MassDOT Solar Carports, Plymouth
About the Project
KPFF Consulting Engineers project MassDOT Solar Carports, located in Plymouth, MA, involved a comprehensive effort to install a ground-mounted PV canopy structure. This project is part of a broader initiative to incorporate renewable energy solutions into public infrastructure, showcasing the commitment of Massachusetts Department of Transportation to sustainable development. The PV canopies were designed to harness solar energy efficiently while providing shade and protection for parked vehicles.
The structural design featured primary elements composed of wide flange (WF) sections for both beams and columns, ensuring robust support for the solar panels. The PV modules were mounted on cold-formed steel purlins, which spanned between the beams. This arrangement not only optimized the structural integrity but also facilitated the effective distribution of the panels. The lateral force-resisting system was defined as Steel Ordinary Cantilevered Columns in accordance with ASCE 7 Chapter 13 standards, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and safety norms. The columns were secured using bolted connections to helical piles, providing a stable foundation that could withstand environmental stresses and load variations.
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Engineering Challenges
The engineering challenges of the MassDOT Solar Carports project were multifaceted, primarily revolving around the design and analysis of the pass-over connection. This connection was crucial for maintaining the structural coherence of the PV canopy, especially under varying load conditions, including unbalanced loading. One of the primary difficulties was accurately modeling the prying action—a force that occurs when the connection components experience tension, causing the bolted plates to separate. Manually calculating these effects is not only time-consuming but also prone to inaccuracies due to the complex nature of the interactions involved.
Additionally, the iterative design process posed its own set of challenges. KPFF needed to refine the connection details to ensure they were constructible and economical while still satisfying all necessary structural criteria. This process required a flexible approach that could adapt to changes in design parameters while maintaining precision and compliance with engineering standards. The ability to simulate real-world behaviors of the connection under different scenarios was essential for optimizing the design and ensuring its reliability.
Solutions and Results
IDEA StatiCa provided a robust yet economical solution to the engineering challenges faced in this project. Utilizing the advanced capabilities of CBFEM analysis, engineers were able to simulate the two-way prying action and other complex behaviors of the pass-over connection with high accuracy. The software's powerful modeling tools allowed for the detailed analysis of stress distributions and deformations, providing insights that would be difficult, if not impossible, to obtain through manual calculations..
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The iterative design process was significantly streamlined by IDEA StatiCa. Engineers could quickly adjust design parameters and instantly see the effects of these changes on the connection's performance. This capability not only saved considerable time—approximately three hours—but also enhanced the overall efficiency of the design process. The software's user-friendly interface and comprehensive calculation packages made it easier to document and submit structural calculations, ensuring compliance with project requirements and industry standards.
The application of IDEA StatiCa in this project not only addressed the immediate engineering challenges but also contributed to a more efficient and reliable design process. The detailed analysis and iterative capabilities provided by the software ensured that the pass-over connection was both structurally sound and feasible to construct, ultimately contributing to the success of the MassDOT Solar Carports project.
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