Rebar in Farm Building

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jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
I know I should bond to rebar or grid wire if present in a farm building floor. Any guidelines how much concrete I should break up to look for it? If I don’t find any, am I good to drive a piece into the ground underneath & bond to it? I would pour concrete bak in to patch & secure.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
What is building used for?

NEC doesn't really differentiate a lot but equipotential bonding grid is more critical for large animals than for small animals.

Dairy farm - lots of potential problems if not careful about this.

Poultry farm - you will probably never know the difference if you installed EBG or not.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
What is building used for?

NEC doesn't really differentiate a lot but equipotential bonding grid is more critical for large animals than for small animals.

Dairy farm - lots of potential problems if not careful about this.

Poultry farm - you will probably never know the difference if you installed EBG or not.
This was a dairy farm building years ago. They are now keepin big a horse in it. They want a light in each room & a few receptacles along 1 wall for a workbench. Plus 1 receptacle 10 feet from building for an electric fence.

I’d rather overdo than skimp. 1 horse may become 2 and they may get other animals over time. I also plan to bond the metal roof. Building is very old but in reasonably good shape.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Is anything connected to the EGC, which is connected at the service to the grounded conductor, normally within reach of the animals? If not, bonding the floor isn't really accomplishing all that much. Equipotential bonding is to assure the floor is at same potential as anything else they may come in contact with that is conductive, if electrical system grounding conductor isn't introduced to anything they can touch they are already sort of on an island electrical potential wise.

This is part of why it is even more critical in dairies. Old dairies had some troubles - if anything the piping taking milk away was the main issue, otherwise they not normally in contact with much of anything that is somehow connected to the EGC but now milking areas are often loaded with electrical equipment. NEC wrote the rules in a one size fits all manner though.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
If you have existing concrete floor that isn't bonded, and you bond it but don't have appropriate "ramps" at entrances, you possibly make it worse for the horses than if you just left it as is.
 
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