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Cast lettering and a load class on a manhole or inspection cover.
Also known as: Manhole marking, Inspection cover lettering, Load class marking
Cast lettering on an access cover names what is beneath it and how much weight it will take. The utility or authority is named or abbreviated; a load class such as B125 or D400 gives the rated load in kilonewtons for the traffic it is designed for, so a cover rated for a footway is not rated for a lorry. Many covers also carry a foundry name and a date, which makes them among the most reliably dated objects in a street.
Names the utility or authority responsible for what is beneath the cover, which is who to report a defect to and who may lawfully lift it.
Contexts: Technical drawing, Public information
Gives a load class such as B125 or D400, the figure being the rated load in kilonewtons — so a cover rated for a footway is not rated for a lorry, and a cover in the wrong place is a hazard rather than an inconvenience.
Contexts: Technical drawing, Public information
Frequently carries a foundry name and a casting date, which makes access covers among the most reliably dated objects in a street and a minor field of collecting and photography in their own right.
Contexts: History, Public information
Raised capital letters and numerals cast into a heavy metal plate, arranged around a patterned surface of ribs or squares.
Both identify a buried service at the surface.