In which load class can a sewer cover be used for a driveway?

Seemingly to many people - especially those building and furnishing their first home - it may seem that sewer manholes have similar properties and differ only in price, and that since they can withstand truck traffic on major thoroughfares, they can also withstand the traffic of one or more cars on a domestic driveway. However, if the cover is poorly chosen, it can deteriorate very quickly. Manhole covers for sewage manholes and septic tanks are available in various load classes. 

Load classes of sewer covers and their application

Before choosing the right sewer cover for your backyard driveway, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the properties of the various products. This will avoid the disappointment of having a manhole cover damaged. Nor will we overpay for equipment that is used for much more demanding applications. Load classes of covers and their use:

• A15 - 1.5 tonnes - parks, gardens, squares, allotments, cycle and pedestrian routes,
• B125 - 12.5 tonnes - Walking alleys, promenades, areas of increased pedestrian and low car traffic, car parks, domestic driveways,
• C250 - 25 tonnes - shoulders, areas near the kerbs on the streets and next to pavements, traffic from lighter vans and heavy vehicles,
• D400 - 40 tonnes - carriageways, traffic routes with heavy traffic, parking areas, including for lorries,
• E600 - 60 tonnes - places with very heavy traffic, including heavy goods vehicles, industrial areas,
• F900 - 90 tonnes - surfaces with special uses and increased requirements, airports, including taxiways, runways, parking areas for passenger and transport aircraft.

Which manhole would be best for backyard applications?

By knowing the parameters - the load classes - of drain covers, we can choose the optimum solution for the back garden and driveway. This classification also applies to linear dewatering units, of which the we wrote earlier. The A15 load class polymer covers are perfect for walking paths in the garden or the pavement in front of the house. Perfect on the walking paths in the garden will present themselves: Garden hatch 600 polypropylene lockable green round and Manhole cover PP 600 A15 polymer green. On pavements and footpaths made of paving blocks, it is perfectly suited to Cast iron manhole cover AK 400 A15.

For a domestic driveway to cover a septic tank, cast iron manholes in the B125 class work well.. Very good feedback among users and experts has Cast iron manhole B125 DO600 H=40mm. When you want to use a manhole to cover a corrugated pipe from a sewer manhole on your driveway, a telescopic cover with a gasket will work best. In the case of a sanitary manhole, we recommend a version with a full cover - it reduces the release of unpleasant odours. Telescope 315 with manhole (solid) B125 square, gasket. The best solution for a driveway for a rainwater drainage manhole, one that collects water, is the gully - grating - version. Telescope 315 with gully (grille) B125 square, gasket. If there will be heavy traffic on our driveway, a cast-iron or cast-concrete manhole of class D400 should be used. For such applications we recommend Cast iron manhole cover D400 to 600 H=115 mm FENIX painted.

In order to select the right sewer cover for backyard applications, we should pay attention first and foremost to the load class. For gardens, footpaths and alleys, polymer manholes in class A15 work well. For driveways, used by cars and occasional vans, cast iron covers in class B125 are best. On the other hand, for driveways frequently used by trucks and construction equipment, cast-iron or cast-concrete covers of class D400 are necessary.