BESS foundation engineering

What BESS foundations have to get right

A BESS site repeats the same foundation many times, which rewards a design that's efficient and easy to build. The vendor's requirements are also strict: enclosures and power conversion units come with specific support points, anchorage details and level tolerances, and the foundations have to meet them consistently across the site.

Specialised foundation design

We carry out a specialised foundation design for each BESS project, using piles or the footings best suited to the site. The design is developed from the geotechnical conditions, the vendor's loads and tolerances, the earthworks and the construction programme, so you get foundations that are efficient to build across many repeated units and meet the vendor's requirements every time.

Footings, piles and connections

• Footings and piles designed for equipment weights, operating loads, and wind and earthquake actions.
• Anchorage and connections: cast-in or post-installed anchors, embed plates and connection details between the equipment and the foundations.
• Tolerances: level, flatness and anchor position, specified clearly enough to be checked on site.
• Penetrations: conduit and cable entries, and earthing connection points coordinated with the electrical design.
• Layout: foundation arrangements that suit the project layout, access and construction sequencing.

What we design

• Footing and pile design for battery enclosures, power conversion equipment and transformers
• Pile caps and plinths
• Beams, skids and support steel for BESS units and power conversion equipment
• Anchorage and connections between the equipment and the foundations
• Foundation layout, tolerance and set-out requirements
• Construction hold points and inspection requirements
• Design certification for the footings, piles and connections

What you receive

• DrawingsFooting and pile layouts, details and reinforcement, with anchorage and connection details.
• Design calculationsGeotechnical and structural design of the footings, piles and connections.
• Tolerance scheduleThe level and position tolerances the vendor requires, set out for construction.
• Construction supportResponses to RFIs, review of as-built surveys and inspection hold points.

Scope, fee and programme are confirmed in a written proposal for your project before any engineering starts.

How it works

1. Scope and design criteriaWe confirm the vendor package, the ground conditions and the project criteria.
2. ProposalWe define the deliverables and programme.
3. DesignWe design the footings, piles and connections and coordinate the interfaces.
4. Construction supportWe answer RFIs and review set-out and tolerance records.

Relevant experience

MEG's energy-sector work that relates directly to BESS includes:

• Georgetown Solar Farm, TAS: footing and pile design for array foundations and substation structures, with connection design
• Fulham Solar Farm, VIC: footings and connections for the inverters and transformers, as well as the array foundations
• Wangaratta Solar Farm, VIC: footings and connections for the inverters, transformers and power station, as well as the array foundations
• Salvation Army Solar Farm, VIC: footing and connection design
• Hay and Moama solar farms, NSW: footing, pile and connection design for array foundations
• Pier Street, Altona: base plate and connection design for pole foundations
• Eastern Gas Pipeline reversal, Longford: crane outrigger pads and footings for heavy lifts

The same engineering — vendor loads, anchorage and connections, tolerances, and piled or footing foundations — recurs on every BESS site. See all project experience.

Questions