WO2024092309A1

WO2024092309A1 - Infrastructure pit

Info

Publication number: WO2024092309A1
Application number: PCT/AU2023/051099
Authority: WO
Inventors: Benjamin Daniel HOPLEY; Micah CARREON; Graeme Peter Hall
Original assignee: Pact Group Industries (ANZ) Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2022-10-31
Filing date: 2023-10-31
Publication date: 2024-05-10

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an infrastructure pit or vault 1 for accommodating in- ground infrastructure assets, such as water lines, gas lines, electrical cables, or optical fibre conduits. The infrastructure pit / vault 1 comprises: a unitary moulded plastic body 10 having a generally rectangular base 11 and side walls 12 and end walls 13 upstanding from the base 11 that together define a cavity 14 for housing the infrastructure assets, a collar 30 configured to be attached to a top edge 20 of the side walls 12 and end walls 13 of the body 10 to form a perimeter of an access opening 31 into the infrastructure pit 1, the collar 30 having an inwardly recessed shoulder or step 32 forming a seat around the perimeter of the access opening 31, and at least one lid member 40 configured to seat against the recessed shoulder or step 32 within the collar 30 for covering the access opening 31 into the pit or vault 1. When the at least one lid member 40 is seated against the recessed shoulder or step 32 in the collar 30, an upper surface 41 of the lid member 40 lies substantially flush with an upper edge 33 of the collar. The unitary moulded plastic body 10 is configured to receive one or more reinforcing rib members 16 to be removably inserted in and/or along the side walls 12 thereof, each rib member 16 preferably being a straight rod or bar. The side walls 12 of the body 10 include a plurality of apertures 15 for receiving or mounting the reinforcing rib members 16 therein, the apertures 15 preferably being configured for receiving or mounting the one or more rib members 16 in and/or along the side walls 12 such that the rib member(s) 16 extend in a generally horizontal orientation.

Description

INFRASTRUCTURE PIT

Priority

This application claims priority from Australian provisional application no 2022903243, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Technical Field

[0001 ] The present disclosure relates to an infrastructure pit, also known as a junction pit or a vault, for infrastructure assets, such as water or gas pipelines, electrical conduits, telecommunications and/or optical fibre conduits, which are typically located in-ground for the purpose of providing infrastructure services for buildings, whether for residential or commercial properties.

[0002] More particularly, the present disclosure concerns an infrastructure pit or vault or a junction pit or vault comprising a body, preferably of moulded plastic, that forms a housing or an enclosure for the infrastructure assets, which body is configured to be set in the ground and form an access point for technicians to access the in-ground infrastructure lines, cables, or conduits. It will be convenient to describe the disclosure herein in this exemplary context. It should be understood, however, that the disclosure is not limited to junction pits or infrastructure pits and may be used in other applications and contexts.

Background Art

[0003] Any reference to or discussion of background art, including to any documents, herein is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present disclosure only and is not to be considered as an admission that such background art forms part of the state of the art or is widely known or forms a part of the common general knowledge in the relevant field in Australia or in any other country at the date of this application.

[0004] Infrastructure pits, or junction pits, or vaults for infrastructure assets have been known in various forms for many years. As noted above, they provide an access point for technicians to access the in-ground infrastructure lines, cables, or conduits. The access may be required, for example, to make a new connection to one or more of those assets, for maintenance, and/or for repair purposes. The dimensions of the pits or vaults can vary depending on a particular application, but it is not unusual that they will be sufficiently large for a worker to stand inside the pit I vault when accessing the infrastructure lines, cables, or conduits. For many decades these pits or vaults have been fabricated as cast concrete components which, while durable, are naturally also quite heavy and therefore laborious to transport or to handle manually, as well as being susceptible to cracking or breakage if dropped prior to installation. In more recent years, lighter-weight variants made of polymer plastic material have become available and have gained popularity due to much greater ease of transport and handling with good performance in use. It nevertheless remains a goal to optimise a physical design of the infrastructure pits or vaults, their performance in use, their ease of assembly, their adaptability to differing installation conditions, as well as the material usage and cost in their fabrication.

Summary

[0005] In view of the above, it would be desirable to provide a new infrastructure pit I vault or a new junction pit I vault for accommodating infrastructure assets, such as water pipelines, gas lines, electrical conduits, telecommunications lines, or optical fibre conduits, or other assets that require infrastructure pits or vaults.

