6SHDNLQJLQ&RQH1DWLRQDO3UHFDVW&RQFUHWH$VVRFLDWLRQ

3
SHOP

LOG IN

Speaking in Cone
PUBLICATIONS

CONTACT

FIND PRECAST
PRODUCTS & SUPPLIES

ABOUT NPCA

April 1, 2015 1 Comment

r Q 8

ByEricCarleton,P.E.

Precastconcretemanholeshavebeenacriticalcomponentofour
infrastructurefordecades.Theyproviderelativelymaintenancefree
accessforworkers,arestrongenoughtowithstandsoilloadsatgreat
depths,offerlonglifespansandcanbemanufacturedinanalmostendless
arrayofsizesandconfigurations.

KWWSSUHFDVWRUJVSHDNLQJLQFRQH





6SHDNLQJLQ&RQH1DWLRQDO3UHFDVW&RQFUHWH$VVRFLDWLRQ

Manholeconesprovideatransitionfromlargerdiameterriserstosmaller
diameterrisers.Themajorityofconesareusedatthetopofmanholesto
provideatransitionfromthe48inchdiameterrisertoasmalleraccess
holeprovidedbytheframeandcoveratgrade(Figure1).Designersmust
understandthearchactionconcepttofeelcomfortablethatcompression
forcesnotreinforcingsteelintensionwillresistloadsfromthesoil.
Below,conceptsenablingdesignerstocreatestructurallysound,cost
efficientreducingconesaredescribed.
Makinggrade

Figure1

Themostcommonreducingconeisusedatgrade,justbelowtheframe
andcover.Conesareproducedintwoshapesconcentricandeccentric.
Withaconcentricdesign,thetopaccessholeisplacedatthemiddleofthe
manhole,requiringaportableladderforaccess.Inaneccentricdesign,the
topaccessholeisplacedtooneside,wherepermanentrungsprovide
interioraccess.Bothdesignsrequirethesameengineeringprinciples.
KWWSSUHFDVWRUJVSHDNLQJLQFRQH





6SHDNLQJLQ&RQH1DWLRQDO3UHFDVW&RQFUHWH$VVRFLDWLRQ

Figure2

Here,wewillconcentrateontheeccentricconeseeninFigure1.Figure2
depictsatypicaleccentricconeuseddeeperbelowgradefortransition
froma60inchdiameteror72inchdiameterrisertoa48inchriser.
Makingthetransitionbetweentwodifferentsizeriserscanalsobe
accomplishedwithaflatreducingslab.However,reinforcingsteelis
requiredtoresisttensileforces.
Archetypaldesignproperties
Conesrelyheavilyontheconceptofarchdesign.Archeshavebeenused
forcenturiesinmasonryconstructionbecauseverticalloadsare
transmittedtosupportsviacompression(Figure3).Thearchprovidesa
bigadvantageforconcrete,whichhasverylittletensioncapacity
comparedtoitsgreatcompressioncapacity.Examplesofarchdesigncan
beseeninlintelsabovewindowsandinbridgesbuiltbytherailroad
industryinthe19thcentury,manyofwhicharestillinoperation.

KWWSSUHFDVWRUJVSHDNLQJLQFRQH





6SHDNLQJLQ&RQH1DWLRQDO3UHFDVW&RQFUHWH$VVRFLDWLRQ

Figure3

Today,somesmallerdiametercircularconcretepipeismadeand
successfullyinstalledwithoutreinforcingsteelbecauseoftheloadtransfer
abilityofthearch.A48inchdiameterriserwitha5inchthickwallmade
with4,000psiconcreteisstrongenoughtowithstandsoilloads500feet
belowgradewithoutreinforcingsteelthankstoarchdesign.Theloadis
transmittedviaarchactionasacompressiveforcetothewallsatthe
centerlineofthemanholeandresistedbyanequalsoilloadfromthe
oppositedirection(Figure4).Asaresult,somemanholestandards
includingASTMC478donotrequiretensileorsheersteelinthebarrel
sections.Infact,for48inchdiametermanholes,onlyminimalhoopsteel
inthetopandbottomisrequiredforresistingstressesexperiencedduring
handling.
Transformativeproperties
KWWSSUHFDVWRUJVSHDNLQJLQFRQH





