UNIRAC SunFrame Installation Manual Download

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SunFrame

Unirac Code-Compliant Installation Manual

1411 Broadway Boulevard NE
Albuquerque NM 87102-1545 USA

Frequently asked questions about standoffs and roof variations

How high above the roof is a SunFrame array?

The answer depends on the orientation of your L-feet and

the length of your standoffs, if used . See the illustration ap-

propriate to your installation .

How do I attach SunFrame to a standing-seam metal
roof?

Unirac is pleased to present ACECLAMP® JR, our latest so-

lution for mounting rails to a standing seam roof . Innovative

and affordable, ACECLAMP JR is designed to provide a su-

perior, non-penetrating method for attaching solar modules

to any of the popular seamed metal roofing systems . When

compared to other solutions, this innovative two

piece design has only one bolt with a “top down” clamping

mechanism that installs faster than any other standing seam

attachment on the market today .
ACECLAMP JR with the 3/8” (10mm) mounting connection

can be used to secure any SunFrame solution to ACECLAMP

JR . Rail attachments should be ordered separately .

Module

thickness

varies

Standoff height

(3˝, 4˝, 6˝, or 7˝

all ±

1/8

˝)

1/4

˝±

1/8

7/8

˝±

1/8

Module

thickness

varies

1/4

˝±

1/8

7/8

˝±

1/8

Module

thickness

varies

3/4

˝±

1/8

˝±

1/8

System Level Fire Classification

The system fire class rating is only valid when the installation is conducted in accordance with the assembly instructions contained

in this manual.

Unirac’s SunFrame Universal PV Module Mounting system has been classified to the system level fire portion of

UL1703. It has achieved Class A system level performance for steep sloped roofs when used in conjunction with type 1, type 2 and

type 3 module constructions. Class A system level fire performance is inherent in the SunFrame design, and no additional

mitigation measures are required. The fire classification rating is valid only on roof pitches greater than 2:12 (slopes ≥ 2 inches per

foot, or 9.5 degrees). There is no required minimum or maximum height limitation above the roof deck to maintain the Class A

fire rating for SunFrame.

Module Type

System level Fire Rating

Mitigation

Type 1

Class A

None Required

Type 2

Class A

None Required

Type 3

Class A

None Required

Summary of Contents for SunFrame

Page 1: ...e to publications unirac com Pub 15JAN01 1cc 2014 15 Unirac Inc All rights reserved i Installer s Responsibilities 2 Part I Procedure to Determine the Total Design Wind Load 3 Part II Procedure to Select Rail Span and Rail Type 10 Part III Installing SunFrame 14 Table of Contents Code Compliant Installation Manual 809 R A HILTI GROUP COMPANY ...

Page 2: ...le frames The installer is solely responsible for Complying with all applicable local or national building codes including any that may supersede this manual Ensuring that Unirac and other products are appropriate for the particular installation and the installation environment Ensuring that the roof its rafters connections and other structural support members can support the array under all code ...

Page 3: ...hese requirements please contact your local Unirac distributor a local professional engineer or Unirac If your installation is outside the United States or does not meet all of these limitations consult a local professional engineer or your local building authority Consult ASCE 7 05 for more clarification on the use of Method I Lower design wind loads may be obtained by applying Method II from ASC...

Page 4: ...18 18 18 20 50 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 5 15 17 5 20 20 20 20 60 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 5 15 17 5 20 24 24 24 Roof Least Horizontal Dimension ft Height ft 10 15 20 25 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 125 150 175 200 300 400 500 Table 1 Determine Roof Wall Zone length a according to building width and height a 10 percent of the least horizontal dimension or 0 4h whichever is smaller but not less th...

Page 5: ...ection II Step 1 for applying downforce and uplift pressures Positive values are acting toward the surface Negative values are acting away from the surface Figure 2 Enclosed buildings wall and roofs Flat Roof Hip Roof 7 θ 27 Gable Roof θ 7 Gable Roof 7 θ 45 Interior Zones Roofs Zone 1 Walls Zone 4 End Zones Roofs Zone 2 Walls Zone 5 Corner Zones Roofs Zone 3 Step 3 Determine Roof Zone continued Us...

