Category Archives: The Drainlaying Industry

Hynds Streetware Product Range

When it comes to streetware castings, there is one brand name that quickly comes to mind: Hynds.

Hynds Pipe Systems Limited is New Zealand’s premier supplier of water and water-based waste management systems for civil, rural and infrastructure applications. This massive family business has built a name and a strong culture through innovation and partnership, which evidently shows in the quality and durability of their products.

To date, Hynds has a nationwide network of 32 merchant branches and over 40,000 product lines, including a full range of innovative Streetware products.

Hynds Streetware

The brand offers a comprehensive range of spun and precast products that include:

  • Traditional cast iron manhole cover and frame sets
  • Cast iron manhole grates, inspection covers, carriageway covers
  • Stormwater grates
  • Safety grilles
  • Surface boxes
  • Kerb and channel grates

All of their products meet currently recognised Australian Standards AS3996-2006 and European Standards EN 124, as well as the loading requirements specified in Transit NZ’s HN-HO-72 standards.

Hynds’ castings load rated for a wide range of applications, from light duty pedestrians to heavy duty carriageway locations, and extreme heavy duty and trafficable airport runways. For your reference, here are the internally approved load classifications:

Cast iron is traditionally used for manhole covers for its robust and reliable nature. Hynds use Gray (Flake Graphite) Grade T220 cast iron in most of their infrastructure castings, making sure the design and quality meets both municipal and regional specific standard requirements. Currently, they are supplying manhole access covers and frames specifically to the council standards of Napier, Palmerston North, Christchurch, Queenstown and Invercargill regions.

Among its product lines are:

  1. Cast Iron Access Covers (Class B and Class D loads)
    With a 450-500mm clear opening, these access covers easily retrofit into existing concrete manhole tops, with a choice of flat or spigoted frames. There’s also a complementary range of circular manhole grates for these access covers.

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  2. Hytech Manhole Cover and Frame Sets
    NZ’s local authority called for cast iron streetware products to be manufactured to a recognised standard and tested by an independent third party. Hynds responded with its Hytech range, which carry the NZ Standards Mark and accredited by OPUS International Consultants. Each product in the range is load tested to Australian Standard AS3996.

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  3. Cast Iron inspection Covers (Class A load)
    This range consist of light duty, non trafficable inspection covers and frames for grease traps, electrical pits and other areas where regular maintenance is required. The inspection covers can be made watertight and airtight by adding a silicon sealant. It’s locked down with stainless steel allen head screws to prevent theft or unauthorised access.

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  4. Cast Iron Storm Water Grates (Class B to D loads)
    These grates are suited to the standard range of concrete cesspits and sized to suit standard sump range. For 675x450mm sump sets, you can have the option for adding anti-theft brackets and screws.
    This particular range is compatible with all regional council requirements for Whangarei, Bay of Plenty, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown, Dunedin and Invercargill.

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  5. Non Slip Heelguard Grates (Class A and Class D loads)
    Particularly suited for pedestrians and areas with expected heavy foot traffic, this range features non-slip epoxy coating and long-lasting galvanised steel construction. Hynds’ Heelguard grates have a flat-edged frame to ensure ease of use with concrete/asphalt pavers, and are compatible with standard concrete sumps.
    Grate and frames sets are available for trenches and cesspits.

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  6. Manhole Safety Grilles
    Hynds supply two Watercare-approved brands of stormwater and manhole safety grilles: Caliber and Impact. Both can be retrofitted into existing and new manholes, but Impact grilles can be adjusted to suit a wide range of opening sizes.

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  7. Surface Boxes
    A full range of surface boxes made for hydrants, lampholes, pressure sewers, valves and Toby boxes, all of which meet regional and municipal council requirements.

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  8. G.A.T.I.C Range
    Sourced from internationally recognised manufacturers, the products in this range are gas, water and airtight with load ratings from Class B (Pedestrian) to Class F/G (Airports/Ports).The Infilled/Solid Top Covers and Decorative Edged Covers feature machined mating surfaces and decorative edge (on request). It comes in either a single or a multiple-part cover and frame set. There are also options for square, rectangle, tee or cellular frames.Meanwhile, the Xpave Infilled Covers are designed with a deep recess to accommodate thicker pavers as well as to make access points discreet and unobtrusive in pedestrians and trafficable areas. The covers are laser-cut for utmost precision.

