Hammer
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I received a call from my good friend Steve last night about giving him a hand installing a few "Top Hats" today.
When the Top Hat system came out roughly 10 years ago Steve and I worked with one of the first systems that came to the U.S. We worked all over the country installing Top Hats for a few years before I decided to leave the trenchless Pipeline industry. Meanwhile, Steve stuck with the innovative technology and helped improve the system over the years until he decided to venture out on his own and start Robotic Sewer Solutions.
For years the only way to fix broken sewer lines was to dig up the ground and replace them. Well someone got smart and developed a trench less pipeline system. Basically
it is a cure in place liner that is installed inside the existing pipe and inflated with air which causes it to form to the existing pipe and is cured with hot steam. There's a catalyst in the liner that "kicks off" when exposed to heat.
After the curing process is complete a company will use a robotic cutting system to cut out each house or business line connection.
This is where the Top Hat comes into play. Often times there's a annular space between the new liner and the host pipe which allows for roots and ground water infiltration at the later connection.
What the Top hat does seals this point of connection with a brim inside the city main and extends lateral roughly 1' up the lateral connection, sealing up any voids and cracks.
The materials are 100% fiberglass with a UV cure vinyl ester resin that hardens in 7 minutes. I took some pictures of the installation process....
When the Top Hat system came out roughly 10 years ago Steve and I worked with one of the first systems that came to the U.S. We worked all over the country installing Top Hats for a few years before I decided to leave the trenchless Pipeline industry. Meanwhile, Steve stuck with the innovative technology and helped improve the system over the years until he decided to venture out on his own and start Robotic Sewer Solutions.
For years the only way to fix broken sewer lines was to dig up the ground and replace them. Well someone got smart and developed a trench less pipeline system. Basically
it is a cure in place liner that is installed inside the existing pipe and inflated with air which causes it to form to the existing pipe and is cured with hot steam. There's a catalyst in the liner that "kicks off" when exposed to heat.
After the curing process is complete a company will use a robotic cutting system to cut out each house or business line connection.
This is where the Top Hat comes into play. Often times there's a annular space between the new liner and the host pipe which allows for roots and ground water infiltration at the later connection.
What the Top hat does seals this point of connection with a brim inside the city main and extends lateral roughly 1' up the lateral connection, sealing up any voids and cracks.
The materials are 100% fiberglass with a UV cure vinyl ester resin that hardens in 7 minutes. I took some pictures of the installation process....
