Super Centre Roof Solar

Introduction

Incon was engaged to provide structural assessment and re-assessment services for a rooftop solar installation at Super Centre Tuggerah, New South Wales. The project involved evaluating the capacity of an existing commercial roof structure to support solar infrastructure and associated equipment.

Project
description

The scope of works included targeted structural assessments and verification of multiple components associated with the solar installation, including:

Structural re-assessment of Roof Zones to determine available load capacity
Design and verification of inverter station support systems mounted on the roof
Assessment of pallet loading conditions for installation and maintenance scenarios
Review of existing roof framing, including girts and purlins supporting additional loads

The inverter station support system involved steel framing (Unistrut and cantilever brackets) fixed to the existing roof structure, transferring loads through girts and primary framing elements.

Challenge

The project required careful engineering consideration due to:

Existing structure constraints, with limited reserve capacity for additional solar and equipment loads
Localised loading from inverter stations, introducing concentrated loads onto roof members
Variability across roof zones, requiring targeted reassessment rather than uniform assumptions
Temporary and operational loads, including pallet loading during installation and maintenance
Serviceability considerations, ensuring additional loads do not adversely impact deflection-sensitive elements
Limited availability of original structural documentation, requiring reliance on available data and assumptions

Solution

We delivered a practical and risk-managed engineering solution through:

Detailed structural re-assessment of Roof Zones, identifying available capacity and constraints for solar installation
Engineering design and verification of inverter support framing systems, ensuring effective load transfer to existing structural elements
Assessment of pallet loading scenarios, confirming safe load limits during construction and maintenance activities
Verification of girt and purlin capacities, ensuring adequacy under combined dead, imposed, and wind loading conditions
Development of fixing strategies (screw connections and bracket systems) to minimise structural impact while maintaining performance
Delivery of structural certification and calculation packages, supporting installation and compliance

Key Engineering Highlights

Targeted roof zone reassessment for load optimisation
Integration of inverter station structural support systems
Assessment of temporary pallet loading conditions
Design based on existing girt and purlin capacity verification
Delivery of certified structural assessment under AS1170 standards

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We take pride in delivering innovative and practical solutions which adds real value to our clients and the community. We strive for better outcomes that delivers a best possible solution by employing our technical expertise. We believe the real value in good engineering is breaking down a complex problem into a simple solution which underpins our philosophy of ‘do it right – the first time’.