Metallurgical steel post design for solar farm foundations and increased guardrail durability

Abstract

A high-grade post or pile system for the foundation of a solar array, which may facilitate the installation of a solar array rack in more corrosive soils. Such a post may also satisfy the need for a foundation able to resist ground forces, in particular the effects of wind on the exterior of the array, and may reduce problems with beam refusal. The post may be used in other applications such as guardrail posts. In contrast to existing posts for solar arrays, the high-grade post may be formed from higher-grade steel.

1 . A guardrail system, comprising:
 a plurality of guardrail piles, each guardrail pile comprising a hot rolled I-beam having a size of W6, the hot rolled I-beam constructed from at least a grade 60 steel and having a yield strength of at least 60 ksi; and   a guardrail, the guardrail coupled to an upper portion of each of the plurality of guardrail piles by a plurality of connectors, and extending outward from each of the plurality of guardrail piles in a direction perpendicular to a height direction of each of the plurality of guardrail piles.   
     
     
         2 . The guardrail system of  claim 1 , wherein each hot rolled I-beam is constructed from at least a grade 80 steel, and wherein each hot rolled I-beam has a yield strength of at least 80 ksi. 
     
     
         3 . The guardrail system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of guardrail piles has a size selected from a range of W6×7 to W6×25. 
     
     
         4 . The guardrail system of  claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of guardrail piles has a size selected from a range of W6×8.5 to W6×9. 
     
     
         5 . The guardrail system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of guardrail piles further comprises a protective layer comprising at least one of a hot dip galvanic coating or a protective epoxy layer. 
     
     
         6 . The guardrail system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of guardrail piles is devoid of a protective layer. 
     
     
         7 . A method of installing a guardrail, the method comprising:
 installing a plurality of guardrail piles in soil, each guardrail pile comprising a hot rolled I-beam having a size of W6, the hot rolled I-beam constructed from at least a grade 60 steel and having a yield strength of at least 60 ksi; and   coupling a guardrail to each of the plurality of guardrail piles using a plurality of connectors.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of installing a plurality of guardrail piles in soil comprises driving the plurality of guardrail piles with a guardrail post driving apparatus. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the guardrail post driver is a hydraulic-type pile driver. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein each hot rolled I-beam is constructed from at least a grade 80 steel, and wherein each hot rolled I-beam has a yield strength of at least 80 ksi. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of guardrail piles has a size selected from a range of W6×7 to W6×25. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of guardrail piles has a size selected from a range of W6×8.5 to W6×9. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of guardrail piles further comprises a protective layer comprising at least one of a hot dip galvanic coating or a protective epoxy layer. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of guardrail piles is devoid of a protective layer.