In the previous article, we thoroughly analyzed the durability and safety of the "aluminum alloy bracket + spiral ground anchor" system - it can withstand a typhoon of level 17, is corrosion-resistant for 30 years, and the spiral ground anchor has an uplift capacity of over 3 tons. Now, the more practical question arises: Can this system be installed on the piece of land I chose? And will the installation be troublesome?
After all, even the best product is of no use if its installation is complicated, takes a long time, or even damages the original environment. Today, we will clarify these three major issues - applicable scenarios, installation process, and environmental impact - all at once.
Ⅰ Can it be installed in any terrain? What are the applicable scenarios?
The first thing to clarify is that the spiral pile technology was originally designed for complex terrains.
The traditional concrete foundation requires the site to be leveled and earth excavation. When it comes to hilly or mountainous areas, just leveling the land alone can be a headache. However, the spiral pile foundation uses the "mechanical twisting" method to penetrate the soil, eliminating the need for site leveling. It can directly adjust the height of the support structure according to the terrain and is much more adaptable.
Specifically, the "footprint" of this system covers several challenging scenarios:
Hills and mountains - this is precisely the domain where spiral piles excel. The adjustable spiral ground pile support system launched by Shanshan New Energy can be widely applied in complex ground environments such as hills, mountains, desert plains, and rocky soil. There have been actual feedback from photovoltaic installation projects. On slopes, there are many stones beneath the surface, and the traditional excavation method is extremely slow. However, after switching to spiral piles, "using professional machinery to screw the hollow steel piles into the ground like tightening screws, the construction speed suddenly increased."
• Beachland - The 10MW ground-based photovoltaic power station project in Dongying, Shandong Province is the first photovoltaic power station in China to apply the spiral pile technology. The project utilizes the extensive beachland resources. It is located in the coastal beachland area, with soft and plastic soil that is highly deformable and has a low bearing capacity and a high groundwater level. The traditional concrete foundation is extremely difficult to implement, but the spiral piles have successfully solved this problem.
• Deserts and Gobi Deserts - Spiral piles are also applicable in special geological conditions such as deserts, grasslands, Gobi deserts, and frozen soil. China Communications Construction Company verified the feasibility of the spiral anchor pile technology under desert geological conditions. Their approach was to "carry the pile body with spiral blades and rotate it to be screwed into the ground. The blades 'bite' the sand layer layer by layer to form a stable support."
（The photo is from the 武威日报）
• Sloping terrain - The aluminum ground-mounted photovoltaic system adopts two schemes: helical pile foundation or concrete strip foundation. It can be adjusted in both vertical and horizontal directions, effectively correcting on-site installation errors. CHIKO's Alu-TWC system is more clearly marked: applicable to any terrain and any foundation.
• In permafrost areas - helical piles can also be constructed without being affected by climatic conditions. During the construction process, it is only necessary to ensure that the pile tip penetrates below the permafrost layer.
However, it is also necessary to point out that roof installation is not a typical scenario for this ground system. Roof photovoltaics usually require dedicated support systems, such as flat roof weighting systems or roof tiles hooking solutions. If you have a roof installation requirement, it is recommended to choose the corresponding roof support products.
The inclination can be adjusted and it can be used in different latitudes.
Just having a solar panel is not enough; it also needs to be able to "adjust its angle" according to the sun. This system is equally flexible in terms of inclination adjustment - most products support continuous or segmented adjustment from 0° to 60°. This means that from low-latitude to high-latitude regions, the power generation efficiency can be maximized by adjusting the inclination angle.
Ⅱ "No piling, no excavation" - is it true or not? How much can the construction period be shortened?
This is a question that can directly impress the project manager and the owner.
"Without driving piles or excavation" is indeed the truth.
The definition of the spiral pile foundation already explains everything: It uses hot-dip galvanized steel pipes with spiral blades, which are inserted into the soil using specialized machinery. No site leveling is required, and there is no earth excavation. In other words, it does not need to dig a foundation pit, set up formwork, pour concrete, and wait for 28 days for curing - no pouring, no excavation, no curing period.