6SHDNLQJLQ&RQH1DWLRQDO3UHFDVW&RQFUHWH$VVRFLDWLRQ

Figure4

Withaneccentricconedesign,onewallisverticalandresistsloadsinthe
samemannerastherisersthatsupportthecone.Theoppositewallis
slopedtomaketheconversionfromlargediametertosmalldiameter.This
geometryiswhereconfusiononassumptionsfordesigncomesintoplay.
Tallerconeswithlargeopeningswillhaveaslopedwallthatisalmost
vertical.Inthatinstance,itsobviousthecompressivearchactionwill
work.However,designofconeswheretheslopeismoresevereisnotas
obvious.Onesuchcaseisa24inchhigheccentricconereducing24inches
indiameter,creatinga45degreewallslope(Figure5).

KWWSSUHFDVWRUJVSHDNLQJLQFRQH





6SHDNLQJLQ&RQH1DWLRQDO3UHFDVW&RQFUHWH$VVRFLDWLRQ

Figure5

Forthistypeofslope,considerBeamAinFigure6.Inaneccentriccone,
thisbeamisnotindependentandnotsupportedateachend.Instead,itis
supportedalongthesideofthebeamfortheentirelength.And,most
importantly,ifwelookatthecrosssectionsinFigure6,thebeamisinfact
curvedasanarchwheretheloadistransferredtothecontinuoussupports
oneachside.Resistance(R)willbelarge,asitiswitha4footdiameter
riser.
Inaneccentriccone,theconcreteisarched,withstrengthdependenton
thecompressioncapacitywherethearchmeetstheremainderofthecone.
Ina1footlengthofa12inchwidebeamasshowninFigure6,the
compressivestrengthof4,000psiconcretewithwallthicknessequalto6
inchesresultsinsupportforthebeamof:
R=4,000psix12inchx6inch=288,000pounds.
SinceRexistsoneachsideofthebeam,thetotalresistingcapacityis
576,000pounds.Thus,theloadcanbeasmuchas576,000poundsper
squarefoot.Ifafactorofsafetyoftwoisapplied,theloadcanbeasmuch
as288,000poundspersquarefoot,morethanenoughtoresistloadsfrom
truckstraveling60mph.Thiscapacityisavailablewithouttheuseof
reinforcingsteel.

Figure6

KWWSSUHFDVWRUJVSHDNLQJLQFRQH





6SHDNLQJLQ&RQH1DWLRQDO3UHFDVW&RQFUHWH$VVRFLDWLRQ

Longstandingsuccess
Bothconcentricandeccentricconeshavebeenproducedandsuccessfully
usedformorethan40years.Successisbasedonthefactthatconcretein
compressioncanhandleheavyloads.Additionally,reducerconesare
simplyarchesthattransferloadstosupportsviacompressionwithoutthe
needforreinforcingsteelintension.Tocheckwithlocalprecastconcrete
manufacturersregardingthespecificavailabilityofprecastconcrete
manholesectionsandgeometryforyourarea,visitprecast.org/find.
EricCarleton,P.E.,isNPCAsvicepresidentofTechnicalServices.Aspecial
thanksgoestoGaryMunkelt,P.E.,forhisconsultationonthisarticle.

