MANHOLE RENEWAL
FOR MUNICIPALITIES

How and Why Municipalities Should Invest in In-House Manhole Renewal Capabilities

SAVE MONEY, SAVE TIME, AND IMPROVE
THE QUALITY OF MUNICIPAL SERVICES

SAVE MONEY, SAVE TIME, AND
IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF MUNICIPAL SERVICES

Manholes are rarely considered by the average person, largely because they’re most often the responsibility of local water authorities and other municipalities and not because they’re not of critical importance to the modern urban landscape. However, while under a municipality’s jurisdiction, the on-the-ground work to construct and maintain wastewater infrastructure like manholes is commonly outsourced to third parties. But while outsourcing this work is an established practice, it knowingly or unknowingly costs municipalities a heavy expense of both time and money. Instead, municipalities can invest in their own capabilities to save big and improve the quality of their services. To do this, there’s no better partner than ArmorThane – we offer all of the tools and training in affordable startup packages that can get any municipality equipped with our high-performance polyurea and polyurethane manhole linings for rehabilitation and advanced protection.

GETTING STARTED WITH ARMORTHANE

Even large municipalities with the most dedicated civil servants may find transitioning from outsourced manhole rehabilitation to in-house management daunting. To get started and simplify a municipality’s path from inexperienced to fully equipped, no option compares to partnering with a legacy coatings expert like ArmorThane. With more than 35 years of expertise in all things polyurea and polyurethane—including manhole rehabilitation and the protection of wastewater infrastructure more broadly—we understand the challenges municipalities face. Over the years, we recognized the need for easy and cost-effective solutions that equip our partners with the same resources that our certified applicators use to perform the same services. To meet this demand, we developed specialty startup packages designed to help municipalities get started and begin handling manhole rehabilitation projects themselves. Municipalities no longer need to rely on outside applicators, whose quality and timeliness remain outside their control, nor must they pay the additional expenses associated with labor or material markups. With one partner and one custom solution, municipalities gain everything they need to go toe-to-toe with third-party contractors.

A LOOK INTO MUNICIPAL MANHOLE REHABILITATION

From the outside looking in, manhole rehabilitation may seem confusing and highly technical. What equipment does the process require? Which materials work best? Is it safe? What’s the first step? Our free training covers every part of the process step by step, point by point, but it never hurts to start with the big picture in mind.

The manhole rehabilitation process takes several forms, but in general, it consists of three main steps. The first step, surface preparation, includes cleaning the surface to remove dirt, oil, or other debris that could block the substrate from strongly adhering to manhole linings. In some cases, applicators may also need to modify surfaces to promote strong adhesion, but this is less common for manholes than for other types of wastewater infrastructure. After completing surface cleaning and modification, the next step is applying the manhole linings. Applicators create the linings by ejecting two precursor materials onto treated surfaces using high-pressure spray equipment, allowing them to react and form the elastomeric coating. This stage requires precision and strict adherence to best safety practices, including the use of respirators and specialized suits that protect applicators from dangerous chemical exposures. After application and once the precursor materials complete their reaction, the resulting linings become safe and sustainable. The third step—curing—involves allowing the new linings to dry, beginning in as little as a few minutes and typically completing over a few hours. That’s it! Municipalities only need to acquire the right tools and receive proper training to master each step and deploy their own manhole rehabilitation.

MORE THAN MANHOLE
REHABILITATION, MORE
THAN WASTEWATER
INFRASTRUCTURE

MORE THAN MANHOLE REHABILITATION, MORE
THAN WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE

Manholes represent just one example of the many types of wastewater infrastructure that municipalities must maintain, and their challenges are not unique. Corrosive substances, high mechanical stress, and unmitigated exposure to the elements all threaten to degrade wastewater infrastructure until it no longer remains safe or functional. But the good news is that the same advanced materials technology—polyurea and polyurethane—offers more than a one-trick solution; these coatings work to repair and protect almost any wastewater surface. Industries and applications across the board rely on these materials for maximum longevity and the best combination of cost, convenience, and reliability. Learning to perform manhole rehabilitation in-house equips municipalities with a widely useful toolset to address wastewater projects and beyond—and it all starts with ArmorThane.

ArmorThane team meeting for training session

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Mobile spray rigs for onsite application

The rising costs of wastewater system repairs

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Manhole Rehabilitation

Manhole Rehabilitation For Municipalities

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How Do You Rehabilitate A Manhole?

The best way to rehabilitate a manhole is to apply a high-performance protective coating—typically called a manhole lining—such as polyurea or polyurethane. Applicators first thoroughly clean treated surfaces to remove obstructive dirt and debris before using high-pressure spray equipment to deposit layers of durable elastomer coatings. These coatings seal cracks and gaps while insulating manhole materials from the damaging effects of chemical exposures and mechanical stress.  

Who Is Responsible For Manhole Rehabilitation?

Manhole maintenance is generally the responsibility of one of two parties: private property owners or local water authorities. Most often, it’s the latter, but that doesn’t mean municipalities themselves are always the ones doing the dirty work. Manhole rehabilitation is often performed by specialized contractors, but municipalities can save time and money while also improving the quality of their services by learning to manage the protection of their wastewater infrastructure themselves.

Should Municipalities Do Their Own Manhole Rehabilitation?

Whether or not a municipality should handle its own manhole rehabilitation depends on a number of different factors, but in general, it’s often easier, faster, and cheaper to invest in in-house capabilities instead of outsourcing the protection of its wastewater infrastructure. It can be difficult to make the switch, but that’s why ArmorThane offers custom startup packages with all the equipment, materials, and training that’s needed to prepare municipal crews for high-performance applications.

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE RIGHT, DO IT
YOURSELF - WITH ARMORTHANE’S HELP

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING
DONE RIGHT, DO IT YOURSELF -
WITH ARMORTHANE’S HELP

This old adage says it all: if you want something done right, do it yourself. Municipalities can complete projects faster, with greater flexibility, and at a fraction of the cost by equipping themselves with in-house manhole rehabilitation capabilities. ArmorThane helps municipalities worldwide develop their own wastewater expertise with our carefully curated equipment, high-performance in-house formulations, and training supported by decades of successful manhole rehabilitation projects. Getting started is as simple as giving us a call or filling out our contact form. One of our 24/7 customer service or technical support team members will be ready to help.

If your municipality needs to stretch its budget or improve the quality and efficiency of its services, now is the time to get in touch. Welcome to ArmorThane—let’s protect our world together, one manhole at a time.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TYLER GLECKLER

I am a chemist with a specialization in nanotechnology and applied materials chemistry. My work has focused on the characterization of optoelectronic materials, namely including semiconductor nanocrystals.

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