Composite covers stay cool
A Minneapolis district energy provider; a Canadian developer of geothermal distribution systems; and several US universities are among the organisations reaping the benefits of installing “cool-to-touch” fiber-reinforced plastic (frp) composite steam manhole covers.
David Holmes, technical director at Fibrelite Composites, a manufacturer of composite covers, explained: “It is obviously well-known that traditional cast-iron steam covers can reach extreme surface temperatures and that insulation designed to reduce heat transfer can degrade. In some cases that we are aware of metal steam covers have had to be blocked off to protect the public.”
The thermal gradient properties of a composite steam cover is said to significantly reduce the heat transfer from a steam vault to the surface of the cover. The composite steam covers manufactured by Fibrelite maintain their cool-to-touch properties and ability to support vehicular loads even when pushed to a test temperature of 400°F.
Composite steam covers are also light-weight and can be lifted easily and safely by an operative using a specially-designed ergonomic lifting handle which eliminates the risk of manual handling injuries, such as crushed fingers or back strain.
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