September 10, 2024
Duralite® Makes Safety State of the Art In Every Situation
When it comes to telecommunications and other utility infrastructure product design, manufacturers typically focus their innovation and improvement resources on three factors: weight, strength, and cost. But there’s a vitally important fourth design element that often gets lost in the mix, and that’s safety.
Among handhole options, Duralite is a lighter, stronger alternative to traditional polymer concrete. And the engineering that goes into its weight savings translates into increased safety through every stage of the product lifecycle—including installation, logistics, and manufacturing.
Whether manufacturing, packaging, transporting, lifting, or maneuvering handholes in the field, the lighter the load the better. With Duralite, the loads being handled are significantly lighter than polymer concrete—up to 75% lighter.
Safety and Speed at the Installation Site
When it comes to installing a handhole, the reduced load results in a faster process, leading to reduced time spent on the jobsite. Faster installation means fewer chances for hazardous incidents and serious injuries. Every minute saved contributes to a safer work environment.
Duralite handholes are engineered to save time and mitigate risk at every stage—from transport and installation to manufacturing and distribution.
Safety at the Manufacturing Plant
Safety is built into every step of the manufacturing process for Duralite. The process is machine-based and highly automated. More automation means there’s less of an inherent risk of injury when compared to a manual plant environment which can be prone to human error.
Most polymer concrete handholes are manufactured in a highly manual environment, which leaves increased room for miscalculation, mishandling, and a higher frequency of accidents and possible injury.
Safety at the Distribution Facility and Throughout the Supply Chain
Our focus on safety extends beyond manufacturing to the supply chain and distribution process. Due to its relatively lower weight, Duralite handholes are engineered for easy stacking and shipping, which in turn decreases the risk of products toppling over during shipping. Lighter weight also eliminates the use of heavy equipment to maneuver the handholes around a storage facility, which reduces the risks of accidents that come with operating heavy machinery.
Safety at the Jobsite for Contractors and Work Crews
A lighter weight handhole offers immediate safety benefits for contractors. Easier-to-maneuver material reduces physical strain, the risk of back injury, along with the risk and severity of repetitive injuries to the hands and fingers that can occur when covers are dropped onto handhole bodies.
Duralite handholes further reduce the risk of jobsite hazards and safety incidents simply due to the fact that there’s less need to bring heavy equipment out onto the installation site. Less heavy equipment lowers the possibility of incidents involving excavator trucks, such as work crew members being struck or run over.
Safety Means Peace of Mind for Customers and End Users
Duralite handholes are engineered to exceed the most stringent ANSI SCTE 77 standards for structural integrity, plus they’re third-party tested to ensure public safety. This not only raises confidence and brings peace of mind to contractors and distributors, but end users from civil engineers and consultants to infrastructure specialists.
Safety Plus Sustainability
In addition to increasing safety, handhole weight reduction decreases transportation emissions to allow for more efficient loads and reduces fuel consumption on job sites. Smaller vehicles and lighter machinery such as pickup trucks can be used instead of heavy duty equipment, which contributes to lower overall carbon emissions. Duralite handholes are 100% recyclable and manufactured using 65% recycled materials.
Safety Without Compromise
Through every step of the supply chain process, our lighter handholes increase safety without sacrificing strength. From manufacturing to distribution to installation and public use of our infrastructure, Duralite is the lighter, safer, stronger choice.