Filed Under: 2015 Spring, Precast Magazines, Precast Solutions Magazine, Speaking in Cone
Tagged With: Compressive Strength, design, manhole

Comments

James Skinner says

June 11, 2015 at 11:46 am
Now that you have given the impression that reinforcing is not needed in
eccentric precast cones, you may want to consider the sealing, lifting and placing
forces of eccentric cones that need reinforcing as they are handled during
loading, unloading and infield installation. Eccentric cones are some of the
hardest to set evenly and their offset weight distribution makes the handling and
placement most difficult. Just an idea for your next article. Nice job Eric and Gary.

KWWSSUHFDVWRUJVSHDNLQJLQFRQH





6SHDNLQJLQ&RQH1DWLRQDO3UHFDVW&RQFUHWH$VVRFLDWLRQ

Reply

Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

POST COMMENT

KWWSSUHFDVWRUJVSHDNLQJLQFRQH





6SHDNLQJLQ&RQH1DWLRQDO3UHFDVW&RQFUHWH$VVRFLDWLRQ

Recommended For You

Precast Products and Ready-Mixed Concrete

Making the Connection

Precast Math Tools: Calculate Manhole Blockout Volumes

Speaking in Cone

ENJOYING PRECAST SOLUTIONS?

Be the first to know when a new issue is available online.

aSign Up

CATEGORIES
2016 Winter (6)
2015 Fall (7)
2015 Summer (7)
2015 Spring (7)
2015 Winter (7)
2014 Fall (7)
2014 Summer (6)
KWWSSUHFDVWRUJVSHDNLQJLQFRQH





6SHDNLQJLQ&RQH1DWLRQDO3UHFDVW&RQFUHWH$VVRFLDWLRQ

2014 Spring (7)

2014 Winter (6)
2013 Fall (9)
2013 Summer (7)
2013 Spring (7)
2013 Winter (8)
2012 Fall (9)
2012 Summer (8)
2012 Spring (10)
2012 Winter (8)
2011 Fall (7)
2011 Summer (6)
2011 Spring (8)
2011 Winter (6)
Archive 2009-2010 (40)
Archive 2004-2008 (264)

Sponsor Links

KWWSSUHFDVWRUJVSHDNLQJLQFRQH





Products

6SHDNLQJLQ&RQH1DWLRQDO3UHFDVW&RQFUHWH$VVRFLDWLRQ

Certification Publications

Why Precast?
All Precast
Products

Blog

Education

Magazines
Directory

Precast University

Newsletters

Classes

Plant
Resources

Sustainability
NPCA
Foundation
Shop

Access the Online

Log In

Learning Center

KWWSSUHFDVWRUJVSHDNLQJLQFRQH

Safety

About





NPCA

6SHDNLQJLQ&RQH1DWLRQDO3UHFDVW&RQFUHWH$VVRFLDWLRQ

About
NPCA

Lunch and Learns

Membership
Find Precast
Supplies

Marketing Toolkit

Annual

Political Action
Center
Affinity Program

13&$
#1DWLRQDO
57#-ROOH\3UHFDVW
&UHZLQVWDOOHGFXW
WKUXSUHFDVW
FRQFUHWHEXONKHDGV
\HVWHUGD\IRUDQHZ
GHYHORSPHQWLQ5,
IEPHG09(1EO(

Anniversary

Technical
The Precast Show

7ZHHWVE\
#1DWLRQDO3UHFDVW

NPCA 50th

Meetings

Services

Contact

Professional Staff
Who We Are

Convention

Leadership

NPCA Committee

Committees

Week

K

Industry

Calendar

13&$
#1DWLRQDO
0LVVHG7KH
3UHFDVW6KRZLQ
1DVKYLOOH":H
YHJRW
\RXFRYHUHG&KHFN
RXWDOORIRXUSKRWRV
IURPWKHHYHQWKHUH
RZO\=W&<9

Representation
Careers
Affiliate Members
Association
Leadership School

7K
3OHDVH
HQMR\
RXU
IOLF


(PEHG

K
9LHZRQ7ZLWWHU

2016 National Precast Concrete Association

KWWSSUHFDVWRUJVSHDNLQJLQFRQH