Bare 500 mcm

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Alwayslearningelec

Senior Member
Location
NJ
Occupation
Estimator
There is a note on the drawing that says to run this from the ground bar to the ground rod outside the building. It does not mention conduit anywhere but this can't be run bare outside. What should this be run in? PVC?? THanks.
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
No Code violation to run it bare.
Copper thieves prefer that.
Most folks put it in PVC
 

jumper

Senior Member
Unless it is " subject to physical damage where exposed", why cannot it be run bare?
250.64
(B) Securing and Protection Against Physical Damage.
Where exposed, a grounding electrode conductor or its enclosure
shall be securely fastened to the surface on which it
is carried. A 4 AWG or larger copper or aluminum grounding
electrode conductor shall be protected where exposed to
physical damage.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
They are asking for a 500 copper to a ground rod?


God bless the engineers ..... they make us so much money. :grin:
 

Alwayslearningelec

Senior Member
Location
NJ
Occupation
Estimator
Well, if it is being run outside to the ground rod I ssumed it will be in the "dirt" and that bare copper could not be run like that.
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
Well, if it is being run outside to the ground rod I ssumed it will be in the "dirt" and that bare copper could not be run like that.

Such a rule sure would mess up a lot of ground rings :grin:
 
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
Had to ground & bond a telephone building back in the late 70s. Big circuit boards all over the place. We hung BA cu all over the place to bond everything. When I brought it to the engineers attention that they had multiple neutral bonds in the building with many of the EG receptacle terminals jumped to the neutral at the devices, they just looked at me blankly. Ok. My job was to bond, so we did.

I wonder how many desktops now take the place of those two floors of boards.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
I bet 6' of bare 500 copper provides more surface area in contact with the earth than the 8' rod it will be attached too ...
 

sameguy

Senior Member
Location
New York
Occupation
Master Elec./JW retired
If I recall a rod is only good for 100 amps any how.
The FAA did make us run 500mcm 9 stories in a control tower to bond the cable tray one time; little over kill I thought.
 
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