6 ms·
Manhole covers are round because they minimize the circumference per area that must be cut to make the cover fall in.
by whatshisface 5y ago
Manhole covers are round because they minimize the circumference per area that must be cut to make the cover fall in.
- vishnugupta 5y agoObligatory https://sellsbrothers.com/12395 https://sellsbrothers.com/12395
- bryanrasmussen 5y agoOk but consider - is there any department at Microsoft other than marketing that Richard Feynman would have been suited for?
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- gcheong 5y agoI don’t know but I shudder at the thought of what state the world would have to be in for Feynman to be interviewing at Microsoft or any FAANG company for that matter.
- neilv 5y agoFeynman made significant contributions to supercomputing. https://longnow.org/essays/richard-feynman-connection-machine/ https://longnow.org/essays/richard-feynman-connection-machin... I'm guessing Feynman would've had a much better chance getting hired at old Microsoft, than through the current FAANG/wannabe interview process.
- HWR_14 5y agoRichard Feynman oversaw the IBM computer's use and programming used in the Manhattan Project. Microsoft also has an R&D department that would probably just give him a budget and a team of assistants to see what he came up with.
- achow 5y agoMost probably, because manhole covers were/are made using cast iron, which were sand casted. Mold for sand casting is easily done in lathe (turning a wood on lathe for precise shape is faster and more accurate than sawing). So as one of the parent comment mentions - it is round because of production reasons.
- PinballWizard 5y agoMy take is because the manhole is round.
- achow 5y agoThe mouth of the 'hole' could be easily square, actually making a square shape is perhaps easier - since laying concrete is easier in straight lines. So, most probably the shape of the cast iron cover (circular), drove the shape of mouth of the hole.
- eecc 5y agoMy guess is it’s also a matter of practical usage: they’re made of heavy iron and a round one will fall in place whatever orientation it’s thrown over the cover, while a different shape needs to be carefully oriented. I suspect this also means less broken fingers.
- achow 5y agoBut round one is easier to steal.. just roll them off. Whereas a square or any such shape, would be very inconvenient to move. [Edit in response to a question] Some people have attempted to steal manhole covers in order to sell them for scrap metal. China Daily notes that there has also been a problem with taxi drivers removing manhole covers to "steal water and clean their vehicles". https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-52400235 https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-52400235
- adrianN 5y agoWhy would someone steal a manhole cover?
- paganel 5y agoIn my area there are lots of square manhole covers. I have it on my personal to-do list to photograph almost all the older manhole covers from my city and geo-locate them at some point, I think it could be a good indicator of how my city grew and evolved ~100 years ago.