

Contact Atlas Inspection Technologies today for more information on how to begin or improve your proactive manhole and collection system maintenance inspection programs to save money, time and other resources. We can assist with every step of the process: field inspection services, data integration and PACP analysis, equipment training, and capital equipment purchase.