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Australia is colloquially known as the sunburnt country, but it’s only really been in the last decade that we’ve truly decided to start harnessing the power of the sun for more than a Sunday BBQ, beach cricket or the unfortunate sunburn. How is that you may ask? Well, the answer is large-scale solar farms.

STAGES:

• Preliminary Geotechnical Investigation
• Procurement of Contractors
• Detailed Geotechnical Investigation
• Pile Pull Out Testing
• Detailed Design of Piles, Access Track, Buildings

PRELIMINARY GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATION

Preliminary geotechnical investigation is undertaken to determine the ground conditions in general. This may include a limited number of boreholes, test pits, and geophysical testing. The information helps the tenderers to price the construction of foundations for solar panels.

PROCUREMENT OF CONTRACTORS

Preliminary geotechnical investigation report along with other documents are shared with the tenderers to submit their proposal for the construction of solar farms.

DETAILED GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATION

Once the contractor is awarded the contract for the construction of the solar farm, detailed geotechnical investigation is undertaken. This will include the location of boreholes based on the final location and number of solar farms. Test pits are also undertaken to assess shallow ground conditions for the design of access tracks as well as small buildings to facilitate offices or equipment. Depending on the ground conditions encountered on-site, sometimes geophysical surveys are also undertaken to confirm the depth of rock.

PILE PULL OUT TESTING

Pile pull out testing is undertaken on the selected type of pile to be used for the solar farm and the number of tests will be determined depending on the type of piles and type of ground conditions to mitigate risk.

DETAILED DESIGN OF PILES, ACCESS TRACK, BUILDINGS

Based on the detailed geotechnical investigation, pile pull out testing, and test pits, detailed design of piles, access track, and buildings foundation is provided.

GEOCONSOL SERVICES

At GEOCONSOL, we deliver a tailored suite of the following services to accommodate project geology, complexity, diverse design solutions, and safety requirements:

• Preliminary Geotechnical Investigations
• Detailed Geotechnical Investigations
• Advice on Geophysical Survey
• Advice on Pile Pull Out Testing
• Construction Phase Services
• Independent Review of Pile Design by Others
• Proof Engineering

GEOCONSOL has certified resources to provide the above services.