STANDARD GROUND MOUNT Assembly Instructions

STANDARD GROUND MOUNT Assembly Instructions

stepbystep assembly and installation

C O N T E N T S

A P A L T E R N A T I V E S © 2 0 1 8 I N S T A L L A T I O N M A N U A L 2

CHECKLISTS ........................................................ 3

PARTS .................................................................. 4

DSERIES PARTS .................................................. 5

HARDWARE ....................................................... 5

HELIX INSERTS ..................................................... 6

POST INSTALLATION .......................................... 7

POST INSTALLATION .......................................... 8

POST TO ANCHOR...........................................9

MOUNTING ........................................................ 10

ADJUSTING STRUT ANGLE & TILT ...................... 11

STRUT JOINING .................................................. 12

MODULE INSTALLATION .................................. 13

ADDTIONAL MODULES ..................................... 14

CABLE BRACING ............................................... 15

INFORMATION & CONTACT ............................ 16

C H E C K L I S T S

I N S T A L L A T I O N M A N U A L 3

A P A L T E R N A T I V E S © 2 0 1 8

E Q U I P M E N T R E Q U I R E D

□ Anchor Driver Cart or Single Mast Unit

T O O L S R E Q U I R E D

□ Tape Measure

□ Level

□ Torque Wrench

□ Cordless Drill / Impact

□ Rubber Mallet

□ Socket Wrench

□ Socket Driver (1/2” and 9/16")

□ Box End Wrench (1/2” and 9/16")

□ Anchor Adjustment Tool or Pipe Wrench

□ String / line

□ Angle Meter

□ Other standard construction tools as required

S A F E T Y E Q U I P M E N T ( P P E )

□ Safety Glasses

□ Hard Hat

□ Gloves

□ Steel toe Boots

□ Reflective Safety Vest

□ Kevlar Sleeves or equivalent for installing solar panels

(Optional)

T O R Q U E V A L U E S

□ 1/420 Hardware = 6.3 Ft. Lbs.

□ 3/816 Hardware = 19.6 Ft. Lbs.

□ M8 = 15.6 Ft. Lb

BE SAFE!

P A R T S


N CABLE CLAMPS 1.9" ID (GALV) A352-002-AA

O CABLE 5/32" (S/S) (VARIOUS LENGTHS) A353-146

P STRUT SPLICE A392055

Q PANEL MID CLAMP A392-030

R PANEL END CLAMP CH-FT-AE

S BONDING JUMPER A392023

T GROUNDING LUG A392-024

U GRIPPLE (OPTIONAL) CGPL

V HARD BRACE A359-08000

O

Cable

Panel End Clamp

R U

Gripple

P N

Panel Mid Clamp

U T

S Q

V

HARD BRACE

Splice Cable clamp

Ground Lug


D - S E R I E S P A R T S

L

For Pre - Engineered and Distributed Systems:

Three sizes of posts are used; 1. lower anchor which is

the foundation for the North and South, 2. A rear

(Northern) upper post, that is adjustable from 20,25 and

30 degree tilts, 3. A front (Southern) upper post. Also

included are North/South Cee channels and East/West

strut 11' long.

L LOWER ANCHOR A376-030

L FRONT UPPER POSTS A376-032

L REAR UPPER POSTS A376-031

M 136" N/S CEE CHANNEL A725-003

M 11' 1 5/8 HIGH STRENGTH OVAL STRUT G582LSCTL-11

3/816 x 2.75" FLANGE BOLT

3/816X1” FLANGE BOLT (S/S)

3/816 SCRRATED FLANGE NUT (S/S)

3/16 CHANNEL NUT

5/16-18X1" BRACE BOLT

L M

REAR

UPPER

EAST/WEST

STRUTS 11'

FRONT

UPPER

LOWER

ANCHOR

NORTH/SOUTH

CEE CHANNEL

H A R D W A R E

H E L I X I N S E R T S


Helical Ground Anchor Inserts

Helical ground anchors are an effective method of

securing foundations to the earth, and can enable

installation speeds that are much faster than many other

methods. With just a skid steer and auger attachment,

foundation posts can be installed quickly and easily.

Helix inserts come in several different sizes, to

accommodate whatever needs your project has (fig. B).

Increased helix sizes enable greater strength, and more

resistance to pullout due to environmental factors.

A. Attaching Helix Inserts

Insert the helix insert into the tube, align holes,

and fasten with a nut and bolt.

