ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues ufer ground

Hi,I have never installed a ufer ground before. I have read the code on it but am unclear on how to install it. Do you just stub up a piece of rebar up out of the footing to put your GEC too? Any help please. Thanks

What I do is get a service location first.Then I lay at least 20 feet of #4 bare copper or if they have rebar I connect to that.Never be at the mercy of the concrete man to stub up a rebar.Install everything yourself.What's nice about a UFER is you don't have to install ground rods

My "Ufer" install is a little more involved. I take a piece of 34 solid copper, at least 30ft. long, and place it so that at least 20ft is alongside the rebar, with the remainder coiled up above the pour, near where the service will be.
The wire in the pour is attached to the rebar in at least two places; I use split bolts for this. I also string out the wire in a straight line, along the rebar; leaving a coil in the concrete just doesn't seem right to me.

This is the Florida style Ufer
http://members.aol.com/gfretwell/ufer.jpg

Mark Ode (at the last IAEI road show I attended)says this is code compliant

Reno, what's "34 solid copper"? I suspect there's a typo there, and I don't ususally comment on typos (I make more than my share myself), but I can't figure out what what you intended. (And I'll allow that perhaps it's exactly what you intended, and I'm just not familiar with nomenclature that's perfectly obviously to everyone else .)

Thanks!

(Edited to fix typo. )

[This message has been edited by SolarPowered (edited 02-11-2006).]

Hint: note that # and 3 are on the same key.

Just met with the local HBA about the Code change to 250.50 and the rebar grounding.
We concluded that 1. If rebar is not required, don't install it. 2. If required and size isn't specified, use 3/8 inch bar.
If rod is 3/8 or not installed just use a ground rod like has been done for years.

If 1/2 inch or larger bar is used it must be used as the grounding electrode. If a Ufer ground is installed and there is 1/2 rod the Ufer must still be bonded to the rod.

The methods described by others work and the Mike Holt site is very helpful.
We're trying to get the contractors to buy some green spray paint so the foundation inspectors know what to look for before the concrete is poured.
Alan--

Thank you Larry...I did mean #4 copper! The Qwerty bird pooped on my keyboard, I guess! :-)