Why do PV plants need double horizontal load tests?

When PV plants are designed with fixed type panels, the lateral load is less limiting and the number of this type of tests could be reduced. When conducting double horizontal load tests, the reaction equipment will need to be duplicated. This reduces the shear stress and maintains the bending moment at the base.

How is a cable pull-out test performed on a junction box?

Cable pull-out tests on the junction box can be performed using a 2-column testing machine from Zwick’s Allround series. The junction box is retained in special specimen holders, while the connecting cable is held in screw grips and pulled out of the box using forces up to 5 kN.

Do geotechnical reports have a pull test?

Geotechnical reports often tend to be very conservative in their embedment depth recommendation, and a pull test should be conducted after selection of foundation type in order to attempt to minimize embedment depth, and thus length and cost of screwed or driven foundations.

What is a pull test?

A pull test uses a strain gauge to measure vertical and lateral resistance up to the forces required by the PV support structure engineer’s calculations for wind and snow load requirements.

How high should a pile be for a photovoltaic plant?

In any case, for the types of piles that are being used in the foundations of photovoltaic plants, it is recommended that the height of load application will be in order of 1,0 m and in no case exceeding 1,5 m.

How good are load tests on driven piles?

The execution of load tests on driven piles and in particular in terms of the number of loading steps, their duration and times of measurement, must be good enough for obtaining conclusions about absolute displacements and residual or non-recoverable displacements.