Soil constructability services
Soil information for assessing buildability and investments
The foundation solutions for industrial solar power plants have a significant impact on the investment level of the power plants. One of the largest cost sources is the ground foundation of the panel racks, which must take into account the general properties of the soil that are essential for construction. The design of the alternatives for the foundation solutions for the racks and the site-specific dimensioning enable cost-effective construction.
The Nordic soil has significant variations in terms of piling properties. We offer a service package that maps the entire project area, based on which the suitability and usability of different foundation options for the site in question can be optimized.
The following are descriptions of our core services, which are always tailored to customer needs.
The survey assesses the starting points for soil construction in an area planned as a project area or otherwise under preparation. In the survey, we conduct fieldwork throughout the project area, assessing, among other things, its topography and sensory-identifiable soil foundation conditions. The survey may also include taking soil samples or assessing soil properties based on ground drilling.
- Familiarization with the client’s source material and identification of additional information needs
- Desktop survey of the project area, i.e. collection of essential source material from various information sources
- Drone photography of the area, which enables clear and quick identification/documentation of the area’s characteristics
- Sensory observation of the area complements the information from the desktop phase
- Suggestion of necessary follow-up measures
We utilize various research data related to the technical and chemical properties of the soil in the evaluation of ground foundation solutions. The soil research data we produce from the project areas meets international standards that meet European requirements.
Our services include, among others, weight sounding, dynamic probing and soil sampling.
The services also include laboratory tests of soil samples, such as soil pH analysis, acid sulfate analysis, soil type determination and groundwater analysis.
Soil mapping provides information on the composition of the soil material in peat production areas and its mechanical properties. Soil properties have a significant impact on the choice of foundation methods and their dimensioning. The mapping is carried out in 2.5-4m deep trenches, the soil properties of which are identified, for example, by sensory means.
A trench atlas (dot atlas) covering the entire project area is created from the mapping data, from which DWG/gradient maps are made for the customer, for example, of the variation in peat thickness in the area. If necessary, soil samples are taken from the trenches and laboratory tests are carried out.
Trial piling is carried out together with the customer using dimensioned pile types to the planned installation depth. Trial piling enables us to determine the general piling properties of the soil, such as soil friction properties, installation dimensional accuracy and alignment.
Tensile tests are carried out on trial piles 2-4 weeks after piling, which allows us to achieve the most realistic tensile test results possible. Trial piling and tensile tests can be used to simulate the loading of panel scaffolds. The number of tests required depends on the size of the project area and the variation in soil properties in the area. Tensile tests are carried out by loading the pile vertically and/or horizontally. The method of carrying out the tests is based on the requirements of European panel scaffold manufacturers.
Trial piling and tensile tests enable us to identify, together with the customer, the key factors affecting the costs of grounding panel scaffolds.
The foundation report enables the customer to accurately determine the construction methods and preliminary construction costs for the site’s ground foundation. The report takes a position on four ground foundation methods, which are the use of various profiles, driven piles, screw piles and floating surface structures for the installation of panel racks.
The report includes a map of the recommended and suitable foundation solutions for the area based on survey, testing and research data. It can be implemented as a narrow or extensive report, as agreed with the customer.