Smart Manhole Cover

Yang Aoru, Yu Hao, Li jing & Shao Jianxin Product Design - Commercial & Industry

Manhole covers are an essential but often dangerous element of urban infrastructure. After investigating and analysing the leading causes of manhole cover related injuries and incidents, the team proposed a redesigned alternative that prioritises safety.

Current versions of the manhole cover suffer from poor anti-suction qualities that increase the likelihood of injury to pedestrians and workers. When a storm arrives, the urban drainage system is prone to breaking down, often causing rainwater to back up and wash-away manhole covers, creating a dangerous risk. This design offers a solution to the problem by improving the structure of manhole covers with a smart lift-andunfold anti-suction variation. The design is equipped with an automatic pressure sensing device with two turbines inside. In the event of heavy rainfall and water pressures, the manhole cover will automatically rise and use the turbine to drain upwards. If groundwater rises to create upward pressure, the turbine will slow down the outward drainage to avoid causing urban flooding and reduce drainage pressure. When the manhole cover rises and unfolds, the warning light will also rise automatically.

At night time, a fluorescent under belt will alight to warn pedestrians. The internal structure also effectively filters trash to prevent it from clogging the sewer pipes. If the manhole cover is missing, the self-luminous fluorescent strip on the inner ring of the base allows pedestrians to detect manhole hazards from a reasonable distance away.

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Images via Yang Aoru, Yu Hao, Li jing & Shao Jianxin