Utility vaults are underground rooms used for public services such as gas, water, and electricity. They are accessed through manholes or removable lids and are typically made of precast concrete. They are designed to group controls and instrumentation in a central location, making them easy to access and convenient. Utility vaults are constructed off-site and come in various sizes with integral features such as cable trays and access holes. They are considered hazardous environments and require service personnel to protect themselves from carbon monoxide and combustible gas.
A utility vault is an underground room or enclosure used as an access and control point for public services. These rooms typically house gas or water control valves or electrical switches and may be fully or partially buried. Depending on their size, service vaults can be accessed in a variety of ways, including manholes and ladders or removable lids. They are usually made of precast concrete, although fiberglass or steel varieties are quite common. Utility storages come in a wide selection of sizes and designs and often include integral features such as cable trays and access holes.
It is common practice in utility deployment to group controls and instrumentation in central, easily accessible locations. Most utility supplies, including gas, water, electricity and telecommunications lines, are routed underground, which presents a problem in this regard, however. Installing a vault in a central location solves this problem and creates an easy-to-access, clean, and convenient location to group valves and cabinets. These vaults are usually simple square or rectangular boxes buried in the ground into which pipes and cables are routed. These boxes are usually large enough to hold all lines and related equipment, allowing personnel to park or move around within them.
Typically constructed of precast concrete, the service vault is either completely underground or with only a small portion of the walls protruding above the ground. Access is achieved via a manhole and a ladder or a removable grate or lid. Sometimes they are also made of steel or plastic composites although they tend to be less robust and more prone to ‘floating’ due to the hydraulic forces exerted by the accumulation of groundwater. Utility vault dimensions depend on the number of lines it is designed to accommodate with common dimensions including 3 x 3 x 3 feet (1 x 1 x 1 meters), 4 x 6 x 8 feet (1.2 x 1.8 x 2.4 meters) and larger 8 x 12 x 8 foot (2.4 x 3.6 x 2.4 meters) variants.
Most utility vault projects are built off site and installed as a completed unit. It is common practice to include a range of integral features during construction which include cable or pipe trays, light fixtures and cut-outs. The latter are grouped around the walls of the vault and consist of circular rings of thin molten material which allow the central disk to be expelled to allow the entry of cables or pipes. All utility vault designs, especially the larger examples, are considered hazardous environments due to their enclosed nature; service personnel must always protect themselves from the possibility of accumulation of carbon monoxide and combustible gas.
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