[0006] According to a broad aspect, the present disclosure provides an infrastructure pit or junction pit for accommodating in-ground infrastructure assets, such as water lines, gas lines, electrical cables, telecommunications lines, and/or optical fibre conduits. The infrastructure pit I junction pit comprises: a moulded plastic body having a base, and walls upstanding from the base, e.g., side walls and end walls, that together define a cavity for housing the infrastructure assets. The moulded plastic body is configured to receive one or more reinforcing members removably inserted in and/or along the walls. A rim member (also referred to as a “collar”) is configured to be attached to a top edge of the walls (e.g., the side walls and end walls) of the moulded plastic body to define a perimeter of an access opening into the infrastructure pit or junction pit, and at least one cover member is adapted to seat against the rim member for covering the access opening into the pit.

[0007] In this way, the infrastructure pit or junction pit or vault of this disclosure is able to be selectively modified or strengthened by (removably) inserting one or more reinforcing member, e.g., an elongate reinforcing member or rib member, into and/or along walls of the pit or vault. This provides flexibility of design in enabling selective reinforcement in the applications where that may be required without over-designing the infrastructure pit or junction pit or vault for those other applications in which reinforcement may not be required. This, in turn, optimises the use of materials I resources, reducing waste and also cost.

[0008] In an embodiment, the walls of the body (e.g., side walls) include a plurality of apertures for receiving or mounting one or more reinforcing member (e.g., rib member) therein. The apertures are preferably configured for receiving or mounting the reinforcing member(s) in and/or along the walls such that the reinforcing member(s) extend/s in a generally horizontal orientation. Each reinforcing member preferably comprises a straight rod or bar, which may have any desired cross-sectional configuration, such as round, flattened, or some other shape. By having a plurality of apertures spaced over the height of the walls, a user can select the desired degree or extent of the reinforcement required by a particular application and the location in the wall. Each of the reinforcing members may, for example, be comprised of a fibre reinforced polymer composite material, such as glass-fibre reinforced polymer (GRFP), which has good strength, low weight, and relatively low cost. However, a range of other materials, such as other composites, polymer resins, or metals like steel, cast iron, or aluminium could also be used.

[0009] In an embodiment, the side walls of the moulded plastic body are formed with substantially vertically extending indentations therein to enhance rigidity and dimensional stability of the body. In such a case, the apertures for receiving and/or mounting the one or more reinforcing members or rib members may be formed or provided in the vertically extending indentations. This provides a convenient location for setting or mounting the reinforcing members or rib members. In this way, the reinforcing members may be set or mounted in the walls such that they do not project laterally outwards of the walls.

[0010] In an embodiment, the junction pit further includes one or more cable hangers configured to be arranged within the moulded plastic body and to extend between opposite walls thereof. The cable hanger(s) operate/s to support the infrastructure lines or conduits suspended therefrom in the pit or vault. Ends of each cable hanger are preferably adapted to engage with respective reinforcing members inserted along the walls of the body. In this way, the cable hanger(s) can be supported on and registered or located with respect to the reinforcing members. Further, the cable hanger(s) may be repositionable or adjustable in position within the moulded plastic body depending on the particular application. Each cable hanger may be provided in the form of a rod or tube, which can provide transverse reinforcement or support to walls of the pit or vault as strut members. The cable hangers are preferably comprised of a polymer resin, such as PVC, and may be extruded, but other materials, such as composites, other polymer resins, and metals are also contemplated.

[0011 ] In an embodiment, the rim member presents an inward recessed shoulder or step forming a seat around the perimeter of the access opening, wherein the at least one cover member seats against the recessed shoulder or step in the rim member such that an upper surface of the cover member lies substantially flush with an upper edge of the rim member. The recessed shoulder or step forming the seat around the perimeter of the access opening preferably provides a form fit for the cover member(s) with a slight gap to avoid an interference fit or jamming. It will be appreciated that the cover member(s) will be sized or fitted to the rim member to approved tolerances to optimise the fit, because while an interference fit or jamming is undesirable, a larger gap (e.g., > 5mm) that could catch a narrow heel of a shoe or present a tripping hazard is also undesirable.

[0012] In an embodiment, the rim member is configured to seat against a flange at the top edge of the upstanding walls (e.g., side walls and end walls) of the moulded plastic body. The rim member is further configured to be attached to the top edge of the walls of the moulded plastic body by fasteners, e.g., by screws. In this way, the fasteners may pass through and engage with the flange at the top edge of the upstanding walls.

