10/3/2011

Ground-Mount Solar Array

Foundations
Thomas E. Billups, PE
Principal GZA GeoEnvironmental
Principal, GeoEnvironmental, Inc
Inc.
Providence, RI

Foundation Support
Ground Mount Solar Systems

Types of Foundations Used:

• Precast Concrete Footings (Ballast Blocks)

• Cast-in Place Concrete Footings

• Drilled Piers

• Piles ((helical p
piles,, light
g wide flange
g sections))

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Solar Panel Loads

• Dead Weight

• Snow Load

• Seismic (Lateral Load)

• Wind (Lateral Load)

Dead and Live (Snow) Loads

Dead Load Supplied by Manufacturer –Typically Around 4

PSF. Typical Size of the PV Arrays Varies Depending
on Manufacturer.

• 4 Panels by 4 Panels – 300 SF – Around 1,200 Pounds.

• 3 Panels by 4 Panels – 225 SF – Around 900 Pounds.

Snow Load – Ground Snow Load According To Local

Building Code Provisions.

ACSE 7-05 7.4.2 Allows Reduction – Cold Roof Slope

Factor With an Unobstructed Slippery Slope.

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(Snow Load – Continued)

Typical Snow Load Factors:

• Importance Factor – 0.8

• Exposure Category - 1.0
• Cold “Roof” Thermal Factor – 1.2
• Unobstructed Slippery Slope Factor – 0.73 for Panels
inclined at 30 Degrees From Horizontal

Design Snow Load = 0.7 X Ground Snow Load for Panels

inclined at 30 Degrees.

Seismic and Wind Loads

• Wind Loads Are Larger Than Seismic Loads – Seismic Loads Are
typically a Percentage of the Dead Weight, Which is Small Compared
to loads generated from Wind Speeds of 90 to 120 mph.

Wind Load Determined Using ASCE 7–

7 6.5.13
6 5 13 – Design Wind Loads on
Open Buildings With Monoslope/Pitched Roofs

P = qh x G x CN

qh = Velocity Pressure (Next Slide)

G = Gust Factor = 0.85 (Rigid Structure)
CN = Net Pressure Coefficient (Open Roof Structure, ASCE 7 –
Figure 16A)

For 30 Degee inclination:

Produces Lift With Wind in One Primary Direction CN = 1.8
Produces Down Force in the Opposite Direction CN = 2.1

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Wind Perpendicular to Project Area

Wind Load (Continued)

qh = Velocity Pressure = 0.000256 x V2 x Kz x Kzt x Kd x I

V = the Basic Wind Speed – Building Code

Kz = Velocity Exposure Coefficient (0.85)

Kzt = Topographic Factor (1)

Kd = Wind Directionality Factor (0.87)

I = Importance Factor (0.87)

Wind Produces Horizontal and Uplift loading in One Direction,

And Horizontal and Downward Load in the Opposite Direction.

• Manufacturers May Have Wind Tunnel Test Results That

Result in Lower Coefficients for CN.

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Load Combinations

• Chapter 2 - ASCE 7-05 – Can Use Factored Loads or

Working Stress

• Applicable Working Stress Load Combinations:

– Dead + Live (Snow)

– Dead + Wind

– Dead + 0.75 Wind + 0.75 Live

– 0.6 Dead + Wind

Typical Combined Loads on 4 X 4 Array

• Total Downward Load – 10 to 14 kips

• Total Horizontal Load – 3 to 5 kips

• Total Uplift Load – 2 to 4 kips

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Frame Supported by 4 Drilled Piers

Solar Installation – Haverhill, MA

Unirac System On Drilled Piers
Pier Depths Determined Using Brohm’s Method

Advantages/Features – Drilled Piers

• Installed with Auger Mounted on a Backhoe;

• Good for Applications Above Groundwater;

• Can Preassemble Reinforcing Cages;

• Terracing or Grading of Site not Necessary;

• Simple Design Using Brohm’s Method;

• Uplift resistance Using Dead Weight of Concrete;

• Not suitable on Capped Landfill Sites.

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Cast In Place Concrete Footings

Cast-In-Place Concrete Footings (Ballast Blocks) –

Haverhill, MA

Features Advantages - Cast-In-Place

Footings/Ballast Blocks

• Simple to form and construct, but more labor intensive

on site that pre-cast concrete footings;

• Can Pre-Assemble Reinforcing Cages;

• Good for Flat Sites – Regrading/Terracing is Required;

• Simple Footing Design Procedures for Bearing,

Overturning and Sliding.

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Completed Installation

Precast Concrete Ballast Blocks

A-Frame Solar Racks – Everett, MA

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Leveling/Adjustment Hardware

Should be set mid height to allow for adjustment

Base Course Preparation?

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Features/Advantages Precast Footings

• Concrete Cast in a Controlled Environment;

• Construction Schedule May be Accelerated;

• Other Advantages and Features Same as for Cast-in-

Place Concrete Footings;

• Commonly used on Flat Portions of Landfill Sites.

Helical Piles

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Piles (Helical, W Sections) – Features and

Advantages
• Solar Arrays (4 X 4, 3 X 4) Are Supported on Pairs of Piles.

• L-Pile Software Useful for Determining Embedment Depths,

Bending Moment and Deflections for the Load Combinations.
Combined Axial/Bending Stresses Need to Be Checked.

• Manufacturer’s Indicate that Deflections of 2 to 3 Inches are Ok

under worst case wind loading.

• Fast Installation - Schedule 40 Pipe Sections With Auger Tips are

Screwed Into the Ground;

• Axial Uplift and Download Capacity Based on Calibrated Torque;

• T
Torque E
Equipment
i t iis M
Mounted
t d on an E
Excavator;
t

• Regrading of Site Is not Required.

• Not Suitable for Landfill Sites

Piles - Disadvantages

• Obstructions Can Limit Pile Embedments. Not Suitable for

Dense Soils With Cobbles and Boulders (Glacial Till).

• p of Pile Has Tight

Top g Tolerance So That Rack Attachment
Hardware Will Fit (2 inches). Cobbles and Boulders Will
Deflect Pile Tips and Tops.

• Helical Piles: The Larger Diameters of Helical Flights Can

Leave Gaps Around the Smaller Diameter Piles.

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L-Pile Method of Analysis

Deflection Bending

Questions?

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