Development of the Apparatus for In Situ Testing of Solar Panel Racking Anchors

Abstract

In certain cases, solar panels are placed on suitable structures that are supported on the ground, and this includes the appropriate dimensioning of anchor supports, i.e. suppor elements, within the framework of the concrete construction project. Bearing in mind the great variations in soil qualiy and different ambient conditions that depend on the location, different ways of dimensioning have been developed, from experiential, through those defined based on soil conditions and theoretical models, and to numerical ones characterized by the appropriate degree of accuracy. The paper presents the principle of in situ testing of the load capacity of trial anchors using specially developed apparatus, in order to check the designed conditions and possible correction of this part of the construction project.