Building inspector red tagged my footers because they were not grounded???

[gordon21]

I am finally starting the footers on my log cabin on the mountain top. The building inspector red tagged the work because there was no ground wire connected to the steel rebar. He wants about 18-20' of #4 copper wire connected to the rebar and left laying next to the footers. This wire will eventually connect to the meter box on the first floor exterior wall. There is going to be a full basement. The wire is supposed to run from the rebar up the basement wall buried in dirt and then connect to the meter. This will be in addition to the standard 8' long 5/8" grounding rod required by the electrical inspector.

I am confused. The rebar will be buried in the middle of the footers which are 24" wide and 12" deep. Theoretically, the rebar will never touch the earth, only the concrete surrounding it. What purpose does connecting the meter box to the rebar serve?? Is this normal in other parts of the country??

 

[Coyote]

It does ground the service to the house. I have a steel pole sticking up from my concrete driveway right at the house just below the meter for the same purpose. Otherwise if you are hit, the juice wil terminate in the meter = bang!

 

[mjarrels]

Yep... I have rebar driven into the ground in my basement just under the electric box.

mark

 

[dfkrug]

The electrical code requires this "Ufer" ground. Local jurisdiction can
interpret it to mean splicing to rebar before the pour or just laying
the copper wire 20 feet inside the footer. I chose not to splice to
avoid electrolytic corrosion.

 

[gordon21]

I guess the local inspectors use the "belt & suspenders" method. They will also require the 8' long ground round directly under the meter.

 

[Marcussen]

The concrete will always contain some moisture, connecting a ground to the rebar in the poured footer is cheap effective ground.

This link explains the Ufer ground
The Ufer Ground

 

[gordon21]

That link was very informative reading. Thanks.

I am used to Florida building codes where the ground rod goes only a few feet before it hits the water table and plenty of limestone. My old irrigation well had water standing in it all the time at about 6-8' depth.

The house site that got red tagged was over 100' over the water table. My well is 200' with 100' of standing water in it. I can now see why the grounding is a more important issue at this elevation.

 

[kennyd]

Footer grounds are mandatory where I live, and it's cheap to do

 

[flusher]

I am finally starting the footers on my log cabin on the mountain top. The building inspector red tagged the work because there was no ground wire connected to the steel rebar. He wants about 18-20' of #4 copper wire connected to the rebar and left laying next to the footers. This wire will eventually connect to the meter box on the first floor exterior wall. There is going to be a full basement. The wire is supposed to run from the rebar up the basement wall buried in dirt and then connect to the meter. This will be in addition to the standard 8' long 5/8" grounding rod required by the electrical inspector.

I am confused. The rebar will be buried in the middle of the footers which are 24" wide and 12" deep. Theoretically, the rebar will never touch the earth, only the concrete surrounding it. What purpose does connecting the meter box to the rebar serve?? Is this normal in other parts of the country??

I have a "Ufer" ground installed in the concrete slab for my garage/shop (see photo).

There are two rings of #5 rebar in the footer. I attached the copper ground wire to the lower rebar ring. The building inspector made me move it to the upper ring. Didn't ask why. Just wanted the inspection sheet signed off.

 

[toolaholic]

See if the insp. will go for 2 ground rods connected togeather, He od She should. I'm a lic. gen. contr. Ca.