Tophat Industries Ltd

TopHat was founded to deliver beautiful homes, sustainably.

TopHat is at the forefront of a house-building revolution, applying robotics and lean manufacturing techniques to increase housing supply, improve quality, reduce costs and protect the environment.

TopHat homes are ultra-low carbon to build and to run, significantly reducing living costs at this time of very high energy prices and into the future.

TopHat Industries Ltd Volumetric Modular Building System

The timber framed modules are factory assembled, transported and stacked together on site upon a prepared sub-structure. The modules are structurally interconnected to provide composite action using screw bolts and proprietary devices to meet the requirements of the UK structural codes.

Modules are delivered to site with windows, doors, internal fixtures, finishes and decorations, external cladding and roofs installed.

Internal stairs are predominantly factory installed, connected and finished on site. Site works include finishing the external and internal joints between modules to provide a seamless finish and connecting pre-installed services.

Durability Assessment: Minimum of 75 years

Limits of Scope

• Maximum 3 storeys + roof for residential use;
• Bottom members in contact with foundations/sub-structure must be fully isolated from contact with moisture from the ground or external sources;
• Minimum 25mm ventilated cavity behind non-insulated external wall claddings
• Risk of interstitial condensation within external elements subject to site- specific assessment;
• A detailed maintenance plan for the real brick and printed brick slip cladding system must be prepared and provided to the building manager/owner on completion. As a minimum, this should include an inspection for evidence of defects twelve months after the application, and subsequently every five years;
• Adequate sub-floor ventilation must be maintained to the void below the ground floor (minimum 1500mm2/m of external wall, or 500mm2/m2 of floor area).;Consideration should be given to sealing the ground below the lower module to prevent moisture entering the void, e.g., membrane with 50mm gravel or site concrete;
• TopHat Industries Ltd. must be contracted for the design, manufacture, and supply of the structure
• A chartered structural engineer suitably experienced in the design of this type of structure must be sub- contracted for the structural analysis and design

TopHat Industries Ltd. Volumetric Structural Timber Modular Apartment Building System

The timber framed modules are factory assembled, transported and stacked together on site upon a prepared sub-structure (by others). The modules are structurally interconnected utilising steel nail bands, steel restraint straps and steel angles at floor and ceiling ring beams, to provide composite action in accordance with the engineer’s fixing specification, to meet the requirements of the UK structural codes.

Limits on scope

• Maximum 4 storeys + roof for residential use;
• Bottom members in contact with foundations/sub-structure must be fully isolated from contact with moisture from the ground or external sources;
• Minimum 25mm ventilated cavity behind non-insulated external wall claddings
• Risk of interstitial condensation within external elements subject to site-specific assessment;
• A detailed maintenance plan for the printed brick slip cladding system must be prepared and provided to the building manager/owner on completion. As a minimum, this should include an inspection for evidence of defects twelve months after the application, and subsequently every five years;
• Adequate sub-floor ventilation must be maintained to the void below the ground floor (minimum 1500mm2/m of external wall, or 500mm2/m2 of floor area).;
• The ground below the lower module must be sealed to prevent moisture entering the void, e.g., membrane with 50mm gravel or site concrete. Where the void ground level is below external ground level, effective drainage of the void may be necessary. Risk of standing water not permitted;
• TopHat Industries Ltd. must be contracted for the design, manufacture, and supply of the structure;
• A chartered structural engineer suitably experienced in the design of this type of structure must be engaged for the structural analysis and design.