[TowerTalk] Ground rod

[Jim Lux]

On 7/16/13 8:45 PM, David Gilbert wrote:
>
> Please explain why.  I understand why the rebar should not penetrate the
> soil/concrete interface, but I don't understand at all why a copper wire
> shouldn't.
>
small crack with capillary action. The thermal coefficient of expansion 
is also different, so you have the possibility of the crevice getting 
bigger and smaller with every thermal cycle.  Once you get liquid water 
in there, then you have all sorts of potential problems. Above grade, 
you don't get water standing at the join, so the problem is less than 
below grade.

I suppose that a AWG4 copper wire sticking out is probably less of a 
problem than a 1/2" steel rebar. Smaller area to worry about, copper is 
less corrodable than iron, etc.

And you see small steel wires and nails sticking out (e.g. from forms 
that have been stripped off, etc.) so it's probably not a killer.