Proposed ASTM Standard covers metal access hatches.
Press Release Summary:
ASTM WK43586, Specification for the Design, Testing, Manufacture, Selection and Installation of Fabricated Metal Access Hatches for Utility, Water and Wastewater Structures, will help minimize maintenance expense and improve public safety by providing definitive standard for fabricated metal access hatches. Standard will offer guidelines regarding selection of access hatch load levels based on actual conditions of hatch’s placement location to avoid failure due to overloading.
Original Press Release:
Proposed ASTM Standard for Metal Access Hatches
Vital component of all utility distribution systems
Standards are one solution to ongoing concerns about improperly designed and aging infrastructure. A proposed new ASTM specification will help minimize maintenance expense and improve public safety by providing a definitive standard for one essential infrastructure component, fabricated metal access hatches.
The proposed standard is ASTM WK43586, Specification for the Design, Testing, Manufacture, Selection and Installation of Fabricated Metal Access Hatches for Utility, Water and Wastewater Structures. The hatches covered by ASTM WK43586 are a vital component of all utility distribution systems, providing vertical access to junctions and equipment for electric, telephone, cable, fiber optic, water and wastewater.
According to ASTM member Tom Elliott, manager of product design, Jensen Precast, ASTM WK43586 will provide the following:
• Guidelines to specifying engineers, purchasers and end users regarding the selection of access hatch load levels based on actual conditions of the hatch’s placement location to avoid failure due to overloading;
• Guidelines for access hatch design engineers for loading, required load placements and required load cases;
• Instruction for prototype and production testing of hatches to prove designs and production quality;
• Clear access hatch labeling and marking instructions that include load levels to help assure that inappropriate locations are not selected for hatches and that the manufacturer is properly identified with traceable manufacturing dates and/or serial numbers;
• Hatch manufacturing quality control procedures to assure proper grades of materials and quality of fabrications; and
• Instruction for proper hatch installation.
In addition to hatch manufacturers and utility companies, regulatory bodies and consumers will use ASTM WK43586 as a basis for load level selection and product specification.
ASTM WK43586 is being developed by Subcommittee C27.10 on Utility Structures, part of ASTM Committee C27 on Precast Concrete Products.
ASTM welcomes participation in the development of its standards. Become a member at www.astm.org/JOIN.
For more news in this sector, visit www.astm.org/sntransportation or follow us on Twitter @ASTMTransport.
ASTM Committee C27 Next Meeting: Dec 910, December Committee Week, New Orleans, La.
Technical Contact: Tom Elliott, Jensen Precast, Sparks, Nev., tel +1.775.352.6308; telliott@jensenprecast.com
ASTM Staff Contact: Joseph Hugo, tel +1.610.832.9740; jhugo@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, tel +1.610.832.9603; bschindl@astm.org