[0013] In an embodiment, a height position and/or an angular orientation of the rim member with respect to the top edge of the side walls and/or with respect to the top edge of the end walls is adjustable to cater for variation in installation conditions. That is, a height position of the rim member may be adjusted up from the top edge of the walls by a predetermined distance, e.g., at least up to about 10 mm, preferably at least up to about 20 mm, and more preferably at least up to about 30 mm, to accommodate installation conditions, e.g., the depth of a hole in which the pit is to be installed relative to the upper ground surface. Similarly, the angular orientation or pitch of the rim member can be adjusted with respect to the top edge of the upstanding walls to cater to different slopes of the upper ground surface during installation. The angular orientation or pitch of the rim member relative to the top edge of the walls may be adjusted by at least about 1 degree, preferably by at least up to about 2 degrees, and more preferably by at least up to about 5 degrees.

[0014] In an embodiment, the rim member is formed from a different, and preferably more rigid, material to the moulded plastic body, such as a plastic resin, resin composite, galvanised steel, aluminium, or concrete. In this way, the rim member (or collar) allows for particular material selection to match the particular environment. For example, high-risk environments for the pit, such as high fire risk zones, or high-volume traffic areas, or high mechanical load areas, may require the material of the rim member (collar) to be selected to meet those specific demands. The same considerations apply for the at least one cover member which is/are exposed to the above-ground environment. The rim member may be formed as a unitary moulded plastic component, desirably by injection moulding, to provide high dimensional reliability. An advantage of the configuration or design of the pit or vault of the present disclosure is that the rim member or collar is separately replaceable without the need to extricate and replace the body of the pit or vault. In this way, the parts of the pit or vault most susceptible to wear and damage from external influence, namely the rim member (or collar) and the cover or lid member(s), can be separated from the body and replaced relatively quickly and easily, as and when may be necessary.

[0015] In an embodiment, the moulded plastic body is a unitary or integral body. The base of the body is substantially flat and rectangular, and the upstanding walls comprise opposite side walls and opposite end walls, which preferably extend generally vertically upwards from the base of the body. The moulded plastic body is preferably roto-moulded which readily enables layered moulding and the use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic material or “recyclate” in the body. The roto-moulding provides a body with more working area for the infrastructure assets and provides walls for easier cable and pipe penetrations for accommodating the assets. It will be appreciated that the moulded plastic body may also be formed in other moulding processes, such as injection moulding, and is not limited to rotational moulding (i.e., roto-moulding).

[0016] In an embodiment, the unitary moulded plastic body may include a predefined removable section formed in the upstanding walls thereof (e.g., side walls and end walls) which is adapted, when removed, to reduce a height or a depth of the junction pit by a predefined amount. In this regard, the removable section may be predefined by marks (e.g., lines) formed in the walls of the body, at or along which marks the section is to be cut or severed from the moulded plastic body.

[0017] According to another aspect, the present disclosure provides an infrastructure pit or vault for accommodating in-ground infrastructure assets, such as water lines, gas lines, electrical cables, telecommunications or optical fibre conduits The infrastructure pit or vault comprises: a unitary moulded plastic body comprising a base, and side walls and end walls upstanding from the base, which walls together with the base define a cavity for housing the in-ground infrastructure assets; a collar configured to be attached to a top edge of the side walls and end walls of the body to form a perimeter of an access opening into the infrastructure pit or vault, the collar having an inwardly recessed shoulder or step forming a seat around the perimeter of the access opening; and at least one lid member configured to seat against the recessed shoulder or step within the collar for covering the access opening into the pit, wherein, when the at least one lid member is seated against the recessed shoulder or step in the collar, an upper surface of the lid member lies substantially flush with an upper edge of the collar.

[0018] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the recessed shoulder or step forming the seat around the perimeter of the access opening provides a form fit for the lid member(s) with a slight gap to avoid an interference fit or jamming. In this way, the infrastructure pit combines reliable and releasable lid engagement with dimensional stability. As noted above, the gap is sized to approved tolerances or specifications to optimise the fit (e.g., in a range of 1 mm to 5 mm).

[0019] As noted above, in an embodiment of the disclosure, the collar is formed of a different, and preferably more rigid, material to the unitary moulded plastic body, such as a relatively hard polymer resin, resin composite, galvanised steel, aluminium or concrete. The same applies for the lid member(s). In this way, the collar and the lid member(s) of the pit, which are usually directly exposed to the above-ground environment, may be tailored to specific demands of the environment in which the pit is installed. For example, the collar may be a unitary moulded component formed from a tough, high-strength plastic resin material. Further, these parts of the pit or vault (i.e. , the collar and lid member(s)) are preferably separately replaceable without the need to rehabilitate the entire pit in the event that either or both should become damaged.

