UFER Grounding and Vapor Barriers

[electrofelon]

If the footing counts as a CEE, then I agree, use that. However what if the footing also has a vapor barrier?

I have never seen a footing with a vapor barrier.

A bit off topic, but I do like the idea of having a vapor barrier on the wall somewhere to prevent "rising damp" in the wall concrete and just keeping it dryer. I don't think putting a vapor barrier under the footing would accomplish much as it would likely just fill up with water. If I was doing it, I would put a vapor barrier between the top of the footing and the wall.

 

[Strathead]

Be careful how hard you push this, or someone will decide that you need to use _conductive_ polyethylene as your vapor barrier. Making a conductive vapor barrier is no big deal; you just add carbon to the film and $$$ to the price.

To the OP: Don't try to paint the lily; you recognize that with the electrically insulating vapor barrier you don't have a proper Ufer electrode. Don't try to make something new up to overcome this issue; instead just install one of the code accepted grounding electrodes, and move on. Two ground rods is a very common approach, but plates, ground rings, etc. are other options.

If the local AHJ continues to require connecting to rebar, just call it 'locally required bonding' and move on.

Ufer type ground electrodes are great, but unless you are handling explosives in the basement I'd put the money into better corrosion protection for the rebar, and just use the minimum required grounding electrodes.

Technically, it wouldn't change my post, the code states, "in direct contact with the earth". A conductive barrier is still a barrier to earth. Also we don't install the moisture barrier so we don't really care.(just being argumentative.) However, they could just start requiring us to do a fall of potential test on the UFER. That would be a pain.

 

[kwired]

A conductive barrier is still a barrier to earth.

If conductive barrier, up front may seem like is not a barrier, but I think moisture in soil/concrete helps enhance what connection is there so this could still be inhibiting compared to concrete in direct contact with soil.