CAD Welding

Status
Not open for further replies.
cadpoint

cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Just put in a CAD welded grounding triad with a access out for trannie and main MDP. The Engineering inspector (for engineer of record) stated that I should have shot the weld on the side of the Ground Rod. I've never shot a cad weld to the side as opposed to the top of the rod, do they even make such a beast ?

My first thought is that a side shot would kill the quanity of the rod above, and making it useless any was!
 
cadpoint said:
Just put in a CAD welded grounding triad with a access out for trannie and main MDP. The Engineering inspector (for engineer of record) stated that I should have shot the weld on the side of the Ground Rod. I've never shot a cad weld to the side as opposed to the top of the rod, do they even make such a beast ?

My first thought is that a side shot would kill the quanity of the rod above, and making it useless any was!
Click to expand...

The engineer is a voodoo master. :grin: Brian John will be impressed. ;)

First off a 'grounding triad' is that anything like a 'delta ground' 3 ground rods in a triangle layout.

I would love to hear a scientific reason the cad weld needs to be made on the side.

Would he allow the side of the top or did he mean on the side in the middle of the rod? :D
 
I have had specs call for side shot cadwelds where the top of the rods needed to be exposed inside of test wells. The cable was shot 2' below grade but the top of the rods were just 6" below grade inside of the test wells. Other than that I seen no difference in where the weld is made, as long as it's properly done.
 
the cad welds come in several orientations. I have only received instructions once from an engineer with a request like that, but it was on air terminal downcomers. When doing inspection wells, we have been required to install ground clamps that were removable so that the field engineers could test the ground system and individual rods separately.
 
nakulak said:
When doing inspection wells, we have been required to install ground clamps that were removable so that the field engineers could test the ground system and individual rods separately.
Click to expand...

I have had to do that as well, and the ground clamp specified was a very high quality one.
 
cadpoint said:
Just put in a CAD welded grounding triad with a access out for trannie and main MDP. The Engineering inspector (for engineer of record) stated that I should have shot the weld on the side of the Ground Rod. I've never shot a cad weld to the side as opposed to the top of the rod, do they even make such a beast ?
Click to expand...

They do make such a beast - but there are many more molds for top connections than there is for side connections.

http://www.erico.com/cadweldCatalog/Cadweld/PDF/A1A/CableToGrdRod.pdf
Sounds like to me he should have specified the mold connection he wanted.

iwire said:
The engineer is a voodoo master. :grin: Brian John will be impressed. ;)

First off a 'grounding triad' is that anything like a 'delta ground' 3 ground rods in a triangle layout.
Click to expand...

also sometimes called a counterpoise ground - I think its a geographical terminaology...
 
texassparky said:
I don't disagree - but if they want a ground rod every 6" all the way around their building and can convince the owner they need them, then I will install them :grin:
Click to expand...

Yeah I agree with that as well. :grin:

One of the most elaborate grounding setups I did was at an office building, ground ring, test wells, every column and section of foundation and footings all bonded, a counterpoise ground etc.

Whatever they want .... :grin:
 
iwire said:
Yeah I agree with that as well. :grin:

One of the most elaborate grounding setups I did was at an office building, ground ring, test wells, every column and section of foundation and footings all bonded, a counterpoise ground etc.

Whatever they want .... :grin:
Click to expand...

We used to do something like that a lot back in " dot.com" days when we were doing a lot of data centers....one of those "more money than sense" things as far as I am concerned...No wonder that market crashed:roll:

The hospital I am doing now had a complete ring and "labeled" L.P. system spec'd, we VE'd it out, later we put up a job site camera that takes pictures of the entire site on a 90' pole, it was hit by lightning twice in a month - the engineer put the L.P. system and ground ring back on the drawings :cool:
 
nakulak said:
the cad welds come in several orientations. I have only received instructions once from an engineer with a request like that, but it was on air terminal downcomers. When doing inspection wells, we have been required to install ground clamps that were removable so that the field engineers could test the ground system and individual rods separately.
Click to expand...

Could we then conclude that on Residential applications Cad Welding would be the ideal solution ? No practical need for periodic testing. Couldn't the probes be inserted at the Ground Rod busbar in the service entrance if necessary. This would negate the need to separate the wire from the rod. Thanks.... Rich
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top