From the construction data, the gap is extremely significant:
• Installation time for single piles: The traditional construction of single-point concrete foundations requires at least 3 to 7 days for curing before the next step can be carried out. In contrast, the construction of single piles using spiral technology only takes 3 to 10 minutes, and the upper components can be installed on the same day of construction.
• Overall construction period: In a 10MW desert photovoltaic project in Xinjiang, when using traditional concrete foundations, it took 45 days to complete the construction for 1 megawatt; after switching to spiral pile foundations, it only took 15 days for 1 megawatt, reducing the overall construction period by 60% and also reducing the material transportation volume by 50% - in desert areas, every ton less of construction materials transported can save thousands of yuan in transportation costs.
• Large-scale project case: In a 200-megawatt photovoltaic project, over 100,000 foundations were constructed using spiral piles, which resulted in completion two months ahead of the traditional method.
So, what qualifications and equipment are required for the installation team?
In terms of equipment, the construction of spiral piles does not require complex large-scale machinery. A dedicated excavator combined with a hydraulic pile driving head can complete the operation. Even some small equipment only requires 1 to 2 people to operate. For large-scale commercial photovoltaic projects, the construction team usually needs to have professional contracting qualifications for foundation and base engineering (such as level 3 or above) to ensure the quality and safety of the construction. For small-scale residential or farm projects, experienced installation teams can also handle it, but it is recommended to still have professional teams conduct on-site surveys and geological assessments - after all, as actual cases have shown, "if professional designers come to conduct on-site surveys at the beginning in complex terrain, there will be far fewer detours"
（The photo is from the 中国西藏网）
III. Is it a truly environmentally friendly solution?
Under the current trend of green and low-carbon development, this issue has become increasingly important.
The answer is yes. The reason why spiral piles are called "minimally invasive foundations" mainly lies in the following aspects:
• Maximizing protection of surface vegetation: During the construction of spiral piles, only the piles need to be inserted at the designated positions, causing minimal disturbance to the original soil structure. Compared to the traditional method of large-scale excavation of foundation pits, it can be said that "the damage to surface vegetation is minimal" - 19. Practical projects have also proved that the ecological condition of the site can quickly return to its original state after the use of spiral piles.
• It generates almost no construction waste: The construction of spiral piles does not require a large amount of building materials such as concrete, sand, and steel bars, nor does it produce waste soil or construction debris. In sensitive areas such as farmland, grassland, slopes, and tidal flats, there will be virtually no traces left after the construction.
• Recyclable and reusable: The spiral piles can be pulled out and used again. The reuse rate can reach over 95%, which is incomparable to the concrete foundation.
• Clear carbon reduction benefits: The data shows that for each megawatt of photovoltaic project, replacing the concrete foundation with spiral piles can reduce approximately 1.3 tons of carbon emissions, which is equivalent to planting 70 trees.
• No impact on drainage system: After the installation of spiral piles, they exhibit excellent permeability and will not affect the existing drainage system of the site.
Overall, this system not only meets the green attributes of photovoltaic power generation, but its construction process itself is also a genuine low-carbon and environmentally friendly solution. For ecological-sensitive areas or projects with environmental protection requirements, spiral piles are undoubtedly the better choice.
Summary: Is it worth choosing?
Returning to the original question - can this system be installed and is the installation process troublesome?
The answer is: It can be installed and it is very convenient.
• Application scenarios: Hills, mountains, mudflats, sandy areas, slopes, almost all covered. With adjustable inclination ranging from 0° to 60°, it can adapt to different latitudes.
• Installation efficiency: "No piling, no excavation" is a fact. The construction period is shortened from several weeks to just a few days. Each single pile only takes 3 to 10 minutes.
• Environmental benefits: Minimizes vegetation damage, zero construction waste, recyclable, and carbon reduction possible.
Compared with traditional concrete foundations, this system of aluminum alloy supports and spiral ground anchors has obvious advantages in terms of installation convenience and environmental friendliness. Of course, there are also some points that need attention - for instance, the appropriate pile length and blade specifications need to be selected based on geological conditions, and preliminary geotechnical surveys cannot be omitted. Loose shallow soil layers may require special treatment. Moreover, in strong corrosive soil or rock foundations, the applicability of spiral piles is limited.