[0020] In an embodiment, the collar is configured to seat against a flange at the top edge of the side walls and end walls of the unitary moulded plastic body. In addition, the collar may be configured to be attached to the top edge of the side walls and end walls of the unitary moulded plastic body by fasteners, e.g., by screws. Further, a height position of the collar and/or an angular orientation of the collar with respect to the top edge of the side walls and/or with respect to the end walls may be adjustable to cater for variations in the installation conditions.

[0021 ] According to a further aspect, the present disclosure provides a junction pit or vault for accommodating in-ground infrastructure assets, such as water lines, gas lines, electrical cables, telecommunication lines, or optical fibre conduits, the junction pit or vault comprising: a unitary moulded plastic body comprising a base and walls upstanding from the base that together define a cavity for housing the infrastructure assets, a rim member configured to be attached at a top edge of the walls of the moulded plastic body to define a perimeter of an access opening into the junction pit, and at least one cover configured to seat against the rim member for covering the access opening into the junction pit. The unitary moulded plastic body includes a predefined removable section formed in the upstanding walls thereof such that, when removed, is designed to reduce a height or a depth of the junction pit or vault by a predefined amount.

[0022] In an embodiment, the removable section is predefined by marks (e.g., lines) formed in the walls of the body at which the removable section is configured to be cut or severed from the moulded plastic body.

[0023] According to yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides a junction pit or infrastructure pit for accommodating infrastructure assets, such as water lines, gas lines, electrical cables, telecommunication lines, or optical fibre conduits, the infrastructure pit or junction pit comprising: a moulded plastic body comprising a base and walls upstanding from the base that together define a cavity for housing the infrastructure assets, a rim member or collar configured to be attached at a top edge of the upstanding walls of the moulded plastic body to define a perimeter of an access opening into the junction or infrastructure pit, wherein an angular orientation and/or a height position of the rim member or collar is adjustable with respect to the top edge of the upstanding walls of the body to cater to ground level, and at least one cover adapted to seat against the rim member for covering the access opening into the junction pit or infrastructure pit.

[0024] Some advantages provided by embodiments of the infrastructure pit I vault or junction pit I vault of the present disclosure may include the following: (i) extremely tough and durable; (ii) low weight, providing ease of handling and ease of installation (iii) low cost and low carbon footprint; (iv) retrofittable to existing infrastructure access points; (v) a damaged collar or rim member can be replaced without complete replacement of the pit or vault (vi) can utilise recycled materials and is itself recyclable at end of life; (vii) multiple sizes available, and (viii) complies with current specifications for pits.

Brief Description Of The Drawings

[0025] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and advantages thereof, exemplary embodiments are explained in more detail in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing figures, in which like reference signs identify or designate like parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an infrastructure pit (or junction pit) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with the cover or lid members removed;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the infrastructure pit or vault shown in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional end view of the infrastructure pit or vault shown in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the infrastructure pit or vault shown in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 5 is cross-sectional perspective view of the infrastructure pit shown in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 6 is another perspective view of the infrastructure pit or vault shown in Fig. 1 with the cover or lid members fitted and a lateral conduit installed in a side wall;

Fig. 7 is a further perspective view of the infrastructure pit or vault shown in Fig. 1 with the cover or lid members fitted;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the body of the infrastructure pit shown in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 9 is another perspective view of the body of the infrastructure pit shown in Fig. 8 with a predefined removable section cut or severed from the body;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the body of the infrastructure pit shown in Fig. 9 with the body reconstituted without the removable section;

Fig. 11 is a view of part of the interior of the reconstituted body of the infrastructure pit seen in Fig. 10, showing a join in a side wall of the body;

Fig. 12 is a side view of the infrastructure pit or vault in Fig. 1 showing adjustment of a height position of the collar or rim member; Fig. 13 is an end view of the infrastructure pit or vault in Fig. 1 showing the adjustment of an angular orientation of the collar or rim member with respect to a top edge of the end walls;

Fig. 14 is a side view of the infrastructure pit or vault in Fig. 1 showing the adjustment of an angular orientation of the collar or rim member with respect to a top edge of the side walls;

Fig. 15 is a partially cut-away perspective, exploded view of the infrastructure pit seen in Fig. 7 shown installed in the ground; and

Fig. 16 is a partially cut-away perspective view of the infrastructure pit or vault seen in Fig. 7 shown installed in the ground.

