L. F. Manufacturing, Inc.
FIBERGLASS MANHOLE SPECIFICATION
SPECIFICATION # LFMH002
A.1 GENERAL:
Fiberglass reinforced polyester manhole shall be manufactured from commercial grade polyester resin or other suitable polyester or vinyl ester resins with fiberglass reinforcements. Manhole shall be a one piece unit manufactured to meet or exceed all specifications of A.S.T.M. D-3753 latest edition as manufactured by L.F. Manufacturing, Inc., Giddings, Texas, 1-800-237-5791 or an approved equal.
A.2 GENERAL:
Resin: The resins used shall be a commercial grade unsaturated polyester resin or other suitable polyester or vinyl ester resin.
Reinforcing Materials: The reinforcing materials shall be commercial Grade “E” type glass in the form of continuous roving and chop roving, having a coupling agent that will provide a suitable bond between the glass reinforcement and the resin.
Interior Surfacing Material: The inner surface exposed to the chemical environment shall be a resin-rich layer of 0.010 to 0.020 inch thick. The inner surface layer exposed to the corrosive environment shall be followed with a minimum of two passes of chopped roving of minimum length 0.5 inch (13 mm) to maximum length of 2.0 inch (50.8 mm) and shall be applied uniformly to an equivalent weight of 3 oz/ft. Each pass of chopped roving shall be well rolled prior to the application of additional reinforcement. The combined thickness of the inner surface and interior layer shall not be less than o.10 inch (2.5 mm).
Wall Construction Procedure: After the inner layer has been applied the manhole wall shall be constructed with chop and continuous strand filament wound manufacturing process, which insures continuous reinforcement and uniform strength and composition. The cone section, if produced separately, shall be affixed to the barrel section at the factory with resin-glass reinforced joint resulting in a one-piece unit. Seams shall be fiberglassed on the inside and the outside using the same glass-resin jointing procedure. Field joints shall not be acceptable by anyone other than L.F. Manufacturing, Inc. Giddings, Texas or an approved equal.
Exterior Surface: For a UV inhibitor the resin on the exterior surface of the manhole shall have gray pigment added to a minimum thickness .125 inches.
Stubouts and Connections: Upon request stubouts may be installed. Installation of SDR, PVC, or sewer pipe must be performed by sanding, priming, and using resin fiber-reinforced hand lay-up. The resin and fiberglass shall be the same type and grade as used in the fabrication of the fiberglass manhole. Inserta-Tee fittings may be requested and installed per manufacturer’s instructions. Kor-N-Seal boots may be installed by the manhole manufacturer using fiberglass reinforced pipe stubouts for the Kor-N-Seal boot sealing surface.
Manhole Bottom: Fiberglass manholes will be required to have resin fiber-reinforced bottom. Deeper manholes may require a minimum of two fiberglass channel stiffening supports. All fiberglass manholes manufactured with a fiberglass bottom will have a minimum 3-inch wide anti-flotation ring. The manhole bottom shall be a minimum of ½ inch thick.
Fiberglass enclosed invert and bench area: A fiberglass enclosed invert and bench area shall be installed in the manhole by the manufacturer. The invert will be formed using a non-corrosive material and completely enclosed in a minimum 1/4-inch layer of fiberglass chop.
Height Adjustment: Fiberglass manholes must have the ability to be height adjustable with the use of a height adjustment ring. Height adjustment can be made as a field operation without the use of uncured resins or fiberglass lay-ups. Fiberglass manholes must maintain all load and soundness characteristics required by A.S.T.M. D3753 after height adjustment has occurred.
Fillers and Additives: Fillers, when used, shall be inert to the environment and manhole construction. Sand shall not be accepted as an approved filler. Additives, such as thixotropic agents, catalysts, promoters, etc., may be added as required by the specific manufacturing process to be used to meet the requirements of the A.S.T.M D-3753 standard. The resulting reinforced-plastic material must meet the requirements of this specification.
Interior Access: All manholes shall be designed so that a ladder or step system can be supported by the installed manhole.
Manway Reducer: Manway reducers will be concentric with respect to the larger portion of the manhole diameters through 60 inches. Larger manholes may have concentric or eccentric manway reducer openings.
Cover and Ring Support: The manhole shall provide an area from which a grade ring or brick can be installed to accept a typical metal ring and cover and have the strength to support a traffic load without damage to the manhole.
A.4 REQUIREMENTS:
Exterior Surface: The exterior surface shall be relatively smooth with no sharp projections. Handwork finish is acceptable if enough resin is present to eliminate fiber show. The exterior surface shall be free of blisters larger than 0.5 inch in diameter, de-lamination or fiber show.
Interior Surface: The interior surface shall be resin rich with no exposed fibers. The surface shall be free of crazing, de-lamination, blisters larger than 0.5 inch in diameter, and wrinkles of 0.125 inch or greater in depth. Surface pits shall be permitted if they are less than 0.75 inch in diameter and less than 0.0625 inch deep. Voids that cannot be broken with finger pressure and are entirely below the resin surface shall be permitted if they are less than 0.5 inch in diameter and less than 0.0625 inch thick.
Wall Thickness: Fiberglass manholes 48” in diameter and up to 20 feet in depth will have a minimum wall thickness of .3125 inches. Fiberglass manholes 48” in diameter and 20 feet to 30 feet in depth will have a minimum wall thickness of .5 inches.
