Ufer ground and ground rods

[Captain Cook]

I am working on a new two story building that has a concrete encased electrode on one end of the building, the service entrance is on the other end, (about 130' away).

My concern is running the ground wire from the service through the building making several twist and turns to get to the encased electrode.

My question is this; In a lightening event would the distance and or numerous turns in the grounding electrode conductor be some thing to be concerned about?

Jeff Cook
Adelco Electric
Middelburg, Fl

 

[ptonsparky]

The telco building I worked on many years ago required a minimum radius in the bend of the GEC as it went through the building. I thought it was overkill at the time but it probably wasn't. I just did the job as drawn and ignored the rest when they shrugged off my suggestion that the many neutral to EG bonds made throuhout the building be corrected.

 

[bphgravity]

The NEC currently provides no guidance on this issue. If you have an approved and acceptable CEE, you are required to use it as a grounding electrode. How and where you install the GEC is a design consideration.

I would certainly consult the project engineer and local AHJ to express your concerns.

I would question, 1. Is there any other closer location to attach to the CEE to the service? and 2. If question 1 is no, is there another route to the CEE without enteringt he building such as a trench around the structure?

 

[Captain Cook]

The structure is wooden, there is no building steel.I didn't think about trenching the conductor around the building to the CCE. Thanks for the suggestion.