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SM SOLAR MOUNT INSTALLATION GUIDE PAGE EXPANSION JOINT USED AS THERMAL BREAK Expansion joints prevent buckling of rails or system failure due to thermal ex- pansion. Determine location of expansion joints prior to installation of L-feet and rails. To create a thermal expansion joint, set gap between rails that is sufﬁcient for proper installation of end clamps and tooling to achieve required torque. A thermal break is required when a continuous length of spliced rails exceeds the length, in feet, shown in the table to the right. For additional concerns on thermal breaks in your speciﬁc project, please consult a licensed structural engineer. Rails in expansion joint conﬁgurations are considered cantilevered and must fol- low the cantilever rule, on both sides of the expansion joint, which states that the maximum amount of rail that can be cantilevered is 1/3 the respective adjacent span. An expansion joint must not be spanned by a PV module. Installing a mod- ule over an expansion joint would defeat the goal of a thermal break and could result in damage to the array. Bonding connection for splice used as a thermal break. Option shown uses two Ilsco lugs (Model No. GBL-4DBT P/N GBL-4DBT - see product data sheet for more details) and solid copper wire. Optional grounding may be achieved through Enphase MI. See PG. J. THERMAL BREAK F Maximum Continuous Length (ft.) of Spliced Rails Solarmount Standard Solarmount Light Attachment Span Attachment Span ∆T (°F)48"72"48"72" 0-40 86 105 70 81 40-50 70 93 62 81 50-60 70 81 54 69 60-70 62 69 54 69 70-80 54 69 46 57 80-90 54 69 46 57 90-100 54 57 46 57 100-120 46 57 38 45 120-140 38 45 38 45 The values displayed are the maximum allowed rail length, in feet, without a ther- mal break. These values apply only to the Flashkit Pro L-foot. For Flashloc Comp Mount, or if your span is less than 48”, refer to the Solarmount Design & Engineering Guide for max lengths of continuous rail before a thermal break is required. The installer is responsible for determining the maximum temperature difference (ΔT) used to establish the maximum rail length, without expansion joint, at the install location. As spans increase, so does the maximum reaction force that the rail exerts on the L-foot. It is the responsibility of the installer to ensure that Maximum Reaction Force does not exceed the shear capacity of the roof connection. See SM Design and Engineering Guide for corresponding reaction forces. ΔT refers to the maximum difference in the temperature of the rail between instal- lation and the extreme high or low temperature. The Extreme Annual Design Con- ditions table at the following url can be used as a reference when determining ΔT. http://ashrae-meteo.info/ 2110 W 7th St - 2017778512/28/22