However, for the vast majority of ordinary ground, hill, beach and sandy land projects, this system undoubtedly offers a more efficient, more environmentally friendly and safer solution for photovoltaic support structures.
If your project is facing complex terrain, tight schedule or high environmental protection requirements, you might want to seriously consider this technical approach.
When choosing a photovoltaic support system, the two questions that people are most concerned about are always: How durable is it? And how safe is it? Today, we won't talk nonsense. Instead, we will use data and facts to dissect a support system that can truly withstand extreme environments and accompany you for over thirty years.
I. Withstanding Extreme Weather
Wind Resistance：
This system generally boasts a maximum wind resistance of 60 m/s, with some high-performance models reaching 70 m/s. What does that mean? It's equivalent to the center wind speed of a Category 17 super typhoon.
Snow Resistance:
The system can generally withstand a snow load of 1.4 kN/m², with some models even capable of withstanding 1.6 kN/m² or adapting to snow depths of 2500 mm. This means that even in areas where heavy snow closes off the mountains, you don't have to worry about the support structure collapsing under the weight of the snow.
II. Corrosion Resistance and Lifespan
Materials and Craftsmanship
The main body of the support frame is made of high-strength AL6005-T5 aluminum alloy, and undergoes anodizing surface treatment to form a dense protective film. All exposed fasteners are made of SUS304 stainless steel—leaving no screw untouched, completely eliminating the risk of rust.
Data Speaks for Itself
The authoritative salt spray test results show that no corrosion occurred after 72 hours of the CASS test, which is equivalent to being resistant to the elements for 30 years in a real outdoor environment.
Overall Expectations: The main structure of the system has a corrosion-resistant lifespan of over 30 years, and the overall design lifespan of the support system is generally over 25 years.
III. Foundation Stability
Working Principle: Locking the Earth Like a Screw
The helical pile, with its unique helical blades, tightly engages with the surrounding soil, effectively resisting uplift forces during strong winds. Tests show its pull-out resistance can exceed 3 tons—equivalent to lifting a small SUV.
Intelligent Response to Different Geological Conditions
• Loose/Soft Soil: Bearing capacity can be ensured by increasing pile length, using thicker helical piles, or increasing the diameter of the helical blades. Manufacturers offer various size configurations.
• Frozen Soil Areas: The frost pull-out resistance of helical piles is far superior to traditional smooth piles. During construction, ensure the pile tip penetrates below the frost line. In some extreme areas, vibration-assisted or heating components can be used to enhance stability.
• Construction Control: The pile reaches its design bearing capacity by controlling the screwing torque (typically between 2000-5000 N·m). Each pile has a "torque record."
IV. Professional Certifications
Authoritative Certifications
Mainstream aluminum alloy bracket systems typically pass the following certifications:
• CE (EU Safety Certification)
• TÜV (German Inspection Association)
• ISO 9001 (Quality Management System)
These certifications ensure that their design, manufacturing, and quality control meet the highest international standards.
Strictly Adhering to International Standards
System designs simultaneously meet the requirements of multiple countries and regions:
• AS/NZS 1170 (Australia/New Zealand)
• JIS C 8955 (Japan)
• GB50009 (China)
• Eurocode (Europe)
Summary: A "Long-Term" Product to Accompany You Through Life Cycles
AL6005-T5 aluminum alloy + anodized finish + SUS304 stainless steel fasteners—these three elements combine to create over 30 years of exceptional corrosion resistance, the core guarantee of the support system's long lifespan. The helical pile foundation, through its ingenious structural design, ensures long-term stable support in various harsh environments, from coastal to inland areas, from soft soil to permafrost.
More importantly, this isn't just theoretical—countless successful projects, from Lingao in Hainan to Kumamoto in Japan, have validated its reliability. Coupled with certifications from international authoritative organizations such as CE and TÜV, you can confidently say:
"This product is not only durable, but also truly safe."
en
fr
de
zh-CN
ru
es
pt
ja
ko
ar