Skip to main content
2026 AMPP Annual Conference and Expo Main banner
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Paper

A Case Study on Severe Corrosion, Degradation of Galvanized C-Pile Supports in PV Solar Plant - CANCELLED (C2026-00030)

CANCELLED
Interested in reading the entire paper? Click on the "Paper" button below to read on the AMPP Knowledge Hub!

*Please note, if your registration came with access to the conference proceedings don't forget to login to your AMPP Knowledge Hub account to access the paper for free. If you login and don't have access to the paper, you can purchase the individual paper or purchase the entire conference proceedings on your Knowledge Hub account.
Prantosh Naha, Nadeem Jaffer Sait, Salim Y. M, Vaseem J. Sait
This case study examines the severe corrosion and degradation of galvanized C-pile supports in a photovoltaic (PV) solar plant, with a focus on root cause analysis (RCA) following BS EN 62740 mainly. The RCA methodology encompassed data collection, laboratory testing of extracted samples, failure analysis, validation and the recommendation of corrective measures. Multiple contributing factors were identified, including soil chemistry, oxygen differential cells, galvanic coupling, AC/DC stray currents, construction practices and environmental influences.
A key finding is that galvanized steel piles, though widely used, exhibit significant corrosion in buried sections due to aggressive soil conditions, moisture content and electrochemical interactions. Soil analysis revealed elevated chloride and sulfate concentrations, accelerating zinc depletion and subsequent steel corrosion. Furthermore, the presence of grounding copper mats and stray electrical currents likely intensified galvanic corrosion. Oxygen differential cells and seasonal variations in soil conditions further exacerbated the degradation process.
To mitigate corrosion, the study explores alternative protection strategies, such as fusion-bonded epoxy (FBE) coatings, cathodic protection (CP), reinforced concrete supports or protective wraps at critical air-soil interfaces. These findings underscore the importance of optimized material selection and a comprehensive corrosion protection strategy to enhance the long-term durability of PV solar plant structures.