[RE-wrenches] crumbling ballast blocks

[cwarfel]

I am pretty sure it is the freeze-thaw cycle that the blocks are exposed 
to. I have inspected hundreds of system in the Northeast and this is a 
recurringproblem. It has to be part of the maintenance protocols or 
there will be insufficient weight to resist thewind uplift forces.  Chris


On 6/30/2018 6:17 PM, Chris Schaefer wrote:
> Kirk,
>
> Had the same thing happen to me on a commercial ballasted system 
> installed back in 2004. Had to be moved around to allow installation 
> of a new roof system. Replaced all the ballast in 2017. I'm located in 
> Western NY, thus the same weather you see. The blocks were on a 
> stainless steel pan of which the array was attached to. I've plenty of 
> ideas as to why they broke down but no real evidence. I expect it to 
> happen again. Does make me wonder about the new ballast systems that 
> still call out for the blocks as ballast. Perhaps poly sand bags?
>
> Christopher
>
> On Wed, Jun 27, 2018 at 4:20 PM, Kirk Herander <vtsolar at icloud.com 
> <mailto:vtsolar at icloud.com>> wrote:
>
>     All,
>
>     I have a 6 year old ballasted roof system in which about 50% of
>     the solid cap blocks(16”L x 8”w x 4”D) are cracked and crumbing,
>     some are close to rubble. I assume it was a bad batch, but has
>     anyone seen this before? What might be the preventive remedy in
>     the future? A coating of some sort?
>
>     *Kirk Herander*
>
>     *Owner|Principal, VT Solar, LLC *
>
>     */Celebrating our 27^th Anniversary 1991-2018/*
>
>     *www.vermontsolarnow.com <http://www.vermontsolarnow.com>*
>
>     dba Vermont Solar Engineering
>
>     NABCEP^TM 2003 Inaugural Certificant
>
>     VT RE Incentive Program Partner
>
>     802.863.1202
>
>
>     _______________________________________________
>     List sponsored by Redwood Alliance
>
>     List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>     <mailto:RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
>
>     Change listserver email address & settings:
>     http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>     <http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org>
>
>     List-Archive:
>     http://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/maillist.html
>     <http://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/maillist.html>
>
>     List rules & etiquette:
>     www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
>     <http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm>
>
>     Check out or update participant bios:
>     www.members.re-wrenches.org <http://www.members.re-wrenches.org>
>
>
>
>
>
> -- 
>
> Chris Schaefer’s
> <http:www.solarandwindfx.com>
> /Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870
> //5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424
> //www.solarandwindfx.com <http://www.solarandwindfx.com> ~ E-mail: 
> chris at solarandwindfx.com <mailto:chris at solarandwindfx.com>/
>
> /
> /
>
> Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said, 
> "democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are 
> willing to work and give to those who would not."
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance
>
> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>
> Change listserver email address & settings:
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
> List-Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/maillist.html
>
> List rules & etiquette:
> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
>
> Check out or update participant bios:
> www.members.re-wrenches.org
>

-- 

          Christopher Warfel, PE
        ENTECH Engineering, Inc.
PO Box 871, Block Island, RI 02807
                (401)466-8978

EEI logo <http://entech-engineering.com>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches_lists.re-wrenches.org/attachments/20180630/bb4a3b62/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: EEIlogolong.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 17117 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches_lists.re-wrenches.org/attachments/20180630/bb4a3b62/attachment.jpg>