[RE-wrenches] "Ballasted" Ground Mount?

[Jeff Oldham]

There are numerous options here:  most ground mount manu's offer ballasted systems, I would look to them 1st. Other systems I've seen or used - 1) Pour a continuous surface "footer" that is large enough in size to provide the proper ballast for the uplift in your area, pour one along the S. edge/legs and another along the back/north legs. 2) Tie all legs together via a horiz. rail at least 6' wide and embed this in a rock filled gabion, again of the required weight. 3) Limestone is easy to drill, useing a hammer drill and extension bit drill 11/16" - 3/4" holes at least 18" into the stone at an angle, vary all angles as viewed in plan as they relate to the N/S line of the array (not as they relate to level), to mitgate pull-out from them all being in a line. i.e. - 1st leg hole is 90 degrees to the N/S line, 2nd leg is 180 from this, 3rd is 45 and so on, in other words if looking in plan and you could see all holes they would radiate around the "face of a clock" with each leg hole on a different "hour". Finally, epoxy in 5/8" all thread, you can pre-bend the end to come out of the hole verticle or use a swivel connector from Uni-strut, B-line or equal.
All of these suggestions should be run by a Structural Engineer before embarking, thus the 1st choice of working with a manu.
 
Good luck!
-jeff o

>From the Solar, Wind and Hydro powered office of Jeff Oldham/Regenerative SOLutions
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