1. LOWER ANCHOR POST

2. 3/8"-16 x 2 3/4" SERRATED FLANGE BOLT

3. 3/8"-16 SERRATED FLANGE NUT

4. ANCHOR SPACER

5. WELDED HELIX ASSEBLY

Helix Inserts are available in many

standard and custom sizes

C

A 1

2 3

4

5

B

1 . S I T E L A Y O U T


A. M A R K L O C A T I O N S

Mark anchor post locations using

the provided post and row

spacing diagram. See Note:

A. F L A T S I T E S

Drive posts with anchor cart or

single-point, starting at the east

end. Use location lasers or GPS to

keep in a straight line. Use height

lasers to ensure correct depth, or

story sticks if not equipped. If using

a story stick, ensure measurements

are taken from the relative ground

height, and not a localized

nonconformance, ie. mole hills,

divots, rocks

B. U N E V E N G R O U N D

For sites with ungraded or rolling

topology, the string method

cannot be used. It is important to

ensure the posts are set to the

correct depths and the finished

system should appear to conform

to the landscape (fig. B). These

posts will need to be measured

individually from the ground to the

top to ensure they are at the

correct height.

In cases in which post locations

cannot be marked on the ground

(uneven terrain), it is advised to

have the surveyor mark the

location of every post, rather than

just at the beginning and end of

each row.

Note: For medium to large projects, anchor locations should

be staked by a professional surveyor, who can stake out

end of row post locations to the highest precision.

CONFORM TO THE TERRAIN Note On Squareness: Ensuring the squareness of the array from early in the

project is essential in preventing problems later into a build.

1. Make certain the easternmost anchor set is exactly spaced and perpendicular

to the row.

B

2 . P O S T I N S T A L L A T I O N


C. OBSTRUCTIONS

If an impassable object is

encountered at the desired post

location, it is best to relocate it 6

8" east or west of the original

location (fig. C). You must also

move it's mating post.

Example: If you move a north

(tall) post, you must also move

the south (short) post (and vise

versa) in the same direction and

distance to ensure they properly

mate.

D. HEIGHT ADJUSTMENTS

When posts are driven at the

incorrect height, an adjustment

may need to be made. Tie a

string from one known good

height post to another, skipping

several. Use this line to determine

the correct height for the

enclosed posts. If the post is too

tall, the top may be cut off and a

new 13/32" drilled 1" from the top.

Alternatively, the post may be

turned clockwise to lower it or

counterclockwise to raise it. This is

accomplished using a pipe

wrench or post adjustment rod or

lever (fig. D).

Note: While it is very difficult to

make every post perfectly plumb

and at the correct height, care

should be taken to keep them

within the tolerances specified in

the plans, to ensure the system fits

and functions as intended (fig. E).

TURN ADJUSTMENT ROD TO ADJUST HEIGHT.

Example tolerances.

See plans for approved

tolerances

P O S T I N S T A L L A T I O N ( c o n ' t )

CLOCKWISE = LOWER THE POST

COUNTERCLOCKWISE = RAISE THE ROST LOWER

D

RAISE

C

E


2 . POST TO ANCHOR

Upper Posts To Foundation Posts

After installing foundation posts, bolts the short upper posts

on the South side and the long upper posts on the North

side. For the rear (North) upper post, be sure to use the hole

that corresponds with the desired tilt angle.

G. Upper To Lower

1. UPPER POST

2. 3/8" - 16 FLANGE NUT

3. 3/8" -16 2 3/4 SERRATED FLANGE BOLT

4. LOWER ANCHOR

20∘

G

1

2

3

4

25∘ 30∘

3 . MOUNTING


A. Cee To Post

Attach the cee channels to the West side of the anchor

post using the listed hardware. (fig. A). Refer to prints for

exact location

1. N/S CEE CHANNEL

2. ANCHOR POST


4. 3/8"-16 x 2 3/4" SERRATED FLANGE BOLT

A. S trut To Cee

Based on modules clamping zone, place strut over specified hole in cee channel.

Insert bolt through the strut and cee channel holes.

Secure with channel nut (fig. B).

1. E/W STRUT

2. N/S CEE CHANNEL

3. 3/8"-16 CHANNEL NUT

4. 3/8 - 16 x 1" SERRATED FLANGE BOLT

1

2

3 4

Note: It is recommended to loosely

assemble hardware until final adjustments

have been made. Then go back through

and tighten all hardware.

1

2

3

4

NOTE: Cee channel will always bolt to the west

side of post to ensure correct orientation

4. A D J U S T I N G S T R U T S A N D T I L T


A. T I L T A D J U S T M E N T

When installing the cee channel,

use the hole pattern that

corresponds to the desired tilt. After

installing one cee channel

correctly, install another several

posts further away. Ensure the tilt

angle, height, and plumb is correct

on both. String a line at the top and

bottom between the two, and use

these as a guide for proper

placement of the remaining cee

channel.

A. . F I N E H E I G H T A D J U S T M E N T

Sighting down a row, looking from

the east or west, look for

inconsistencies' in the heights of

the racking. Adjust the height by

removing the cee channel

hardware, adjusting the height,

and reattaching the hardware (fig.

