BS EN 124-3:2015

What is BS EN 124-3 – aluminium gully and manhole tops about?   

Mitigating risks around manholes for pedestrians and commuters is a top priority. BS EN 124-3 is a European Standard that serves technical specifications for gully tops and manhole tops, ensuring structural integrity and safety in vehicular and pedestrian applications.  

The BS EN 124-3 series focuses on gully tops and manhole tops for vehicular and pedestrian areas to fulfill their appropriate requirements. 

BS EN 124-3 is a third part of the multi-series that is applicable to gully tops and manhole tops made of mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum alloys whether in combination with concrete or not, with a clear opening up to and including 1 000 mm for covering gullies, manholes and inspection chambers for installation in areas subjected to pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic.  

BS EN 124-3 is applicable to manhole tops and gully tops for use in: 

• Areas that can only be used by pedestrians and pedal cyclists (at least class A 15),  
• Pedestrian areas and comparable areas, car parks or car parking decks (at least class B 125),  
• The area of kerbside channels of roads which, when measured from the kerb edge, extends a maximum of 0,5 m into the carriageway and a maximum of 0,2 m into the pedestrian area (at least class C 250),  
• Carriageways of roads (including pedestrian streets), hard shoulders, and parking areas, for all types of road vehicles (at least class D 400),  
• Areas imposing high wheel loads, e.g., docks, aircraft pavements (at least class E 600),  
• Areas imposing particularly high wheel loads, e.g., aircraft pavements (class F 900).  

Note: BS EN 124-3 is not applicable in isolation but only in combination with EN 124-1 and gives guidance for combinations of covers/gratings made of steel or aluminium alloys with frames according to EN 124-2 and EN 124-4, EN 124-5 or EN 124-6.  

Fabrication of manhole tops and gully tops in accordance with BS EN 124-3 is limited to cold forming, mechanical crimping, or welding together component parts made of metal plate, strip or bar, or rolled or extruded metal sections.  

Note: BS EN 124-3 is not applicable to:  

• Manhole tops and gully tops made of aluminium tread plates for use in carriageways of roads (class D 400) and areas imposing high wheel loads (Classes E 600 and F 900) 
• Concave gratings for class D 400 installed in carriageways of roads or hard shoulders and concave gratings for classes F 900 and E 600 
• Gratings/covers as part of prefabricated drainage channels according to EN 1433 
• Floor and roof gullies in buildings which are specified in EN 1253 (all parts) 
• Surface boxes 

Who is BS EN 124-3 - aluminium gully and manhole tops for?  

BS EN 124-3 on ‘aluminium gully and manhole tops for vehicular and pedestrian areas’ is useful for:  

• Manufacturers and suppliers of gully and manhole tops 
• Product design teams / innovation teams  
• Civil engineers / project managers 
• Relevant government / municipal bodies 
• Local and national roadways authorities 
• Safety regulatory bodies  

Why should you use BS EN 124-3 - aluminium gully and manhole tops?   

Gully tops and manhole tops develop leaks as a result of heavy traffic and from freezing and thawing, causing sanitary overflow problems and expensive repairs. In repairing these manholes, crews face the challenges of sealing or otherwise repairing the chimney.  

BS EN 124-3 provides users guidance on materials, design, performance, testing, assessment, and verification of constancy of performance, designation, and marking, enabling the standardization and development of gully and manhole tops. 

BS EN 124-3 provides users guidance on design and performance requirements, reaction to fire, the effect of heating, deflection under load, impact resistance, durability, and dangerous substances, ensuring safety and protection in vehicular and pedestrian areas.  

BS EN 124-3 guidelines enable you to design, manufacture and test iron gully and manhole tops, ensuring safety, usability, and longevity in vehicular and pedestrian areas.