Helical Piers for Solar Canopies
Helical Piers for Solar Canopies
(OP)
We're doing solar arrays on parking lot canopies, similar to gas station canopy. Proposed foundations are 14ft deep x 36"diameter reinforced concrete piers, exposed 3feet above grade. Helical piles aka "screws" would save a lot of time.
I'm confident that screws can be designed for the vertical load and wind uplift, but concerned that the top of the screw and/or bottom of the canopy column would need protection from car bumpers, but More important would be the bending moment at ground surface with lateral wind load.
Has anyone been doing this for solar or gas station canopies?
I'm confident that screws can be designed for the vertical load and wind uplift, but concerned that the top of the screw and/or bottom of the canopy column would need protection from car bumpers, but More important would be the bending moment at ground surface with lateral wind load.
Has anyone been doing this for solar or gas station canopies?






RE: Helical Piers for Solar Canopies
As for the car impact, you could probably cast some concrete around the tops of the screw piles and the bottoms of the columns.
You could use a group of screw piles with a cap on top but that would surely be more costly than the single concrete pier unless schedule is the driving factor.
I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.
RE: Helical Piers for Solar Canopies
RE: Helical Piers for Solar Canopies
A helical mfr such as Torcsill (http://www.torcsill.com/) can help with the group deflection calcs when provided the soils report if you decide to do this, but I probably would use concrete piers in this case.