Operators of district energy heating systems have become increasingly aware of the dangers posed by hot cast iron manholes. This concern is even more pronounced in campus environments where steam manholes are located throughout the campus and many students tend to wear sandals and “flip flops” in warmer weather.

In 2010, these concerns lead the utilities department of a leading engineering university based in Cambridge, Massachusetts to consider replacing traditional, steel manhole covers with Fibrelite’s composite alternative.