Sharring ground rods

[Learning Always]

20 feet is the total distance between the buildings but the second rod from the house is roughly 10 feet from the garage. There isnt any other metallic path between the structures. I have done a similar install with 2 small garages before but wanted to hear the view points of others. Thanks for all the replies!

 

[roger]

There isnt any other metallic path between the structures.

Unless this is an existing installation with a three wire feeder it wouldn't matter if there are multiple metallic paths.

Roger

 

[Dennis Alwon]

If the GEC is bare copper in the earth I could see it as being an electrode itself on the way to the rods.

Roger

Agreed if it is deep enough

Not really, the only application I see for that permission is for an SDS in the same building as the service equipment.

Why? It seems to fit for a separate structure and using the equipment grounding conductor if sized correctly. I believe this was brought up in our yearly meeting and I believe the cmp agreed that it would be allowed but argued that the distance is an issue. Not in the nec, of course they knew that, but logic to them meant not to use it for a long distance.

 

[kwired]

code does allow wire type electrodes

A ground ring, but it can't be 6 AWG that would be typical to run to a rod and it must "encircle the building".

#4 copper can be embedded in concrete to make a CEE but can't be buried in the dirt and called an electrode.