What is with Jax Manhole Covers? Signal Poles?

stjr · July 13, 2009, 11:12:34 PM

I have noticed recently an increase in improperly maintained, replaced, or newly built manhole covers.
MetroJax should do a photo expose to provoke an improvement.

On recently rebuilt Hendricks Avenue in San Marco, many of the covers were improperly set from the beginning an inch or more below their frames causing very bumpy and jarring rides. Further, much of the concrete encircling the frames is cracked, chipping away, and/or settling, further causing an uneven drive. It's so bad that I have to "dangerously" drive outside my lane trying to avoid all these challenges.

The cracking and crumbling concrete around the cover frames is spreading like a cancer throughout roads around the city. I am especially surprised to see it occurring on well maintained and/or newly built/rebuilt roads under the supervision and inspection of FDOT. Assuming these manholes are built by utilities such as JEA, ATT, and TECO, who is holding them to a higher standard?

Add this problem to the list of things needing to be fixed in Jax! Maybe one of our DOT gurus could respond

. Thanks.

scaleybark · July 13, 2009, 11:25:44 PM

It would be great if we had manhole covers like these:
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/03/the-wacky-wonderful-world-of-japanese-manhole-cover-art/

The Jacksonville manhole covers actually do have a nice scene imprinted on them. I think they would look great colorized.

stjr · July 13, 2009, 11:33:14 PM

Quote from: scaleybark on July 13, 2009, 11:25:44 PM
It would be great if we had manhole covers like these:
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/03/the-wacky-wonderful-world-of-japanese-manhole-cover-art/

Nice covers and NO CRACKS, etc. We should have a little of this pride.

lindab · July 14, 2009, 07:58:00 AM

Beautiful but very theftable. What lawabiding folks the Japanese citizens are.

Jason · July 14, 2009, 09:07:50 AM

I don't think a 250-300 pound manhole cover is in too much danger of being swiped.

hightowerlover · July 14, 2009, 09:12:49 AM

Enlightening...

http://www.answers.com/topic/manhole-cover-2

Overstreet · July 16, 2009, 09:52:37 AM

Manhole covers and rings come as an assembly or can be purchased seperately but rarely. The recess in the ring for the cover is standard so how the cover can be lower than the frame I don't understand unless they got them mixed up. Covers and frames are often set at final finish paving elevation during construction. The final wear course asphalt then brings the road up to the final elevation is installed after the final "detailing" is complete. Then they come back and install the concrete strip.

The concrete strip around the ring/frame is often placed after the asphalt is laid. It is often unreinforced and likely to crack.

Settling usually comes from two causes. A..the soils were not properly compacted during back fill. B....there are water issues in the soil. Of course there is always the problem of light duty roads with heavy duty traffic.

BridgeTroll · July 16, 2009, 11:00:14 AM

Thanks for the insight Overstreet! Welcome to the forum...

reednavy · July 16, 2009, 11:45:32 AM

Try the manhole cluster f*ck at Riverside and Stockton. Even me with by full sized pickup go over that intersection slowly. The one time I didn't, I wound up with CD's flying everywhere. San Marco Blvd is bad, especially in the curve near Landon.

As a side note, they need to trim that tree back on the right going northbound. You can't see the traffic light until your literally 10ft away, and have seen many people accidentally pass thru it.

jbroadglide · July 16, 2009, 12:11:18 PM

As a side note, they need to trim that tree back on the right going northbound. You can't see the traffic light until your literally 10ft away, and have seen many people accidentally pass thru it.
[/quote]

Just exactly where are you referring to? San Marco or Riverside?

stjr · July 16, 2009, 12:49:29 PM

Quote from: Overstreet on July 16, 2009, 09:52:37 AM
Manhole covers and rings come as an assembly or can be purchased seperately but rarely. The recess in the ring for the cover is standard so how the cover can be lower than the frame I don't understand unless they got them mixed up. Covers and frames are often set at final finish paving elevation during construction. The final wear course asphalt then brings the road up to the final elevation is installed after the final "detailing" is complete. Then they come back and install the concrete strip.

The concrete strip around the ring/frame is often placed after the asphalt is laid. It is often unreinforced and likely to crack.

Settling usually comes from two causes. A..the soils were not properly compacted during back fill. B....there are water issues in the soil. Of course there is always the problem of light duty roads with heavy duty traffic.

Overstreet (an apparently very apropos name for your expertise), thanks for your input. I have observed these procedures casually in driving by street construction.

I don't understand how the covers can sit below the rims either, but they are on several new manholes on the recently widened and rebuilt Hendricks Ave. in San Marco. There, and elsewhere around town, the cracking concrete circles are a major problem. Why aren't these more closely inspected for meeting standards, or are the standards adequate? At a minimum, why aren't they reinforced as they clearly could benefit from it given they often start cracking almost immediately after being poured?

DOT and the City need to look at their controls and standards for these "instant potholes". It's bad enough that utility asphalt patches don't hold up well either but this is "over the top" (no pun intended

). It makes no sense to build or rebuild roads only to have problems like these showing up continuously. Just think of the cost savings to road departments if they didn't have to replace thousands of these circles every couple of years.

David · July 16, 2009, 01:39:59 PM

I was thinking the same thing just recently. I've been driving up and down Hendricks since I became of age to drive 15 years ago and I've just realized how bumpy the ride has become in the past few months. The road's in good shape, but the manhole covers are well below the ground and create a pretty rough drive if you stay in the right hand land heading north on Hendricks.

TheProfessor · July 16, 2009, 02:11:04 PM

Try calling 904-630-CITY. Maybe they can fix any problems...

David · July 16, 2009, 10:01:28 PM

Everytime i've tried to call them it's always after they're close, so I went on coj.net and made an online service request. Not for the manholes though, it was for that freaking pothole with a barricade up that's been blocking half of Lasalle off for over a month now.

reednavy · July 16, 2009, 10:58:07 PM

Quote from: jbroadglide on July 16, 2009, 12:11:18 PM
Just exactly where are you referring to? San Marco or Riverside?

Read above, the curve in San Marco at Landon, going towards downtown.

What gets me are the parts of roads that are sinking because of water seppage, and they try to put new asphalt over it, knowing good and well, it'll continue to sag before opening up.