Motoring Discussion > Drain covers: what are they made of? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: WillDeBeest Replies: 12
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New Wed 9 Feb 11 00:03 
 Drain covers: what are they made of? - WillDeBeest
And, preferably without crass social stereotyping, who's nicking them? The edges of several roads round here now have deep holes with missing covers, and I don't think it's coincidental.

If you'd asked me a month ago I'd have said they were cast iron, and I wouldn't imagine that was worth stealing even today. But there must be something in them worth having. Any clues - bronze perhaps? And where does it end up?
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New Wed 9 Feb 11 00:18 
 Drain covers: what are they made of? - SteelSpark
Could be that it isn't the covers they are after.

tinyurl.com/5saaxwj
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New Wed 9 Feb 11 00:23 
 Drain covers: what are they made of? - crocks
The missing ones will have been cast iron.
Taken by anyone who cruises the streets looking for scrap metal.
The same people who remove railway signal and power cable for the scrap copper.
Ends up at dodgy scrap dealers.
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New Wed 9 Feb 11 04:55 
 Drain covers: what are they made of? - Ian (Cape Town)
One of our local 'elected representatives' came up with a cunning plan to stop the rempant theft of drain and manhole covers - simply weld them down!

He thought he was on to a winner, until the fire chief pointed out the obvious flaw in the plan...
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New Wed 9 Feb 11 07:20 
 Drain covers: what are they made of? - Tigger
Bought by the same dodgy scrap dealers who buy exhaust catalysts, lead off roofs, copper off railway lines...so funding low-level crime, which hugely incoveniences everyone else - and all for a tiny fraction of the replacement costs.
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New Wed 9 Feb 11 09:39 
 Drain covers: what are they made of? - FotheringtonTomas
>> I wouldn't imagine that was worth stealing even today.

They're made of ductile iron, a form of cast iron. Worth about £200/tonne scrap.

Clean copper wire, which someone else referred to, is worth about £4,500/tone!
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New Wed 9 Feb 11 09:47 
 Drain covers: what are they made of? - SteelSpark
>> They're made of ductile iron, a form of cast iron. Worth about £200/tonne scrap.
>>
>> Clean copper wire, which someone else referred to, is worth about £4,500/tone!

The story I linked to above seems to suggest that they are lifting the covers to get to the copper wire. Not sure if they are just taking the covers with them too, or discarding them.
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New Wed 9 Feb 11 09:53 
 Drain covers: what are they made of? - FotheringtonTomas
If there's a decent amount of copper, they'd dump the covers - drain covers are not like BT lightweight galvanised covers, either.
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New Wed 9 Feb 11 10:37 
 Drain covers: what are they made of? - Bromptonaut
Drain covers and road signs are both targetted by scrap metal thieves. Locally (Northants) numerous roadsigns are made of plastic and carry a message on the back advising their lack of scrap value.
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New Wed 9 Feb 11 11:51 
 Drain covers: what are they made of? - Iffy
Theft of drain covers has been a problem in County Durham for some years.

The council now use covers made of a 'composite material' which has no scrap value.

In neighbouring Tyne and Wear, the council marks its covers with an identifying grease which sticks to both the cover and anyone who nicks it.

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/5079034.Grease_is_the_word_for_drain_cover_thieves/?action=complain&cid=8398367
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New Wed 9 Feb 11 12:51 
 Drain covers: what are they made of? - Boxsterboy
Where there's muck there's brass!
Last edited by: Boxsterboy on Wed 9 Feb 11 at 12:52
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New Wed 9 Feb 11 15:50 
 Drain covers: what are they made of? - Ted

This sort of behaviour can be lethal to users of 2 wheeled vehicles, powered or not.

I don't suppose a low profile tyre on an alloy would be very happy either.....Of course, no thought is given there.

Manslaughter...in the worst scenario ??

Ted
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New Wed 9 Feb 11 15:53 
 Drain covers: what are they made of? - Redviper
>>
>> This sort of behaviour can be lethal to users of 2 wheeled vehicles, powered or
>> not.


The scum of society don’t give two hoots what happens to anyone else but themselves.
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