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  9. UBER
    Made with Spheroidal Graphite Grade 500/7, the ductile iron access covers in this range are lightweight and robust but 30% lighter than traditional cast iron. Personalisation is the hallmark of this range, with specific council designs already in supply. The system features bolt down security that meet the HN-HO-72 requirements for sewer and stormwater lids.

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  10. Di-Hinged Carriageway Covers
    Manufactured in France for high intensity traffic environments, these ductile iron-hinged access cover system exceeds expectations in terms of strength, performance, stability and protection against water ingress.The range features 360-degree EPDM sealing rubber for non-rock stability, cover locks that open at 90 degrees and personalisation options.
    There are four models in this range: MAESTRO, TWINO, MAXIMO and SOLO. The first three models are load rated to 400kN, while SOLO is designed to suit higher loadings up to 900kN in industrial settings.

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  11. Ductile Iron Stormwater Grates and Frames (Class D240)
    Designed with improved hydraulic capture, higher loadings, cycle friendliness and greater aesthetic appeal in mind, these stormwater system features side-locking frames and anti-theft hinge and bolt. It fits standard concrete sumps.

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  12. Stormwater Kerb and Channel Grates (Class C260)
    Manufactured in France, Hynds stormwater grates are cycle friendly and meet special requirements associated with smaller subdivision streetscapes.

For the full product specifications and information, see the Streetware product catalogue.

The Dangers Of Non Compliant Drainage

Drainage can be a serious matter and improperly done drainage can cause serious problems to both property and health. Drainage work is taken very seriously in New Zealand and all work must follow the Land Drainage Act 1908.

What is the Land Drainage Act? The Drainage Act has been set in place to make clear what is and isn’t allowed to be done with drainage work in New Zealand. It goes into detail about all aspects of drainage, including who is responsible for what and how things need to be done.

If you are planning drainage work, you need to be aware of what the Act requires in order for your drainage system to comply. The best way to do this is to find a drainage expert who knows what needs to be done. They can advise you on the best way to accomplish what you want to achieve while making your system compliant.

What happens if your drainage is not compliant?

First and foremost, your drainage could be unsafe and could cause health concerns and property damage if something was to go wrong. There have been many horror stories of non compliant drainage causing serious problems to properties, land, even people’s health. Because you are dealing with hazardous waste in some drainage, it can be a serious issue.

Another factor is that non compliant drainage will not be covered by insurance, should some disaster strike. If you end up with damage to your property as a result of uncompliant drainage work, don’t expect your insurance company to pay for the repairs. You could also face fines depending on the situation.

How can you make sure all your drainage work is compliant?

When undertaking any drainage work, always make sure that your work is done by a qualified drainlayer who has experience and has shown that they know what they are doing. A competent drainlayer will always ensure that  their work meets all standards and meets all legal requirements.

We at Drainage NZ can help you with all drainage work. When you call us, you can be sure you are getting drainage experts who will ensure all work is done to meet all requirements and is done to the highest possible standard. Call us today for your drainage needs!

 

What Can A Drainlayer Do That You Can’t?

When looking at doing drainage work, you may be thinking that it’s just a simple case of digging a to ditch and putting the pipe down and putting the dirt back on top.  So why can’t you just do it? In reality, there is a lot more to drainage then may first be obvious.

drainlayers_aucklandDrainage systems need to be carefully planned so that they work correctly. The size of pipe, gradient of slope and even pipe material are all factors that need to be carefully considered for each job and will depend greatly on a number of factors including what the pipes will be carrying.

Then there is the job of the actual installation. The pipes need to be carefully connected and sealed to ensure that the installation will last the test of time. They need to be placed correctly so that waste water will flow enough to efficiently drain from the property. And care must be taken so that nothing is damaged upon putting everything back or building on top/next to the pipework.

A skilled drainlayer will spend years perfecting his skill and knowledge in installing drains. It’s not something you can just learn in a weekend. The technical aspects of the work require years of study and experience to memorise and apply in the field.

Drainlaying is a messy job!

Drainlaying is not for the faint of heart. It’s a job that requires physical strength as well as the ability to think quickly and adapt to the job at hand. And it’s certainly not clean!

Drainlaying_is_a_messy_jobDrainlaying involves digging, physical labour, laying pipes, working in the rain and doing other potentially unpleasant tasks that most people would not want to do. It can also involve concrete cutting, breaking rocks and dealing with concrete which needs to be removed in order to lay a new drain or replace an existing one underneath.

When becoming a drainlayer, it takes about 18 months to 2 years to get a National Certificate, you learn as you go and you get looked after by an advisor. Once complete, you are considered a qualified drainlayer and are ready to work on your own.