[TowerTalk] Grounding HDX-555

[Jim Lux]

On 5/5/13 4:06 PM, Steve Jones wrote:
> US Tower provided me a grounding diagram with my tower.  It was two 8'
> ground rods with #2 copper conductors.  The local California county building
> dept. had me add a Ufer ground to by connecting a #2 copper wire to the
> rebar cage and bringing it out below grade to the two ground rods.  Not sure
> if this would be good enough for West TX.
>

*below grade*?? That's pretty unusual.  What county?

California's State Electrical Code (Title 24) which is basically the NEC 
with some changes, requires concrete encased grounding electrodes (aka 
Ufer grounds) for virtually all applications.  You might have additional 
grounding electrodes (e.g. water pipes, rods, etc.) , but they're going 
to want you to bond those to the Ufer ground.

History shows that lots of "rod only" or "cold water pipe" grounds 
eventually fail.  The clamp gets loose from temperature cycling or 
corrodes off, the pipe is replaced with plastic by the utility, etc. One 
of the big advantages of a Ufer ground (other than the fact that it 
works really well as a ground) is that it is maintenance free and 
doesn't degrade. Once installed, it will last forever.