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Ground mount racking is structural engineering, not hardware. The posts, the rails and the clamps are the visible part; the calculation behind them is what decides whether the array is still square and still standing after the first serious storm or the first heavy snow season.
This page covers the ground system as supplied: how the ground conditions decide the foundation, what the calculation is based on, and what the site has to provide before the steel arrives.
How the ground decides the foundation
The foundation is chosen from what is under the site, and from whether the land has to be handed back in its original condition.
- Driven pile is the volume choice on open ground. It is fast, it needs no spoil removal, and it develops capacity immediately. It does not suit ground with cobbles or shallow rock.
- Ground screw can suit removable installations where the soil, access and required capacity support the design. Confirm the site investigation and installation tests before selecting it.
- Concrete strip or pad suits weak soils and places where a driven pile will not develop capacity. It costs more and it takes longer, and it needs spoil handling.
- Ballast block suits land that cannot be penetrated, such as capped landfill. It needs more material and a larger footprint.
Get a geotechnical indication before the foundation is fixed. Choosing it from a map is the most common cause of a pile that will not reach depth, and of a redesign that happens with the steel already on site.
Specifications
Configuration reference
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| Parameter | Typical value | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation type | Driven pile, ground screw, concrete strip, or ballast block | Soil conditions and whether the land must be restored |
| Material | Hot-dip galvanised steel, anodised aluminium, or stainless fixings | Load, corrosion class and site life |
| Coating | Hot-dip galvanised, average 80 micrometres or specified | Design life and soil corrosivity |
| Tilt | Fixed 10 to 35 degrees, or single-axis tracker | Latitude, layout and the production model |
| Ground clearance | Set by vegetation, snow and flood requirements | Site conditions and local code |
| Wind load | Calculated to ASCE 7 or EN 1991-1-4, including edge zone factors | Terrain, height and array layout |
| Snow load | Calculated from ground snow load and array factors | Local code and row spacing |
| Module layout | Two or three modules in portrait, or landscape rows | Module dimensions and the tracker or fixed design |
| Row spacing | Set from shading analysis, terrain, access and land constraints | Latitude, tilt, row height and project economics |
| Corrosion | Soil resistivity and atmospheric class assessed | Ground conditions and distance from the coast |
| Documentation | Confirm structural, foundation, torque and material document scope | Site investigation, selected system and local engineering requirements |
| Warranty | Confirm structural, coating and component warranty terms for the selected system | Selected model and written order terms |
Figures are selection references. Confirm the final ratings, dimensions, available certifications and warranty against the current datasheet and written proposal for the selected model or system.
What arrives in a typical order
- Piles or ground screws, rails, clamps and the fixings for the layout specified.
- Foundation drawing with the pile depths, spacing and the embedment criteria.
- Structural calculation for the wind and snow region, including edge zone factors.
- Torque specifications and maintenance notes.
- Packing list and delivery documentation.
Where the project needs it, the modules, the inverters and the cabling are quoted on the same order so the rail spans, clamp positions and string layout are settled once.
Where ground mount racking usually goes
- Utility and community solar blocks where land is available and the layout can be optimised.
- Commercial sites with unused land next to a facility that has already filled its roof.
- Carports and canopy structures where the same structure carries the array and the parking.
- Sites that will be decommissioned, where a removable foundation is part of the lease condition.
Sizing notes before you order
- Set row spacing using a production and shading model, access requirements and land constraints. Compare the energy impact with the cost of land and structure; a fixed winter time window is not appropriate for every site.
- Confirm the corrosion class from the soil resistivity as well as from the atmosphere. Buried steel behaves differently from steel in air.
- Check the edge and corner zones of the array. Wind uplift at the perimeter is higher than in the field, and the pile depth follows from it.
- Decide the ground clearance from vegetation, snow depth and flood requirements before the post length is fixed.
Packaging, minimum order and delivery
- Minimum order: one project kit, sized from the layout.
- Packaging: bundled steel and palletised components, packed so it can be issued by row or by block.
- Delivery: U.S. domestic freight to your site or yard, from U.S. warehouse inventory with dispatch timing confirmed for the selected model and delivery address for stocked configurations.
Documentation to confirm for your order
- Structural calculation for the wind speed, snow load, terrain and array layout.
- Foundation drawing with pile depths, spacing and the embedment criteria.
- Torque specifications and maintenance notes.
- Material certificates and the coating specification for the galvanising.
- Packing list and delivery documentation.
Questions buyers ask
Driven pile or ground screw?
Driven piles and ground screws suit different ground and access conditions. Shallow rock, cobbles or weak layers may require a different foundation or a specific installation method; use the geotechnical assessment and site tests to decide.
How deep do the piles go?
From the uplift and the soil capacity at the site, with an embedment criterion stated on the foundation drawing. Depth is an output of the calculation, not a standard number, and it changes between the field and the edge zones.
Galvanised steel or aluminium?
Galvanised steel is the usual choice for ground-mount: it carries the loads and it costs less per kilowatt. Aluminium is lighter and easier to handle, and suits smaller arrays or sites with difficult access.
Can the array be removed later?
Yes, with a ground screw or a ballasted foundation. If the lease requires the land to be restored, say so at enquiry stage, because it changes the foundation choice rather than just the removal method.
What does the site need to provide?
Access for the piling rig, a surveyed layout, and drainage that keeps water away from the array. Confirming those three before the steel arrives is what prevents a delivery that cannot be installed.
What to send us
Send the site location, the land area and slope, the soil indication if you have one, the module model and the array size. We return the foundation type, the layout and the structural calculation for that site.
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Send the soil conditions and the layout
With the soil conditions, wind speed and snow load, row layout and module dimensions, we confirm the foundation approach and issue the structural calculation for that site.
Send your requirementsOr reach us directly: +86 136 7367 3267 · sales@gtpsolar.com