rebar bond

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shelco

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I was contracted to wire a small horse barn 30X40.
The stalls are dirt floor but the center is concrete to drive vehicle through.
The concrete was poured with no notice to me or the home owner. No rebar bond was place yet, is it required as the concrete area is not the area of containment for the live stock. or do we have to bust up concrete to find rebar or mesh?
 
shelco said:
the concrete area is not the area of containment for the live stock.
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Well, looking at 547.10(A):
(A) Where Required. Equipotential planes shall be installed in all concrete floor confinement areas in livestock buildings, and in all outdoor confinement areas such as feedlots, containing metallic equipment that may become energized and is accessible to livestock. The equipotential plane shall encompass the area where the livestock stands while accessing metallic equipment that may become energized.
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Is there metallic equipment that may become energized in this aisle?

Also, it depends on your definition of livestock. Are horses included? ;) :D
 
No equipment in this isle area. there are waterers in the stalls (dirt floor) that we will bond but nothing in the concrete area.
I would classify horses as live stock but that is my opinion, The inspectors is the opinion that matters.
Thanks
Shelco
 
Yeah I would forget about if the inspector misses it. Nothing better than getting sued down the road for some dead horses.

(Thats sarcasm in case you did not pick up on it)
 
"It looks like you missed it.
But I'd wait till the inspector calls it. You might get lucky & not have to install it.
Its the same work & time to do it later as now."


I do not understand that statement. We are in this business to do good, safe work. Not to see if we can get away with it if the inspector or someone else does not see it. No wonder this industry is taking such a hard slap these days.
77401, are you an electrician?

The reason the concrete is bonded is for creating an Equipotential Bonding Plane. This in general will keep the livestock from feeling the shocks through earth that they are very sensitive to. See the definition in 547.2, and the requirements in 547.10
 
iwire said:
Yeah I would forget about if the inspector misses it. Nothing better than getting sued down the road for some dead horses.

(Thats sarcasm in case you did not pick up on it)
Click to expand...
Is that sarcasm part of you positive attitude? I like it regardless. I might add, it sure was nice of you to point it out.
 
wow this thread has taken a turn.
As I stated ,the concrete was poured without the chance to install the bond which I was going to do as a precaution since I could not get a definite interpretation. I now just wish to get the correct interpretation, If this is not considered confinement area then I guess the code does not consider it a potential hazard. I doubt anyone would hope a code violation would get missed just to aviod doing it right.
 
Yeah I read it but I was giving the benifit of doubt that was not realy what he meant.
The reason I posted was to make sure it does get done right.
 
Shelco, If the animals step from the dirt to the concrete you will need to create an equipotential plane
 
From Mike Holt

Agricultural Buildings


547.10 Equipotential Planes and Bonding of Equipotential Planes

The rules for equipotential planes were reorganized and completely rewritten to clarify where an equipotential plane is required and where it?s not required. The revised rule is as follows:

(A) Areas Requiring Equipotential Planes. Equipotential planes must be installed in all concrete floor confinement areas of livestock buildings that contain metallic equipment that is accessible to animals and likely to become energized.

Outdoor concrete confinement areas, such as feedlots, must have equipotential planes installed around metallic equipment that is accessible to animals and likely to become energized. The equipotential plane must encompass the area around the equipment where the animal stands while accessing the equipment.

Author?s Comment: An equipotential plane is an area where wire mesh or other conductive elements are embedded in or placed under concrete, bonded to all metal structures and fixed nonelectrical equipment that may become energized, and connected to the electrical grounding system [547.2].


(B) Areas Not Requiring Equipotential Planes. Equipotential planes are not required in dirt confinement areas containing metallic equipment that is accessible to animals and likely to become energized. All circuits providing electric power to equipment that is accessible to animals in dirt confinement areas must have GFCI protection.

(C) Bonding. Equipotential planes must be bonded to the building or structure electrical grounding system. The bonding conductor shall be copper, insulated, covered or bare, and not smaller than 8 AWG. The 8 AWG bonding conductor must terminate to wire mesh or conductive elements of the equipotential plane by pressure connectors or clamps of brass, copper, copper alloy, or an equally substantial approved means.

FPN No. 1: Methods to establish equipotential planes are described in Equipotential Planes in Animal Containment Areas, American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) EP473-19.

Author?s Comment: Stray Voltage Check Sheet and Dairyman's Stray Voltage Checklist are available from University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service, Madison, WI 608-262-3346.

FPN No. 2: Low grounding electrode system resistances may reduce potential differences in livestock facilities.

Intent: The intent of the revisions is to clarify that an equipotential plane is not required for indoor or outdoor dirt confinement areas, if GFCI protection is provided for electrical equipment accessible to animals in the confinement areas
 
This is it I promise ...
From the Department of Labor and industries

Equipotential planes are necessary in ?animal confinement areas? where the livestock are exposed to more than one
electrical conductive element, including things like watering units, feeders, metal partitions, stalls, or milking
equipment. In such areas, the potential for ?stray? currents would exist if all the conductive surfaces were not
bonded together. Additionally, a ?voltage gradient or voltage ramp? may be necessary at entrances and exits to the
equipotential plane to reduce the potential for an animal to receive a shock as it steps onto or off the plane. The
voltage differential cannot be totally eliminated, but it can be reduced to acceptable levels.
 
If there is nothing on (or near) the concrete consuming electricity, then we're in agreement there is no equipotential bonding grid required, yes?
 
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