This blogpost is in both Norwegian and english

Floatring™

XomeOne AS har i sin akselerator-rolle påtatt seg oppdraget med å jobbe for at vannbransjen får eierskap til bruk av produktet Floatring™ ved kumrehabilitering i veibane samt ved nyetablering av kum i veg.

Floatring er et patentsøkt produkt som fordeler tyngden fra kjøretøyene i vegbanen til grunnen omkring kummen og ikke, slik det er i dag, rett ned på kummen. På denne måten unngås uønskede ujevnheter i vegbanen!

Floatring er installert i flere hundre kummer i Norge og Sverige og resultatene er meget gode, men den store gevinsten kommer om noen år, når kummene altså ikke synker ned i vegbanen. Kummen synker bland annet på grunn av tung trafikk, telehiv, endringer i grunnforholdene og svekkelse i godset/konstruksjonen lengre nede i kummen. En reparasjon av kum i veibanen koster mye. Det er også typisk at når dette er et problem på en  kum, gjelder det oftest flere på samme veistrekning. Derfor er begrepet LEVETIDSKOSTNAD viktig; å utsette neste rehabilitering med et antall år, gir store kostnadsreduksjoner.

Floatring er utviklet og patentert av Bergensfirmaet Arstec AS, som også er XomeOnes oppdragsgiver. Et av Arstecs datterselskap, Gategodsgutta, har naturlig nok installert flest Floatringer, men de siste årene har stadig flere entreprenører Floatring i sin portefølje og installasjoner er gjort i hele Norge, fra Karasjok til Kristiansand.

Produktet er patentert i hele Europa og i USA, og XomeOne sitt oppdrag er således internasjonalt.

For mere informasjon, kontakt:

Eirik Strand, telefon +47 924 24 190, eirik@arstec.no

eller

Val Sibbern, telefon +46 (0)706 71 04 71, val@xomeone.com

Se film om Floatring nederst i artikkelen.

English:

Load-bearing ring for manholes in traffic-exposed areas.

Manholes are a key part of the water distribution and sewerage network. Each manhole consists of a base section, barrel walls, a cone or top plate, adjusting rings, and a cover. The components may be manufactured from a variety of materials, most commonly concrete or plastic. If a manhole is placed in an area exposed to traffic, the frame and cover are constructed to withstand the load of the traffic.

Manhole frames and covers are generally manufactured from cast iron, either alone or combined with concrete. The design of the manhole frame varies from country to country. The main difference is whether the frame is floating or fixed.

What these various types have in common is that the traffic load is transferred to the components of the manhole. Relative movement between the road and manhole will cause stress in the asphalt surface surrounding the manhole. This may result in damage to the asphalt, such as cracks and alligator cracking. Water can then penetrate the cracks and reduce the load-bearing capacity of the road, after which the damage increases exponentially. In winter, water containing road salt may seep through and corrode the concrete components.

Structural damage due to relative movement between the different construction components is a well-known problem. At the bottom of the manhole, pipe joints may also cause damage to the manhole or pipes/lines. In many countries, this problem is managed by requiring flexible joints to be fitted between the barrel and the pipes.

FloatRing™ is a load-bearing ring, designed as a flexible joint between the manhole and road. The ring’s lower, outer flange rests on the road’s base course surface around the manhole. The ring’s upper, inner flange extends toward the opening and functions as support for the asphalt, frame and cover. In this way, the manhole frame and cover are basically independent of the manhole and follow the movement of the road surface.

When used as part of the construction, FloatRing™ will ensure substantial financial savings for water and sewerage utilities owners and road owners.

Road owners will see significantly less damage to the asphalt around manholes. The need for pothole repair or repaving will be significantly reduced. Furthermore, the time spent on adjusting manhole frames when cold planing and repaving can be halved. This will speed up the repaving process and reduce costs related to traffic control.

Water and sewerage utilities owners must often bear the costs associated with manholes. These costs can also be reduced by more than half. Furthermore, costs related to the replacement of broken riser rings or adjusting rings can be eliminated. (These costs are highest for manholes with floating frames.) Traffic-related damage and corrosion to concrete components of manholes are also reduced. This provides savings by extending the lifespan of the manhole.

                                                      Model of a manhole joint with FloatRing™.

FloatRing™ is patented, with the following status:

Norway – Patent granted

Europe – Patent pending

USA – Patent granted

Canada – Patent pending

FloatRing™ can be designed to fit all types of manholes.

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