Page 6: ... 10 13 3 14 6 16 5 18 0 19 9 21 8 23 7 25 9 27 8 30 4 32 3 35 3 37 0 40 5 47 6 52 0 1 20 13 0 13 8 16 0 17 1 19 4 20 7 23 0 24 6 27 0 28 9 31 4 33 5 36 0 38 4 46 3 49 3 1 50 12 5 12 8 15 4 15 9 18 6 19 2 22 2 22 8 26 0 26 8 30 2 31 1 34 6 35 7 44 5 45 8 1 100 12 1 12 1 14 9 14 9 18 1 18 1 21 5 21 5 25 2 25 2 29 3 29 3 33 6 33 6 43 2 43 2 2 10 13 3 17 0 16 5 21 0 19 9 25 5 23 7 30 3 27 8 35 6 32 3 ...

Page 7: ...SCE SEI 7 05 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures Chapter 6 p 44 Roof 27 to 45 degrees Roof 7 to 27 degrees Roof 0 to 7 degrees BasicWind Speed V mph Effective Wind Area sf Zone Step 5 Determine the Topographic Factor Kzt For the purposes of this code compliance document the Topographic Factor Kzt is taken as equal to one 1 meaning the installation is on level ground less than 1...

Page 8: ...ssure pnet30 psf Step 4 by the adjustment factor for height and exposure λ Step 7 the Topographic Factor Kzt Step 5 and the Importance Factor I Step 8 using the following equation pnet psf λKztI pnet30 pnet psf Design Wind Load 10 psf minimum λ adjustment factor for height and exposure category Step 7 Kzt Topographic Factor at mean roof height h ft Step 5 I Importance Factor Step 8 pnet30 psf net ...

Page 9: ...in Temporary facilities Minor Storage facilities Buildings where more than 300 people congregate Schools with a capacity more than 250 Day Cares with a capacity more than 150 Buildings for colleges with a capacity more than 500 Health Care facilities with a capacity more than 50 or more resident patients Jails and Detention Facilities Power Generating Stations Water and Sewage Treatment Facilities...

Page 10: ... Determine the Total Design Load The Total Design Load P psf is determined using ASCE 7 05 2 4 1 ASD Method equations 3 5 6 and 7 by adding the Snow Load1 S psf Design Wind Load pnet psf from Part I Step 9 and the Dead Load psf Both Uplift and Downforce Wind Loads calculated in Step 9 of Part 2 must be investigated Use Table 7 to calculate the Total Design Load for the load cases The beam must be ...

Page 11: ...Tables 8a and 8b Table 7 ASCE 7 ASD Load Combinations Note Table to be filled out or attached for evaluation Description Variable Downforce Case 1 Downforce Case 2 Downforce Case 3 Uplift Side Units Dead Load D 1 0 x D ______ 1 0 x S ______ 1 0 x D ______ 1 0 x Pnet ____ 1 0 x D _______ 0 75 x S _______ 0 75 x Pnet ____ 0 6 x D _______ 1 0 x Pnet ______ sin roof angle x D __________ sin roof angle...

Page 12: ...iplying the Total Design Load P psf Step 1 by the Rail Span L ft Step 3 and the Module Length Perpendicular to the Rails B ft R lbs PLB R Point Load lbs P Total Design Load psf L Rail Span ft B Module Length Perpendicular to Rails ft It is the installer s responsibility to verify that the building structure is strong enough to support the maximum point loads calculated according to Step 5 Table 8b...

Page 13: ... withdrawal capacities lbs in typical roof lumber ASD Lag screw specifications Specific 5 16 shaft gravity per inch thread depth Douglas Fir Larch 0 50 266 Douglas Fir South 0 46 235 Engelmann Spruce Lodgepole Pine MSR 1650 f higher 0 46 235 Hem Fir Redwood close grain 0 43 212 Hem Fir North 0 46 235 Southern Pine 0 55 307 Spruce Pine Fir 0 42 205 Spruce Pine Fir E of 2 million psi and higher grad...

