Light Poles and proper grounding

[mgtack]

With past projects, I have had electrical engineers require individual lighting poles (18' steel poles mounted on a concrete base in a parking lot) have a ground rod for each pole. I am currently looking at a project that they have not required this additional means of grounding. Is this required in by the NEC and if so, where would I find the code?

Thanks for the help

 

[Twoskinsoneman]

With past projects, I have had electrical engineers require individual lighting poles (18' steel poles mounted on a concrete base in a parking lot) have a ground rod for each pole. I am currently looking at a project that they have not required this additional means of grounding. Is this required in by the NEC and if so, where would I find the code?

Thanks for the help

I believe these are humorously referred to as superfluous electrodes


250.54 Auxiliary Grounding Electrodes

 

[mgtack]

Thanks for the help. Does this mean every light pole must have a ground rod? 250.54 says "shall not be required to comply with 250.50". If the fixture already has the correct size ground wire ran in the raceway, is an additional grounding electrode required?

Thanks

 

[Twoskinsoneman]

there's no NEC requirement for lamp post to have to have their own ground rod

 

[texie]

Thanks for the help. Does this mean every light pole must have a ground rod? 250.54 says "shall not be required to comply with 250.50". If the fixture already has the correct size ground wire ran in the raceway, is an additional grounding electrode required?

Thanks

250.54 makes it clear you can have an auxiliary grounding electrode but if you do you still must have an EGC back to the source as the fault return path.

 

[maghazadeh]

The reason for a grounding electrode system (GES) at the lighting pole concrete base is for lightening more than anything else. When EGC is ran with branch circuits, that all required.

 

[Ponchik]

The reason for a grounding electrode system (GES) at the lighting pole concrete base is for lightening more than anything else. When EGC is ran with branch circuits, that all required.

I agree with Maghazadeh.

 

[bphgravity]

A metallic light pole anchored to a concrete base buried in the earth is as grounded as it will ever get. Adding a 5/8" x 8' ground rod will serve little to no purpose, even during a lightning or other surging event.

 

[kingelectric]

just attach a bare ground on the rebar rack in the base

 

[maghazadeh]

A metallic light pole anchored to a concrete base buried in the earth is as grounded as it will ever get. Adding a 5/8" x 8' ground rod will serve little to no purpose, even during a lightning or other surging event.

I disagree, because the anchored bolts do not attach to the rebar cage and that the anchored bolts are only 18", 24", or 36" long maximum.
It would look funny to install a 8ft long ground rod in the center of conc. pole base.
What we normally do is looping a 30-35 ft of bare # 6 or 4 conductor at the bottom of the steel cage and extending the other end up to hand hole. The point of looping in the bottom is to assure having min. 20ft of wire to be qualified as an electrode.