Access Covers for Shared Spaces
What are shared surfaces?
- Areas where the demarcation between pedestrians and drivers is minimised.
- Use deep paving materials rather than typical road construction materials.
- Areas that have low speed limits.
- Qualify as B125 areas because they feature slow moving traffic.
What happens when a B125 access cover is trafficked by vehicles?
| Loading | Weight (kg) |
| Maximum European Gross Vehicle Weight | 44,000 |
| Maximum European Axle Weight | 11,500 |
| Maximum Wheel Load (Axle Kg²) | 5,570 |
| Add: 10% for Overloaded Axle | 575 |
| Add: 15% for Dynamic Wheel Load | 949 |
| Add: 60% for Margin of Safety | 4,364 |
| Total Theoretical Wheel Load | 11,638 |
| Test Load of B125 Covers | 13,750 |
This proves that B125 covers are suitable for use in any area subject to slow moving vehicle traffic including HGVs.
What happens to access covers in shared surface areas?
- Truck turns onto access cover
- Force from the power steering twists the cover out of the ground
The Solution
- Deeper frames with standard recessed cover tray (HomeZone).
- Removes the need for a concrete fillet around the outside of the frame as deep blocks can be placed right up to the edge.
- Filled covers can still be safely lifted by a single person.
- In-house testing shows this design meets the loading requirements of B125.
- Openreach approved solution for Homezone areas and shared spaces.
For more information on Access Covers or any of the information shared above, do not hesitate to get in touch with our expert team.