[0026] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate particular embodiments and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments and many of the attendant advantages will be readily appreciated as they become better understood with reference to the following detailed description.

[0027] It will be appreciated that common and/or well understood elements that may be useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are not necessarily depicted in order to facilitate a more abstracted view of the embodiments. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily illustrated to scale relative to each other. It will also be understood that certain actions and/or steps in an embodiment of a method may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrences while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required.

Detailed Description Of The Embodiments

[0028] With reference firstly to Figs. 1 to 8 of the drawings, an infrastructure pit 1 (also referred to as a “vault” or an “infrastructure vault” or a “junction pit”) according to a preferred embodiment of the disclosure will be described. The infrastructure pit or vault 1 is designed to accommodate in-ground infrastructure assets (indicated by the pipe C shown in Fig. 6), such as water lines, gas lines, electrical cables, optical fibre conduits and the like, which are located in-ground to provide building services to residential and commercial properties. The infrastructure pit or vault 1 is designed to provide an access point for technicians to access the in-ground infrastructure lines, cables, or conduits. The access may be required, for example, to make a new connection to one or more of those assets, for maintenance, and/or for repair purposes. The dimensions of the pit or vault 1 can vary depending on a particular application, but it is not unusual that it will be sufficiently large for a worker to stand inside it when accessing the infrastructure lines, cables, or conduits. Accordingly, by way of example, a height or depth dimension may be in the range of 500 mm to 1 ,500 mm, a length dimension may be in the range of 500 mm to 2,000 mm, and a width dimension may be in the range of 300 mm to 800 mm.

[0029] The infrastructure pit or vault 1 comprises a unitary (i.e., one-piece) moulded plastic body 10 that is shown in isolation in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The plastic body 10 has a generally rectangular base 11 with a pair of opposite side walls 12 and a pair of opposite end walls 13 upstanding from the base and integrally formed with the base 11. The base 11 and those walls 12, 13 together define a cavity 14 for housing or accommodating the infrastructure assets. The side walls 12 of the plastic body 10 in this embodiment are formed with rows of apertures 15, provided as slots or holes, that are configured to receive elongate reinforcing members or rib members 16 which can be removably inserted into a row of aligned holes or slots 15 along the side walls 12 in a generally horizontal orientation, i.e., generally parallel to the base 11. By having rows of the apertures 15 spaced apart over the height of the side walls 12, a user can select the degree or extent of reinforcement and its location as required by a particular application for the pit or vault 1 . The reinforcing members or rib members 16 in this embodiment are generally flattened rods or bars and are comprised of a fibre reinforced polymer composite material, such as GRFP, which has good strength, low weight, and relatively low cost. In this example, three rib members 16 are provided spaced apart along each side wall 12.

[0030] As can be seen in drawing Figs. 1 and 2, the side walls 12 of the moulded plastic body 10 are formed with three substantially vertically extending indentations 17 to enhance the rigidity and dimensional stability of those walls 12. The rows of the holes or slots 15 for receiving or mounting the ribs or rib members 16 are formed in the vertically extending indentations 17, which provide a convenient location for setting or mounting the reinforcing ribs 16. In this position, the ribs 16 do not project laterally out beyond an outer surface of the side walls 12, but rather are predominantly located inside cavity 14. [0031 ] With reference to Figs. 4 and Fig. 5 of the drawings, it will be seen that the infrastructure pit 1 further includes a pair of short, straight cable hangers 18 configured to be arranged within the cavity 14 of the moulded plastic body 10 extending between the opposite side walls 12. Ends of each cable hanger 18 include slots 19 adapted to receive or engage with respective rib members 16 inserted along the side walls 12. In this way, the cable hangers 18 can be registered or located with respect to the rib members 16 for supporting lines or conduits in the pit or vault 1 suspended therefrom. In addition, each cable hanger 18 can provide transverse reinforcement or support to the side walls 12 of the pit or vault 1 as strut members. In this example, the cable hangers 18 are comprised of a polymer resin, such as PVC, and are moulded or extruded as tubes or rods. As the structural demands of the cable hangers 18 are relatively low, the polymer resin material generally provides adequate strength, combined with low weight and low cost, but other materials, such as composites, other polymer resins, and metals can also be used.

[0032] With continued reference to Figs. 1 to 8 of the drawings, the infrastructure pit 1 includes a collar or rim member 30 that is configured to be attached to a top edge 20 of the side walls 12 and end walls 13 of the moulded plastic body 10 to define a perimeter of an access opening 31 into the pit 1. The collar or rim member 30 in this embodiment is formed from a different, and more rigid, material to the moulded plastic body 10. While it could be formed of steel or concrete, in this case the collar 30 is injection moulded from a high-strength polymer resin for a high load-bearing capacity. The collar 30 presents an inward recessed shoulder or step 32 forming a seat around the perimeter of the access opening 31 . As can be seen in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 of the drawings, two cover members or lid members 40 are configured to seat against the recessed shoulder or step 32 in the collar 30 such that an upper surface 41 of the cover members 40 lies substantially flush with an upper edge 33 of the rim member 30. The recessed shoulder or step 32 forming the seat around the perimeter of the access opening 31 is sized to provides a neat form-fit for the two cover members or lid members 40 with a slight gap to a desired tolerance to avoid an interference fit or jamming. As seen in drawing Fig. 5, the collar or rim member 30 is configured to seat against a flange 21 at the top edge 20 of the side and end walls 12, 13 of the plastic body 10. Further, the collar 30 is configured to be attached to that flange 21 along the top edge 20 of the side and end walls 12, 13 by screw fasteners 34. In this way, the screw fasteners 34 pass through and engage with the flange 21 at the top edge 20 of the walls. [0033] With reference now to drawing Figs. 8 to 11 , it will be seen that the moulded plastic body 10 of the infrastructure pit 1 includes a predefined removable section 22 that is formed in the upstanding side walls 12 and end walls 13. This removable section 22 is predefined by marks 23 in the form of score lines formed in the walls 12, 13 of the body 10 to demarcate a section of constant height or depth. By cutting or severing along these lines 23, the section 22 can be cut or severed from the moulded plastic body 10 so that, when removed, a height or a depth of the pit 1 is then reduced by a predefined amount (i.e. , corresponding to the height or depth of the section 22). In this regard, after removal of the section 22, the base 11 and remaining walls 12, 13 body are recombined in order to reconstitute the moulded plastic body 10, as shown in Fig. 10. To this end, as seen in Fig. 11 , connector plates 25 and fasteners (e.g., screw fasteners or an adhesive, such as a contact adhesive) may be used to reconnect the base 11 and shortened walls 12, 13.

[0034] Referring now to Figs. 12 to 14 of the drawings, a height position h and/or an angular orientation a, [3 of the collar or rim member 30 with respect to the top edge 20 of the side walls 12 and/or with respect to the top edge 20 of the end walls 13 is adjustable to cater for variation in installation conditions. That is, a height position h of the collar 30 may be adjusted up from the top edge 20 of the walls 12, 13 by a predetermined distance h of 25 mm to accommodate installation conditions, e.g., varying depth of a hole in the ground in which the pit 1 is installed relative to the upper ground surface (Fig. 12). Similarly, the angular orientation or pitch a, [3 of the collar 30 can be adjusted with respect to the top edge 20 of the walls 12, 13 to cater to different slopes of the ground surface during installation. The angular orientation or pitch a of the collar 30 relative to the top edge 20 of the end walls 13 may be adjusted by about 2.5 degrees (Fig. 13), The angular orientation or pitch [3 of the collar 30 relative to the top edge 20 of the side walls 13 may be adjusted by about 1 degree (Fig. 14).

[0035] Referring to Figs. 15 and 16 of the drawings, the infrastructure pit 1 is seen in an installed position set into the ground G with a layer of paving P surrounding the collar or rim member 30. The upper edge 32 of the rim member 30 is flush with or just below an upper surface of the paving P and the upper surface 41 of the lid members 40 lies flush with the upper edge 32 of the rim member 30.

[0036] Although specific embodiments of the disclosure are illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternative and/or equivalent implementations exist. It should be appreciated that each exemplary embodiment is an example only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those persons skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Generally, this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein.

[0037] It will also be appreciated that the terms "comprise", "comprising", "include", "including", "contain", "containing", "have", "having", and any variations thereof, as used in this document are intended to be understood in an inclusive (i.e. non-exclusive) sense, such that the process, method, device, apparatus, or system described herein is not limited to the features, integers, parts, elements, or steps recited but may include other features, integers, parts, elements, or steps not expressly listed and/or inherent to such process, method, device, apparatus, or system. Furthermore, the terms "a" and "an" used herein are intended to be understood as meaning one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise. In addition, reference to positional terms, such as “lower” and “upper”, used in the above description are to be taken in context of the embodiments depicted in the figures, and are not to be taken as limiting the disclosure to the literal interpretation of the term but rather as would be understood by a skilled addressee in the appropriate context.

[0038] Drawing reference signs:

I infrastructure pit I vault or junction pit I vault

10 moulded plastic body

I I base

12 side wall

13 end wall

14 cavity

15 aperture, slot, or hole

16 reinforcing member or rib member

17 indentation

18 cable hanger

19 slot

20 top edge

21 flange

22 removable section

23 marks or lines

25 connector plate

30 collar or rim member

31 pit opening

32 recessed shoulder or step

33 upper edge of collar

40 cover or lid member

41 upper surface

C pipe or conduit

G ground or earth

P paving

Claims

1 . A junction pit or vault for accommodating in-ground infrastructure assets, like water lines, gas lines, electrical cables, telecommunication lines, or optical fibre conduits, the junction pit or vault comprising: a moulded plastic body comprising a base and upstanding walls, preferably side walls and end walls, that together form a cavity for housing the infrastructure assets, wherein the moulded plastic body is configured to receive one or more elongate reinforcing members to be removably inserted in and/or along the walls, a rim member configured to be attached to a top edge of the upstanding walls of the moulded plastic body to define a perimeter of an access opening into the junction pit or vault, and at least one cover member configured to seat against the rim member for covering the access opening into the junction pit or vault.

2. A junction pit or vault according to claim 1 , wherein the walls of the body include a plurality of apertures for receiving or mounting the one or more elongate reinforcing members therein, wherein the apertures are preferably configured for receiving or mounting the one or more reinforcing members in and/or along the walls such that the reinforcing member(s) extend/s in a generally horizontal orientation.

3. A junction pit or vault according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the walls of the body include substantially vertically extending indentations formed therein to enhance rigidity and dimensional stability of the body, wherein apertures for receiving and/or mounting the one or more reinforcing members are formed or provided in the vertically extending indentations.

4. A junction pit or vault according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising one or more cable hangers configured to be arranged within the moulded plastic body and extending between the opposite walls thereof, wherein an end of each cable hanger is preferably adapted to engage with a respective reinforcing member inserted along the walls of the body.

5. A junction pit or vault according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rim member presents an inward recessed shoulder or step forming a seat around the perimeter of the access opening, wherein the at least one cover member seats against the recessed shoulder or step in the rim member such that an upper surface of the cover member lies substantially flush with an upper edge of the rim member. A junction pit or vault according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rim member is configured to seat against a flange at the top edge of the upstanding walls of the moulded plastic body, and/or wherein the rim member is configured to be attached to the top edge of the walls of the moulded plastic body by fasteners, e.g., screws. A junction pit or vault according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a height position or an angular orientation of the rim member with respect to the top edge of the side walls and/or with respect to the top edge of the end walls is adjustable to cater for variation in installation conditions. A junction pit or vault according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the rim member is formed from a different, and preferably more rigid, material to the moulded plastic body, wherein the material of the rim member is preferably selected from the group of: plastic resin, resin composite, galvanised steel, aluminium, concrete, or concrete composite. A junction pit or vault according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rim member is a unitary moulded plastic component, preferably injection moulded. A junction pit or vault according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the moulded plastic body is a unitary or integral plastic body, wherein the base of the body is substantially flat and generally rectangular, and wherein the upstanding walls of the body comprise a pair of opposite side walls and a pair of opposite end walls, which side walls and end walls desirably extend substantially vertically upwards from the base. A junction pit or vault according to claim 10, wherein the unitary moulded plastic body includes a predefined removable section formed in the upstanding walls thereof which, when removed, is configured to reduces a height or depth of the pit or vault by a predefined amount. A junction pit or vault according to claim 11 , wherein the removable section is predefined by marks formed in the upstanding walls of the body, at or along which marks the removable section is configured to be cut or severed from the moulded plastic body. An infrastructure pit for accommodating in-ground infrastructure assets, such as water lines, gas lines, electrical cables, telecommunication lines, and/or optical fibre conduits, the infrastructure pit comprising: a unitary moulded plastic body comprising a generally rectangular base and side walls and end walls upstanding from the base that together define a cavity for housing the infrastructure assets, a collar configured to be attached to a top edge of the side walls and end walls of the body to form a perimeter of an access opening into the infrastructure pit, the collar having an inwardly recessed shoulder or step forming a seat around the perimeter of the access opening, and at least one lid member configured to seat against the recessed shoulder or step within the collar for covering the access opening into the pit, wherein, when the at least one lid member is seated against the recessed shoulder or step in the collar, an upper surface of the lid member lies substantially flush with an upper edge of the collar. An infrastructure pit according to claim 13, wherein the recessed shoulder or step forming the seat around the perimeter of the access opening provides a form fit for the lid member(s) with a slight gap to avoid an interference fit or jamming. An infrastructure pit according to claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the collar is formed of a different, and preferably more rigid, material to the unitary moulded plastic body, wherein the material of the rim member is preferably selected from the group of: plastic resin, resin composite, galvanised steel, aluminium, concrete or concrete composite. An infrastructure pit according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the collar is a unitary moulded plastic component, preferably injection moulded. An infrastructure pit according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the collar is configured to seat against a flange at the top edge of the side walls and end walls of the unitary moulded plastic body, and/or wherein the collar is configured to be attached to the top edge of the side walls and the end walls of the unitary moulded plastic body by fasteners, e.g., by screws. An infrastructure pit according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein an angular orientation and/or a height position of the collar with respect to the top edge of the side walls and/or with respect to the end walls is adjustable to cater for variations in the installation conditions. An infrastructure pit according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the unitary moulded plastic body is configured to receive one or more reinforcing members to be removably inserted in and/or along the side walls thereof, wherein each said reinforcing member is preferably elongate and optionally comprises a straight rod or bar. An infrastructure pit according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the side walls of the body include a plurality of apertures for receiving or mounting one or more rib members therein, wherein the apertures are preferably configured for receiving or mounting the one or more rib members in and/or along the side walls such that the rib member(s) extend in a generally horizontal orientation. An infrastructure pit according to any one of claims 14 to 20, further comprising one or more strut members configured to be arranged within the moulded plastic body and extending between the side walls thereof, wherein ends of each strut member are preferably adapted to engage with respective rib members inserted along the side walls. An infrastructure pit according to any one of claims 13 to 21 , wherein the base of the unitary moulded plastic body is substantially flat and rectangular, and wherein the side walls and the end walls of the body extend substantially vertically upwards from the base. An infrastructure pit according to any one of claims 13 to 22, wherein the side walls of the body include substantially vertically extending indentations formed therein to enhance rigidity and dimensional stability of the body. An infrastructure pit according to claim 23, wherein the apertures for receiving and mounting the one or more reinforcing rib members therein are formed or provided in the vertically extending indentations. An infrastructure pit according to any one of claims 13 to 24, wherein the unitary moulded plastic body includes a predefined removable section formed in the side walls and end walls thereof which, when removed, reduces a height or a depth of the infrastructure pit by a predefined amount. An infrastructure pit according to claim 25, wherein the removable section is predefined by marks formed in the side walls and end walls of the body at which the removable section is configured to be cut or severed from the moulded plastic body. A junction pit for accommodating in-ground infrastructure assets, like water lines, gas lines, electrical cables, telecommunication lines, and/or optical fibre conduits, the junction pit comprising: a unitary moulded plastic body comprising a base and walls upstanding from the base that together define a cavity for housing the infrastructure assets, a rim member configured to be attached at a top edge of the upstanding walls of the moulded plastic body to define a perimeter of an access opening into the junction pit, and at least one cover configured to seat against the rim member for covering the access opening into the junction pit, wherein the unitary moulded plastic body includes a predefined removable section formed in the upstanding walls thereof which, when removed, reduces a height or a depth of the junction pit by a predefined amount. A junction pit according to claim 27, wherein the removable section is predefined by marks formed in the walls of the body at or along which marks the removable section is configured to be cut or severed from the moulded plastic body. A junction pit according to claim 27 or claim 28, wherein the unitary plastic body is rotationally moulded. A junction pit or vault according to claim 12, or an infrastructure pit according to claim 26, or a junction pit according to claim 28, wherein the marks comprise score lines. An infrastructure pit or vault for accommodating infrastructure assets, like water lines, gas lines, electrical cables, telecommunication lines, or optical fibre conduits, the infrastructure pit or vault comprising: a moulded plastic body comprising a base and side walls upstanding from the base that together define a cavity for housing the infrastructure assets, a rim member configured to be attached at a top edge of the side walls and end walls of the moulded plastic body to define a perimeter of an access opening into the infrastructure pit or vault, wherein an angular orientation and/or a height position of the rim member is adjustable with respect to the top edge of the side walls and/or with respect to the top edge of the end walls of the body to cater to a ground slope, and at least one cover adapted to seat against the rim member for covering the access opening into the infrastructure pit or vault.