Aluminum Splice in Handhole Enclosure

[slybluefox]

Looking to run aluminum secondary wire to building main disconnect. The power company is now saying their transformer will not handle the amount of wires we will be installing so now they are planning on setting some handhole junction box enclosures close to the transformers; we will come into them then go into the transformer.

My concern is article 250.64(A):
(A) Aluminum or Copper-Clad Aluminum Conductors.
Bare aluminum or copper-clad aluminum grounding electrode
conductors shall not be used where in direct contact
with masonry or the earth or where subject to corrosive
conditions. Where used outside, aluminum or copper-clad
aluminum grounding electrode conductors shall not be terminated
within 450 mm (18 in.) of the earth.

How should I interpret this part of the code? Will I have to run copper?

Thanks in advance.

 

[iwire]

Are you running a grounding electrode conductor with the service conductors?

Seems unusual.

 

[slybluefox]

Are you running a grounding electrode conductor with the service conductors?

Seems unusual.

Should have took more time on this. I rushed a little.

Anyways, it is a 120/240 single phase system with two hots & a neutral(<-- *grounded* conductor); so I guess this would nullify that article for my application.

Is there anything in the code that would not allow me to splice the aluminum wire in this jbox? I have been told that you cannot splice aluminum underground & that is what I could find in the code about it.

 

[GoldDigger]

As long as the splice is properly insulated and sealed, using a method approved for wet locations and/or direct burial as appropriate, there will be nothing special about aluminum.
If you use a non approved splicing method such as unprotected wire nuts the inevitable bad consequences will come sooner for Al than for Cu.

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