Estimating Tangential Heave Stress on Solar Piles
Date
2025-02-19
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Canadian Geotechnical Journal
Abstract
Construction of solar panel piles in the Northern US is challenging due to soil freezing in winter. Freezing causes volumetric expansion and movement of soil along the pile applying a tangential heave stress (THS) that jacks up the pile. Relying on averaged values of the THS in building codes based on state/county conditions can lead to inaccurate THS estimates at specific project sites. In this study, the THS and
adfreeze shear strength (AFSS) of soil samples collected from Indiana were measured using a temperaturecontrolled direct shear device at different temperatures and normal stresses. AFSS refers to the strength of the initial bond between the frozen soil and a foundation, while the THS is the residual upward force that remains after this bond breaks. This distinction is vital as the use of the THS can result in more economical and realistic foundations. A decrease in temperature led to an increase in the AFSS due to the amount of unfrozen water available at the interface. The obtained THSs were lower than those
recommended by codes. In addition, it was found that the AFSS stems from the bonding of the ice to steel, while the THS results from friction. AFSS was not significantly influenced by the normal stress, while the THS increased with an increase in the normal stress.
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This is a manuscript of an article published as Emami Ahari, Hossein, Beena Ajmera, Rohit Pant, Chang Huang, and Yuqing Liu. "Estimating Tangential Heave Stress on Solar Piles in the Northern United States." Canadian Geotechnical Journal ja (2025). doi: https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2024-0118.
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© 2025 The Author(s) or their Institution(s).