Page 14: ...10 8 9 3 2 1 5 4 4 1 5 12 3 6 2 1 11 7 8 9 Figure 4 SunFrame components The Unirac Code Compliant Installation Instructions supports applications for building permits for photovoltaic arrays using Unirac PV module mounting systems This manual SunFrame Rail Planning and Assembly governs installations using the SunFrame systems 3 1 SunFrame rail components Part III Installing SunFrame ...

Page 15: ...inless steel 10 Flange nut 3 8 Use one per L foot bolt 304 stainless steel 11 L foot adjusting slider optional Use one beneath each L foot or aluminum two piece standoff except in lowest row Aluminum extrusion Sliders allow easier alignment of rails and better snugging of PV modules between rails Includes 3 8 x 1 1 4 bolt with flange nut for attaching L foot or standoff shaft and two 5 16 x 2 1 2 ...

Page 16: ...oof susceptible to severe damage A thermal break is required every 40 feet of continuously connected rail See Unirac Splices and Expansion Joints Installation Manual for details There is no UGC Unirac Grounding Clip available for SunFrame Figure 6 Installation area layout Note Module length is not neces sarily measured from the edges of the frame Some frames have lips Others are assembled with pan...

Page 17: ...sition the L feet with respect to the lower edge of the roof as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 Figure 7 Placement of first L foot row Figure 8 L Foot orientation Lag screw L feet 2 Lower edge of installation area Always lag into slot nearest the bend in the L foot Roof peak If the double slotted sides of the L feet are against the roof lag through the slot nearest the bend in the L foot Figs 7 and...

Page 18: ...ter third of the span between two adjacent feet 4 In a spliced length of rail all sections must be support ed by no less than two L feet 5 Rail sections longer than half the footing spacing re quire no fewer than two L feet Using standoffs with L foot adjusting sliders Two piece aluminum standoffs may be used with footing sliders although flashings may not be available to cover the entire length o...

Page 19: ...w of L feet in the same manner and orientation as the first row but leave the lag screws a half turn loose Be aware of the set up time of your sealant the L feet will not be fully tight ened until Step 4 With L foot adjusting sliders Use a chalk line to mark the position of the slider center holes of the next row The illustra tion below provides spacing guidelines The length of the module A in Fig...

Page 20: ...ssemblies and cap strip assemblies need to be cut and spliced from 192 inch sections of rail and cap strip The example illustrates one means of doing so without violating structural requirements or aesthetic goals Rail segments come from five 192 inch lengths lettered A thru E Rail A for example is cut into two 96 inch segments with one segment spliced into each of the first two rails Similarly fi...

Page 21: ...d cap strip until lower modules are placed 7 Installing the remaining modules in the top row Slide the next module into final position and install the screws to secure it Fig 14 For a neat installation use cable ties to attach excess wiring to the rail beneath the flanges Unirac s cable ties can be attached to the SunFrame rail by drilling a inch hole in the rail and pushing the end of the tie int...

Page 22: ...cap strip and cap strip screw compatibility To ensure code compliance and a structurally sound array cap strip sizes and cap strip screw lengths must be compatible with the PV modules in your installation All cap strip screws must be 20 Type F thread cutting 18 8 stainless steel Module thickness or type Cap strip Required screw inches mm cross section Cap strip size length inches 1 34 1 42 34 36 C...

Page 23: ...ACECLAMP JR Rail attachments should be ordered separately Module thickness varies Standoff height 3 4 6 or 7 all 1 8 2 1 4 1 8 7 8 1 8 Module thickness varies 2 1 4 1 8 7 8 1 8 Module thickness varies 1 3 4 1 8 3 1 8 1 8 System Level Fire Classification The system fire class rating is only valid when the installation is conducted in accordance with the assembly instructions contained in this manua...

Page 24: ...n Manual SunFrame Page 24 R 1411 Broadway Boulevard NE Albuquerque NM 87102 1545 USA R 1411 Broadway Boulevard NE Albuquerque NM 87102 1545 USA Warranty Information See http www unirac com for current warranty documents and information ...

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