A utility vault is an underground room providing access to subterranean

public utility A public utility company (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and r ...

equipment, such as

valve A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...

s for water or natural gas pipes, or switchgear for

electrical Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...

telecommunication Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...

s equipment. A vault is often accessible directly from a street, sidewalk or other outdoor space, thereby distinct from a

basement A basement or cellar is one or more floors of a building that are completely or partly below the ground floor. It generally is used as a utility space for a building, where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, ...

of a building.City of New York, New York. ''2014 Construction Codes.'' Building Code, Chapter 32
"Section 3201.8. Definitions."
"Vault: Any space below the surface of a street, that is covered over, except those openings that are used exclusively as places for descending, by means of steps, to the cellar or basement of any building." Accessed 2018-04-09. Utility vaults are commonly constructed out of

reinforced concrete box Precast concrete is a construction product produced by casting concrete in a reusable mold or "form" which is then cured in a controlled environment, transported to the construction site and maneuvered into place; examples include precast beam ...

es, poured concrete or brick. Small ones are usually entered through a

manhole A manhole (utility hole, maintenance hole, or sewer hole) is an opening to a confined space such as a shaft, utility vault, or large vessel. Manholes are often used as an access point for an underground public utility, allowing inspection, m ...

or grate on the topside and closed up by a

manhole cover A manhole cover or maintenance hole cover is a removable plate forming the lid over the opening of a manhole, an opening large enough for a person to pass through that is used as an access point for an underground vault or pipe. It is designed t ...

. Such vaults are considered

confined space A confined space is a space with limited entry and egress and not suitable for human inhabitants. An example is the interior of a storage tank, occasionally entered by maintenance workers but not intended for human occupancy. Hazards in a confined ...

s and can be hazardous to enter. Large utility vaults are similar to

mechanical Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...

electrical room An electrical room is a room or space in a building dedicated to electrical equipment. Its size is usually proportional to the size of the building; large buildings may have a main electrical room and subsidiary electrical rooms. Electrical equip ...

s in design and content.

References

External links

Underground Utility Vaults
- National Precast Concrete Association Building engineering Rooms Subterranea (geography) {{room-stub

See also

References

External links