What is a cable manhole or chamber?

At a glance

An underground box on a buried or ducted route where cables can be pulled through, turned, or jointed, with a cover at the surface.

Why: Ducted and buried routes need access points to pull cable in sections and to change direction or join onto surface troughing.

Where: On buried and duct routes, at changes of direction, at UTX ends and where a duct meets surface troughing. Cover class depends on what drives over it.

Where the rules are

NR/GN/TEL/30138 cl 5.3chambers for buried routes
NR/GN/TEL/30138 cl 5.3.1chamber to surface troughing interface
NR/GN/TEL/30140 cl 4.7.1constructing new manholes
NR/GN/TEL/30140 cl 4.7.2covers and frames — classes
NR/GN/TEL/30139 cl 6.24.1surveying manholes safely and what to check
NR/L3/TEL/30108 cl 5.3.6allocating ducts in manholes

What to order

StakkaBox Ultima Chamber 1310x610x600mm 4 rings · Cubis · 0054/160757

PADS numbers with free sign-up on each part page. More in the parts finder

On the drawing

SLD symbol: Manhole details (ways: cross = to use, filled = in use, clear = empty) — Manhole details (ways: cross = to use, filled = in use, clear = empty) · Opstel SLD pack (free Visio stencil)

Shown on the route drawings and recorded in the survey with duct capacity.

Also called: chamber, cable pit, draw pit

Guidance in our words. Read the current issue of each standard before you design to it.