The first composite manhole cover was invented in 1938, but it wasn’t until 1980 that the technology took a great leap forward. That’s when Mike Jennings and Trevor Pardoe formed a company that was dedicated to developing composite access covers constructed of Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) for use with underground storage tank (UST) sumps on retail-fueling forecourts.
Today, Fibrelite Composites Ltd., which was acquired by the Dover Corporation in 2013 and integrated into OPW’s portfolio of products, continues to refine this innovative technology through the creation of forecourt manhole covers that are lighter, stronger and more durable while offering true watertight containment. To back the claim that the manhole covers are watertight, Fibrelite uses a proprietary VAC testing system that enables factory and site testing to ensure an airtight seal.
Making manhole covers lighter and easier to handle has been the driving force for Fibrelite ever since Jennings and Pardoe saw forecourt operators struggling to install and remove heavy and ergonomically unfriendly metal access covers over UST sumps. Today, all Fibrelite manhole products are designed to reduce lifting hazards and risks on the forecourt, helping to prevent trapped fingers and back injuries.
Specifically, Fibrelite Composite Manhole Covers are easy to remove and non-bolted, making them ideal to use in all forecourt applications ranging from general tank-sump access to single/multiport fill sumps, and interstitial sumps to monitoring wells.
Fibrelite manhole covers are available in a wide range of colors and sizes, including round, square and rectangular, and all feature:
- All-weather anti-slip surface rated equal to anti-slip properties of a high-grade road surface
- Anti-corrosion construction
- Monolithic structure that eliminates delaminating
- Ergonomic, single-person removal capability via the Fibrelite lifting handle.
Heavy-duty versions are available for use at fueling sites servicing high amounts of truck, bus and industrial traffic.
Other products in Fibrelite’s portfolio include:
- Tank sumps
- Dispenser sumps
- Remote-fill sumps
- Underground enclosures
- Entry series
- Various accessories, such as cover-lifting handles.
All are constructed using the latest GRP-manufacturing techniques, giving them the capability to offer a lifetime of service, standing up to operational or environmental conditions.
Visit opwglobal.com to see how Fibrelite and the rest of OPW is “Defining What’s Next” while protecting people, the environment and enhancing business performance.