Blog

What are the Main Causes of Manhole Deterioration? After years of rehab and lining work spread across thousands and thousands of manholes, we are regularly asked about the most common issues of degradation we encounter. The two most common are inflow and infiltration (I & I) and corrosion. As discussed in previous blogs, I & I is a biggie because it affects treatment plant capacity. Corrosion commonly refers to Hydrogen sulfide (H2SO4) and MIC (microbial induced corrosion) that eat away at concrete manhole structures or the mortar joint of a brick manhole, causing considerable deterioration if left

How to Treat Manhole Inflow and Infiltration Issues Fast We all know infiltration when we see it – you open the manhole cover and there’s seeping water or maybe even rushing water. This groundwater is leaking into the system and ends up at the wastewater treatment plant, causing operational inefficiencies and higher costs for the community. So when you do see it, you need to know what is causing it and how to treat it FAST. We thought it would be a nice refresher to easily show the six main types of I&I in this illustration and

OBIC and NASSCO Partner for Manhole Rehabilitation Video OBIC CEO Dustin Schlachter is a member of the NASSCO Manhole Rehabilitation Committee. NASSCO is the source of education, technical resources and advocacy for the underground infrastructure industry. NASSCO and its 650+ member organizations set standards, promote trenchless technologies and protect our communities through the proper assessment, maintenance and rehabilitation of buried assets. OBIC was one of the sponsors of a video about manhole rehabilitation. Watch this informative and in-depth video to learn: How many manholes exist in the U.S. -- you might be surprised! The causes of deterioration

How to Protect Your Precast Concrete Manholes From Hydrogen Sulfide Corrosion Precast concrete manholes were first introduced in the mid-1950’s, and by 1970 were widely adopted as the preferred structure for manhole installation in sewer and drainage applications. Those 1970-ish manholes are now 50 years old (hard to believe!), which is probably close to the original, intended design life. It is common for the published ‘war-stories’ or case histories to be about ancient hand-hewn stone structures built by artisan craftsmen, and those manholes do exist in some of our oldest cities. But most of what we deal

Manhole Appreciation Day, Anyone?   Much like Rodney Dangerfield who “got no respect”, by and large manholes don’t get much respect either. They’re located under the street where they are run over millions of times per year by cars, snowplows, bikes, and pedestrians. They might even be buried in a right-of-way, or covered and lost entirely. Manholes definitely fall into the category of “out of sight, out of mind”. But have you ever thought about where our collection system would be without the manhole? While “man-way” sewer access dates back to ancient Roman times, something akin to

Common Sense, Good Sense, and Sewer Sense Common sense, good sense, and sewer sense are important attributes for those of you involved in the operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of wastewater systems. It is simply common sense to acknowledge that the manhole and lift station parts of your sewer infrastructure that are 30 to 50 years old, which had an original design life of 30 to 50 years, are probably in need of some attention. In our experience, it is good sense to rehabilitate rather than replace those structures. Why? It will solve your problems with infiltration and