Splicing steel pipe beams

[SYLK]

Hi,
I am building an elevated open structure at 13 feet highest level to install solar panels. I am using the IronRidge custom connection hardware.

I am using 3" ID pipes for the posts and cross beams. The cross beams is 21 feet long on 3 support posts.
Since it is long and heavy, I would like to cut and splice it at the center support to ease construction.
Just wonder whether it is the right place to splice or not as I am not a structural guy.

To splice it, I would slide a 2 feet long 3" OD pipe and use tapping screws to hold them in place.
The cross beam pipe sit on top of a Pipe Caps and hold down to the cap by 1 U-bolt on each side.

see attachments - 3 pages

Please advise or make suggestion.

Thanks

 

[lucky-guesser]

Assuming you are going to come back and weld it all together I would think it would work fine.

 

[bridgebuster]

Do me a favor, hire a structural guy or gal. There are a lot of things wrong.
1) 3" nominal Schedule 40 pipe has an OD of 3.5". If you want to slip a pipe into it, you'll need 2.5 nominal (OD is 2.875).
2) Your proposed pipe: It should be able to carry the solar panels, assuming typical panel at about 2.5 psf, and longitudinal supports <8' apart. Most likely it'll fail under wind load.
3) The columns probably work; short 3" pipe has a lot of capacity.
4) what about lateral bracing?
5) What about foundations? I imagine you would use a Sonotube, with at least 5' embedment.

I like your concept but it needs work. I'm not trying sound like a PITA; I spent a week looking at a pathetic set railroad bridge drawings - done by structural people - you have more on the ball than these others.