Testimonials
Click the boxes below to view testimonials from some of the communities where Top Hat Risers have been installed.
Previous Installations
Top Hat Risers have helped communities fix the nagging and dangerous problem of low manholes from coast to coast. Check out some information on previous Top Hat Risers installations below.
LOCATION: ELMIRA, NY
2013
- Chemung Sewer District
- Units were custom fit for each of their locations.
LOCATION: HILLSBORO, OREGON
2013
- 30 units, (4) tapered @ a 1/4” per foot.
LOCATION: BATAVIA, NY
2013
- (20) 3/4” thick by 24” custom fit Top Hats
LOCATION: BOISE, IDAHO
2013
- A Sample for Boise was installed on a lid that did not match the frame. A loose fit caused the assembly to be displaced when hit by traffic. The MH lid must be made for its frame.
LOCATION: CITY OF MEDFORD OREGON ORDERED
2012
- 50 units
LOCATION: ELMIRA, NY
2012
- Chemung Sewer District
LOCATION: BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
2012
- Gerald Realty (a privately owned business), ordered 10 units that will be used seasonally to account for frost heaving. Frost heaving occurs during the winter months when the ground freezes and can actually raise the grade of the asphalt. This issue has been effectively solved using Top Hat Risers during the winter.
TOWN OF FLEMING
2011
- Tapered Unit
LOCATION: VILLAGE OF DUNDEE
2011
- 4 Units
LOCATION: ECONOMY PAVING
2011
- 1 30” Unit
LOCATION: CITY OF MEDFORD OREGON
2011
- 70 Units
LOCATION: MONTOUR FALLS, NY
2010, 2011
- 18 Units (6 units in 2010, 12 units in 2011)
LOCATION: CORTLAND NYSDOT REGION 3
August, 2008
- Supervisor: Stan Birchenoff NYSDOT R.E.
- Four (4), Custom 32″ Top Hats were ordered 3/4″ thick and used to raise existing low manholes.
LOCATION: CITY OF ITHACA
August, 2008
- Superintendent: Rick Ferrel
- Thirty (30) Top Hats ordered and being installed by city employees.
LOCATION: DPW CORNING, NY
January 16, 2007
- Supervisor: Brian McCarthy
- Over fifty (50) Top Hats ordered and are currently being placed by village employees in house and exchanged on location, minimizing street wise liabilities of low manholes.
LOCATION: VILLAGE OF SENECA FALLS, ROUTE 20
August 19, 2003
- Supervisor: Tom DOT R.E.
- 15 Top Hats of various sizes and thicknesses were installed in front of a JanaRock paving crew. A few of the Top Hats were tapered to accommodate uneven manholes (units were tapered at 1/2 and 1/4 inch). The application allowed us to learn that the Pick Holes must be drilled for easy access. When the lid is recessed to the frame, Top Hats must be cut to fit the diameter of the manhole lid or else curling may occur causing the Top Hat to be removed by the plows. If the lid is flush to the frame then the Top Hat is intended to cover the manhole frame. Curling issues are now a thing of the past as we have learned from this experience.
LOCATION: CITY OF ITHACA, ROUTE 79 SENECA AND GREEN ST.
May 22, 2003
- Supervisor: Rick Ferrell, Ray Benjamin
- Twenty-eight (28), 1 1/2″ X 27″ Top Hats were mechanically fastened by IRC installation crew. Each unit was placed in front of a NYSDOT, county and city joint paving crew. We found that the units could be placed within 15 minutes, paved over immediately and successfully scraped off and then rolled.
- Black Top should be left a higher then the Top Hat before compaction.
LOCATION: CITY OF AUBURN, GENESEE AND SOUTH ST. INTERSECTION
September 24, 2002
- Supervisor: Albert Cockrell, Bill Lupien City Engineer
- (2) 1″ thick X 25″ bolted down within one hour.
- One of the installed units turned out to be too thick and was removed by plows, another unit (located on South Street) eventually came loose due to lack of double nutting. These fastening and sizing issues will be prevented in future installations by making sure that the Top Hat Risers is fitted more accurately to the manhole structure (measurements must include tapering, as well as diameters from outside the manhole lid, and the manhole frame.)
LOCATION: CITY OF OSWEGO ON WEST UTICA ST. IN FRONT OF SCHOOL ENTRANCE.
August 23, 2002
- Supervisor: Dave Burnett
- Two (2) Top Hat manhole risers were installed 20 minutes before the city paving crew on an 1 1/2″ overlay towards the center of the crown in the road. A 25″ wide X 1″ thick Top Hat was bolted with the Abart bolt process.
- 27″ wide X 1″ thick installed with our quick tape install (see Top Hat installation instructions) Both were paved up to and over. Black Top was then wiped off with standard rake or loop, pick hole was then drilled with a 1 1/2″ forstner bit to accommodate actual pick holes on cast iron lid. This gives easy identification of the pick hole for the future. The glue proved faulty. Mechanical fastening, SURE FIRE!
LOCATION: CITY OF SYRACUSE CORNER OF GREENWOOD AND AVONDALE OFF OF WESTCOTT ST. IN SYRACUSE.
August 14, 2002
- Supervisors: Jeff Lopes and Jim Kelly.
- Installed in front of Syracuse paver and crew.
LOCATION: DRYDEN, NY RTE 13 SOUTH ACROSS FROM JAMES ST.
August 19, 2002
- Supervisors: Stan Birchenoff NYSDOT R.E., Wayne
- Top Hat: 2″ thick X 25″ wide Method: Three Bolts
- Used to fill in a low manhole
LOCATION: CITY OF SYRACUSE, GEDDES ST NEAR OTISCO INTERSECTION
July 18, 2002
- Supervisors: Jeff Lopes
- Top Hat: 1″ thick X 25″ wide. Method: Quick Tape Install
- Again the glue proved faulty and the low manhole was filled in with blacktop.
LOCATION: CITY OF CORTLAND NY
July 11, 2001
- Supervisor: Robert Spada
- Two (2) Top Hats 25″ wide X 1″ thick installed with bolts.
- Used to fill in low manholes. Serving their purpose.
LOCATION: BALDWINSVILLE IN FRONT OF LOCKE 24
August 20, 2001
- Supervisor: Claude Sykes
- Used to adjust the manhole in front of the paving crew.
- Black top joint and Top Hat are holding up well.
- Pick Hole was not drilled for easy access.
LOCATION: SKANEATELES, NY EAST ST. 1/10TH MILE FROM ONONDAGA ST.
February 10, 2001
- Supervisors: Steve Shumlansky, David Abbott
- Installed as a test product in place of cold patch.
- Product was removed during road reconstruction. This unit was cut by hand with a sawzall, thus explaining the rough edge.
- In addition to the above IRC installed Top Hats, The City of Cortland and The City of Watkins Glen have stocked various sizes of Top Hats. Both cities have been using these units to fill in low manholes. Reports back are proving to be effective and satisfactory to solve their problems.