Geotechnical Investigation and Engineering: ~30-Acre Solar Farm Array in Central Illinois
Pioneer was contracted to perform specialized geotechnical engineering services for a proposed Solar Farm Array located in Central Illinois. To Pioneer’s understanding, discrepancies were noted in a geotechnical report performed by another firm. The Client elected to contact Pioneer to perform Pile Load Testing at the site to verify ground conditions.
Pile load testing consisted of performing Axial Tensile Load and Lateral Load tests on installed test piles throughout the site. Pioneer installed fifteen test piles using a Vermeer PD10 Pile Driver track rig at specified locations in conjunction with the previous geotechnical investigation by others. The installed test piles were non-galvanized W6x9 and W6x20, measuring 18 feet long. The piles were allowed to set for a minimum of 72 hours prior to testing. Using an excavator as the reaction frame, Axial Tensile and Lateral Load tests were performed to the total factored design loads of 5,600 and 7,100 pounds or until displacement exceeded 1 inch.
Pioneer curated a comprehensive report including details of the installation and test procedures, all relevant test data, associated graphs, and a project photographic log. The pile testing data was able to provide the Client with the information necessary for the racking engineering team to properly design the piles for the proposed solar array.
