[TowerTalk] [Bulk] Re: ground rods and angle...

[Grant Saviers]

There is also the conductive material from Erico for pouring around 
conductors  https://www.erico.com/category.asp?category=R2387 
Interesting videos.
Fillers of something carbon increase the conductivity.  I think others 
may supply fillers for adding to your concrete but I haven't found 
sources/references.

Also conductive concrete for de-icing is being researched with carbon 
fiber filler materials.

Grant KZ1W

On 1/19/2016 7:41 AM, jimlux wrote:
> On 1/19/16 7:26 AM, David Robbins wrote:
>> if you really think you need to expend that much effort to get a good 
>> ground start reading with some of this list: 
>> https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=concrete+bentonite+mix+for+grounding
>>
>>
>
>
> Fascinating..
> there's a mention of a conductive cement mix (presumably bentonite and 
> portland cement and maybe sand?) that you put in dry.  It absorbs 
> moisture from the soil and forms a permanently better conductor. I'm 
> not sure I completely buy this: for ions to be mobile (and conductive) 
> there needs to be moisture.  I can certainly buy that the cement 
> mixture will be more conductive than the surrounding soil, and since 
> in a grounding application, what you're really doing is trying to get 
> a large surface area conductor, it probably works.
>
>
> The ecmweb article (a few hits from the top) describes this process:
>
> Placement of ground enhancement material is quick and easy. For 
> installation around a ground rod (Fig. 4, in original article), auger 
> a 3 in. to 6 in. diameter hole to a depth equal to 6 in. less than the 
> rod length. Drop the rod down the hole with the lower end centered and 
> driven into the earth at least 12 in. Make the connection of the 
> grounding conductor to the ground rod. Then, fill most of the hole 
> using ground enhancement material.
>
>
> The installation of a conductor in a trench involves six steps as 
> listed below. Refer to Fig. 5, for more guidance. Should you use a 
> conductive-type cement for ground enhancement, see the estimated 
> amount of linear feet obtainable from a bag of material for use as 
> ground conductor covering in Table 2 (on page 64P, in original article).
>
>     Dig a trench at least 4 in. wide by 30 in. deep, or below the 
> frost line, whichever is deeper.
>
>     Spread out enough ground enhancement material (either dry or in a 
> slurry) to cover the bottom of the trench, about 1 in. deep.
>
>     Place the conductor on top of the ground enhancement material.
>
>     Spread more ground enhancement material on top of the conductor to 
> completely cover the conductor, about l in. deep.
>
>     Carefully cover the ground enhancement material with soil to a 
> depth of about 4 in., making sure not to expose the conductor.
>
>     Tamp the soil down, and fill in the trench.
>
>
> I can't find "the original article" as referenced in the ecm web page..
>
> But I did find this:
> https://www.erico.com/category.asp?category=R2387#catalog-documents
>
> or
>
> https://www.erico.com/catalog/literature/E978B-WWEN.pdf
>
>
>
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