B). To lower the cee channel, use a

hole closer to the bottom. To raise,

use a hole further from the bottom.

If more severe adjustments are

needed, refer to "Height

Adjustment" on page 7.

NOTE: HOLES IN CEE CHANNEL ARE NOMINAL

CONNECTION POINTS USE ADJACENT HOLES

TO ADJUST CEE FORWARDS AND

BACKWARDS USE CORRECT HOLE FOR THE

NEEDED TILT ANGLE

5. S T R U T J O I N I N G


A. S T R U T T O S T U T C O N N E C T I O N S

Join adjacent East/West struts together using a StrutToStrut splice and the appropriate hardware (4 sets for each

splice)(fig. D)

1. 3/8"-16 x 1" SERRATED FLANGE BOLT

2. E/W STRUT

3. SPLICE


1

2

3

4

NOTE: Ensure that the stress exerted on the struts will be

dispersed by staggering the splice locations in an

East/West direction (ie. not in a straight line, see figure

on pg. 14). When all the struts in a row have been

added and tightened down, the ends can be trimmed

flush with each other

D

6. M O D U L E I N S T A L L A T I O N


A. LAYOUT

Tie a string from the first to the last North/south strut at

the location you would like the top edge of the lower

row of panels to be. This ensures the panels will line up,

even if the struts are slightly off. You can also mark the

location of the mid/end clamps on the side of the

panels with a pencil or china marker.

B. INITIAL CLAMPING

Place the first module at the East end, line the top edge

with the string, and loosely clamp the struts with two end

clamps, lock washers, and spring nuts on the outside, and

two mid clamps, lock washers, and spring nuts on the

inside. Ensure the first module aligns with the line.

[B] M8 X 70mm Bolt (Stainless) A381006

[H] M8 Lock Washer (Stainless) A387002

[7] EndClamp (Aluminum)

[5] MidClamp (Aluminum) A337175

[J] M8 Spring Nut (Galvanized) A392011

B

H

7

J

5

7 . A D D I T I O N A L M O D U L E S


A. SETTING PANELS

Continue setting panels by sliding

the next module on top the first,

using two mid-clamps

(unfastened) between the panels

as temporary spacer blocks.

Align the edges of the panel to

the one below it. Add two more

mid clamps, lock washers, and

spring nuts. Ensure it is parallel to

the first, and continue installing in

this fashion, going onebyone,

bottom to top. Use the string on

top and a straightedge on the

bottom to keep them square. For

the West most module, install two

end clamps to finish.

B. S T R U T E N D T R I M M I N G

Once all glass is set and you and the layout is acceptable,

you can trim the ends. If the StrutToStrut connection

splices have been staggered as mentioned in the earlier

note, the ends of the row will be uneven and unsightly. To

remedy, measure the distance of the shortest strut (least

amount of overhang) to the North/South strut. Using this

measurement, mark the other three struts and trim off the

excess (fig. C) using a circular saw with a bimetal blade,

grinder, or other appropriate tool. Do this to both the East

and West ends. If required for the project, spray galv the

cut ends. Dispose of the cutoff pieces.

8

6

4

2

7

5

3

1

8 . C A B L E B R A C I N G


Each set of anchor posts get multiple sets of cable

braces to limit movement and reduce fatigue. There is a

solid brace between each set of North/South posts and

a single cable brace between each East/West set of

posts. See prints for instructions for placement. Cable

braces are not used to induce static tension, like trusses

of a bridge, but instead only keep the posts from

spreading and moving about.

A. Spread the clamp apart, slide around the post,

and recompress it.

B. Next, insert the loop of the cable into the gap on

the clamp and start bolt. Adjust clamp height and

orientation, and then tighten bolt.

1. UPPER ANCHOR POST

2. CABLE BRACE

3. BRACE CLAMP

4. HARD BRACE

5. CLAMP BOLT

6. LOWER ANCHOR

Note: Ensure that the clamp is aligned with its intended

direction and the bolt is facing inwards, for aesthetic

purposes.

C. Continue installing the

remaining cables in the same

manner and according to the

bracing layout.

Note: Make sure each brace is

taught by adjusting it up or

down the post. Cables should

have no noticeable slack.

1

2

3

4

5 6

I N F O R M A T I O N & C O N T A C T


Ready Rack AP Alternatives, LLC

20345 County Road X

PO Box 326

Ridgeville Corners, OH 43555

Office (419) 2675280

Fax (419) 2675214

www.apalternatives.com

www.readyracksolar.com

Revision Details

Edition: 3

Date: 7/18/18

http://www.apalternatives.com/

http://www.readyracksolar.com/

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STANDARD GROUND MOUNT Assembly Instructions