Repairs: Any manhole repairs are subject to meet all requirements of this specification.
Manhole Length:Manhole lengths shall be in 6-inch increments +/- 2 inches.
Diameter Tolerance: Tolerance of inside diameter shall be +/- 1% of required manhole diameter.
Load Rating: The complete manhole shall have a minimum dynamic-load rating of 16,000 lbs. when tested in accordance with A.S.T.M. 3753 8.4 (note 1). To establish this rating the complete manhole shall not leak, crack, or suffer other damage when load tested to 40,000 lbs. and shall not deflect vertically downward more than 0.25 inch at the point of load application when loaded to 24,000 lbs.
Stiffness: The manhole cylinder shall have the minimum pipe-stiffness values shown in the table below when tested in accordance with A.S.T.M. 3753 8.5 (note 1).
| LENGTH – FT. | F/AY – PSI |
|---|---|
| 3 – 6.5 | 0.75 |
| 7 – 12.5 | 1.26 |
| 13 – 20.5 5 | 2.01 |
| 21 – 25.5 | 3.02 |
| 26 – 35 | 5.24 |
Soundness: In order to determine soundness, the manufacturer shall apply an air or water pressure test to the manhole test sample. Test pressure shall not be less than 3 psig or greater than 5 psig. While holding at the established pressure, inspect the entire manhole for leaks. Any leakage through the laminate is cause for failure of the test. Refer to A.S.T.M. 3753 8.6.
Chemical Resistance: The fiberglass manhole and all related components shall be fabricated from corrosion proof material suitable for atmospheres containing hydrogen sulfide and dilute sulfuric acid as well as other gases associated with the wastewater collection system.
A.5 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
| Hoop Direction | Axial Direction | |
|---|---|---|
| a. Tensile Strength(psi) | 18,000 | 5,000 |
| b. Tensile Modules(psi) | 0.6 x 106 | 0.7 x 106 |
| c. Flexural Strength(psi) | 26,000 | 4,500 |
| d. Flexural Modules(psi) | 1.4 x 106 | 0.7 x106 |
| e. Compressive (psi) | 18,000 | 5,000 |
A.6 TEST METHODS:
All tests shall be performed as specified in A.S.T.M. 3753 latest edition, section 8. Test method D-790 (see note 5) and test method D-695.
A.7 QUALITY CONTROL:
Each completed manhole shall be examined by the manufacturer for dimensional requirements, hardness, and workmanship. All required A.S.T.M. 3753 testing shall be completed and records of all testing shall be kept and copies of test records shall be presented to customer upon formal written request within a reasonable time period.
A.8 CERTIFICATIONS:
As a basis of acceptance the manufacturer shall provide an independent certification which consists of a copy of the manufacturer’s test report and accompanied by a copy of the test results stating the manhole has been sampled, tested, and inspected in accordance with the provisions of this specification and meets all requirements.
A.9 SHIPPING and HANDLING:
Do not drop or impact the fiberglass manhole. Fiberglass manhole may be lifted by inserting a 4″x4″x30″ timber into the top of manhole with cable attached or by a sling or “choker” connection around the center of manhole, lift as required. Use of chains or cables in contact with the manhole surface is prohibited.
A.10 INSTALLATION:
CLOSED BOTTOM MANHOLE INSTALLATION: Bottom of excavation should be compacted to 95% Standard Proctor Density. Manholes with diameters less than 60 inches and depths less than 12 feet, require a base of 6 inches of crushed stone. Manholes with depths of 10 feet and greater, and diameters of at least 48 inches should have a poured reinforced concrete base at least one foot deep and at least two feet larger than fiberglass manhole outside diameter. The fiberglass manhole shall be lowered into the wet concrete and brought to plumb. Pour reinforced concrete over the anti-flotation flange. The concrete shall be a minimum of one foot deep and two feet from outside wall of the manhole. More concrete may be required in high water table areas. In high water table areas you should consult your Engineer for backfill requirements.
A.11 Internal Bottom Channel Stiffening Supports:
Manholes with internal bottom FRP Channel stiffening supports will require that concrete be poured on the inside of the manhole to a depth equal to that of the stiffening support. This is typically 4 – 6 inches. This is NOT required on manholes that have a factory installed integral fiberglass bench and invert area.
A.12 BACKFILL:
Backfill Material: Unless shown otherwise on drawings and approved by the engineer, sand, crushed stone, or pea gravel shall be used for backfill around the manhole for a minimum distance of one foot from the outside surface and extending from the bottom of the excavation to the top of the reducer section. Suitable material chosen from the excavation may be used for the remainder of the backfill. The material chosen shall be free of large lumps or clods, which will not readily break down under compaction. This material will be subject to approval by the engineer.
Backfill Procedure: Backfill shall be placed in layers of not more than 12 loose measure inches and mechanically tamped to 95% Standard Proctor Density, unless otherwise approved by the engineer. Flooding will not be permitted. Backfill shall be placed in such a manner as to prevent any wedging action against the fiberglass manhole structure.
A.13 MARKING and IDENTIFICATION:
Each manhole shall be marked on the inside and outside with the following information:
1. Manufacturer’s name or trademark
2. Manufacturer’s factory location
3. Manufacturer’s serial number
Total manhole depth.: