Rwanda Imposes Gully Tops and Manhole Tops Standards

Rwanda has introduced comprehensive technical specifications for gully tops and manhole tops across vehicular and pedestrian areas, establishing mandatory performance and design requirements for all materials including steel, cast iron, and composites

RWANDA – INFRASTRUCTURE STANDARDS

Rwanda Mandates New Standards for Gully and Manhole Tops

Importers and manufacturers must ensure products for roads and walkways meet strict technical specifications.

What changed

General design standards are mandatory for all products in vehicular and pedestrian zones.

Steel and alloy products must ensure structural integrity and resist environmental stress.

Cast iron tops must be durable enough to resist wear and corrosion.

Composite materials must meet benchmarks for impact resistance and stability.

Who it affects

Manufacturers must align production with the DRS 607 series specifications.

Importers must verify compliance for steel, iron, and composite materials.

Rwanda — gully and manhole top technical specifications

Compliance Requirements for Gully Tops and Manhole Tops in Rwanda

Rwanda has established a comprehensive regulatory framework for gully tops and manhole tops used in vehicular and pedestrian areas, governed by the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) under the DRS 607:2025 series. These standards specify mandatory performance, design, and material requirements for products with a clear opening up to and including 1,000 mm, applicable to areas subjected to pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic. The regulations cover multiple materials, including cast iron, steel, aluminium alloys, steel-reinforced concrete, composites, and polymers (e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, and PVC-U).

1. Scope and Applicability

The DRS 607:2025 series applies to gully tops and manhole tops installed in areas subjected to traffic loads classified under EN 124 standards, specifically:

A15 (pedestrian areas, 1.5 tonnes)
B125 (light vehicular areas, 12.5 tonnes)
C250 (roadside gullies, 25 tonnes)
D400 (carriageways, 40 tonnes)
E600 (heavy-duty industrial areas, 60 tonnes)
F900 (airport runways, 90 tonnes)^{1, 2, 3}.

Exclusions

The standards do not apply to:

Cover fillings installed on-site (e.g., concrete, paving blocks)^{1, 2, 3}.
Concave gratings for D400, E600, and F900 classes in carriageways or hard shoulders^{1, 2, 3}.
Gratings/covers as part of prefabricated drainage channels^{1, 2, 3}.
Floor and roof gullies in buildings^{1, 2, 3}.
Surface boxes^{1, 2, 3}.
Gully tops and manhole tops made of aluminium tread plates for D400, E600, and F900 classes².
Products fabricated via hot working processes².

2. Regulatory Structure

The DRS 607:2025 series is modular, with Part 1 serving as the foundational standard and Parts 2–6 addressing material-specific requirements. No part is applicable in isolation; compliance requires adherence to Part 1 in conjunction with the relevant material-specific part(s)^{1, 2, 3}.

Regulation	Key Requirements	Applicable Materials	Citation
DRS 607-1:2025 – Classification, general design, and performance	– Defines traffic load classes (A15–F900). – Specifies general design principles (e.g., clear opening ≤1,000 mm). – Mandates performance tests (e.g., load-bearing, slip resistance¹, durability). – Requires compliance with RS ISO 22965-2 for concrete materials.	All materials	¹
DRS 607-2:2025 – Cast iron	– Specifies chemical composition (aligns with RS ISO 185 for grey cast iron and ISO 1083 for spheroidal graphite cast iron). – Requires sampling and testing for mechanical properties (e.g., tensile strength, hardness). – Prohibits concave gratings for D400, E600, and F900.	Cast iron	³
DRS 607-3:2025 – Steel or aluminium alloys	– Mandates compliance with ISO 15510 (stainless steel), ISO 630-1 (structural steel), and ISO 3574 (cold-reduced steel). – Requires hot-dip galvanization per ISO 1461 for steel. – Excludes aluminium tread plates for D400, E600, and F900. – Specifies welding qualifications (ISO 9606-1/2, ISO 14732).	Steel, aluminium alloys	²
DRS 607-4:2025 – Steel-reinforced concrete	– Aligns with RS ISO 22965-2 for concrete constituent materials, production, and compliance. – Requires load-bearing tests for traffic classes.	Steel-reinforced concrete	¹
DRS 607-5:2025 – Composite materials	– Specifies performance requirements (e.g., load-bearing, chemical resistance). – Requires Shore hardness testing per RS ISO 868.	Composites	¹
DRS 607-6:2025 – Polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), PVC-U	– Defines material properties (e.g., chemical resistance, UV stability). – Mandates load-bearing and durability tests.	PP, PE, PVC-U	¹

3. Key Performance and Design Requirements

3.1 Load-Bearing Capacity

Products must withstand the minimum load requirements for their designated traffic class (e.g., 12.5 tonnes for B125, 90 tonnes for F900)^{1, 2, 3}.
Testing must comply with RS ISO 7500-1 for metallic materials and RS ISO 22965-2 for concrete^{1, 2}.

3.2 Slip Resistance

Pedestrian surfaces must meet slip resistance standards per RS 542¹.

3.3 Material-Specific Requirements

Material	Key Specifications	Citation
Cast iron	– Grey cast iron: RS ISO 185. – Spheroidal graphite cast iron: ISO 1083.	³
Steel/Aluminium	– Structural steel: ISO 630-1. – Stainless steel: ISO 15510. – Aluminium alloys: ISO 209, ISO 17615, ISO 3522. – Welding: ISO 9606-1/2, ISO 14732. – Galvanization: ISO 1461.	²
Steel-reinforced concrete	– Concrete compliance: RS ISO 22965-2.	¹
Composites	– Hardness testing: RS ISO 868.	¹

3.4 Design Restrictions

Concave gratings are prohibited for D400, E600, and F900 classes in carriageways or hard shoulders^{1, 2, 3}.
Aluminium tread plates are excluded from D400, E600, and F900 applications².

4. Compliance and Enforcement

4.1 Adoption and Entry into Force

The proposed adoption date is to be determined^{1, 2, 3}.
The proposed entry into force is 6 months after adoption^{1, 2, 3}.

4.2 Comment Period

Stakeholders may submit comments to the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) by:
- 5 September 2025 for DRS 607-2:2025 (cast iron) and DRS 607-3:2025 (steel/aluminium)^{2, 3}.
- 31 May 2026 for DRS 607-1:2025 (general requirements)¹.

4.3 Authority

Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) is the designated agency for:
- Standard development and enforcement.
- Handling stakeholder comments.
- Providing copies of the standards upon request^{1, 2, 3}.

5. Summary Answer

Rwanda’s DRS 607:2025 series establishes mandatory technical specifications for gully tops and manhole tops in vehicular and pedestrian areas, covering materials such as cast iron³, steel/aluminium alloys², steel-reinforced concrete¹, composites¹, and polymers (PP/PE/PVC-U)¹. Compliance requires adherence to Part 1 (general requirements) alongside the relevant material-specific part, with key obligations including load-bearing capacity (aligned with traffic classes A15–F900), slip resistance¹, and material-specific standards (e.g., ISO 1461 for galvanization², RS ISO 22965-2 for concrete¹). Exclusions apply to concave gratings for high-load classes^{1, 2, 3} and aluminium tread plates in D400–F900 areas². The standards are draft as of July 2025, with a 6-month grace period post-adoption^{1, 2, 3}. Stakeholders may submit comments to the RSB by 5 September 2025 or 31 May 2026, depending on the part^{1, 2, 3}.

Sources

↩ DRS 607-1:2025, Gully tops and manhole tops for vehicular and pedestrian areas — Specification — Part 1: Classification, general design and performance requirements. https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/TBTN26/RWA1375.pdf&Open=True
↩ DRS 607-3:2025, Gully tops and manhole tops for vehicular and pedestrian areas — Specification — Part 3: Gully tops and manhole tops made of steel or aluminium alloys. https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/TBTN25/RWA1233.pdf&Open=True
↩ Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade – Notification – Rwanda – Gully tops and manhole tops made of cast iron https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/TBTN25/RWA1232.pdf&Open=True