♦ TIPS OF THE TRADE ♦

There’s money to be saved.

opperclad ground rods cost too much.

C Changing to galvanized steel can take up

to 58 percent out of ground rod cost.
Based on 1995 average prices, a 5/8-inch 8-
foot-long copperclad ground rod cost
$6.25. Galvanized cost for the same size was $3.94 for a
savings of $2.31 per rod.
Calculate the savings over a utility’s annual ground rod
usage and the savings are substantial.
There is little difference in electrical resistance between
galvanized and copperclad rods; and, in any event, the
resistance of the ground rod is negligible when compared
to the resistance of the earth itself. Also, use of
copperclad rods requires special care to prevent galvanic
action and rapid corrosion of anchor rods, anchors, piles,
and associated hardware.
These are the major conclusions which may be drawn
from a recent comparison study of galvanized-steel
ground rods and copperclad-steel ground rods.
Resistance Study
Observation of a ground rod system shows that its
resistance to the earth may be considered to have three
components.
1. The resistance of the ground rod itself
Ground rods are adequate in cross-section so their
resistance is a negligible part of the total resistance of
the ground rod system. The resistance of a 5/8 -inch
mild-steel ground rod 8-foot-long is .00196 ohms, as
calculated from the resistivity of mild steel. 1

1
 2. The interface resistance between
ground rod and earth
Study by the National Bureau of Standards
has shown that for a ground rod free of grease
or paint, the contact resistance between the
ground rod and earth is negligible.2
3. Resistance of earth around ground rod
The resistance of the earth around a single
ground rod is commonly calculated from the
following equation developed by H. B.
Dwight.3
ρ 4L
R=
2πL [ ln ( a ) -1 ]

Where ρ = Average soil resistivity - (ohms-cm)

L = Ground Rod Length - (cm)
a = Ground Rod Radius - (cm)
R = Resistance of Ground Rod
to Earth - (ohms)

Figure 1 shows the earth resistance for a 5/8-

inch-diameter ground rod (8-foot and 16-foot
lengths) in soils of various resistivities as calcu-
lated by the earth resistance formula. Note that
the resistances are high as compared to the
resistance of the ground rod itself. In fact, the
earth resistance is 600 to more than 10,000
times the resistance of the ground rod itself.
Corrosion of Ground Rods
The earth’s resistance is by far the major compo-
nent of resistance in a grounding system. So,
from an electrical standpoint, galvanized and
copperclad rods are nearly identical. However,
an installed ground rod should resist corrosion
well enough to provide a sufficient metallic cross
section throughout its anticipated life.
The National Association of Corrosion Engi-
neers conducted a seven-year study of grounding
materials at 20 test sites across the nation.(4) The
ground rods were examined at 1, 3, and 7 year
intervals. The study was conducted both on
individual ground rods and on various materials
coupled to each other. The data on single
copperclad rods, single galvanized rods, single

CONTINUED, NEXT PAGE

➥
2

Corrosion Weight Loss — (Grams Per Year)
A Copperclad Ground Rod
B Galvanized Steel Ground Rod
C Bare Steel Ground Rod
Galvanized Ground Rod Coupled
D to Copperclad Ground Rod
0 10 20 30
Figure 2
bare-steel rods, and galvanized rods bonded
to copperclad rods are shown in Figure 2,
which compares ground rod weight loss per
year for the various materials.
Figure 2 shows, as expected, that the
copperclad ground rod (A) has better
corrosion resistance than the galvanized (B)
or bare-steel ground rods (C). The graph
also shows that when a galvanized rod is
coupled to a copperclad rod (D), as would
be the case with a copperclad ground rod
and a galvanized anchor rod in a bonded
system, a galvanized rod (D) corrodes at a
rate of 10 times faster than would be the
case if a galvanized ground rod (B) were
used. This is one reason Rural Utility
Services (RUS formerly REA) suggests the
use of galvanized steel for grounding. To
quote RUS:
“Galvanized steel materials are suggested
for grounding of all distribution lines,
above ground and underground. This is a
continuation of practices that have been
recommended by RUS since the early
1960s for pole lines and, more recently, for
underground construction.”(5)
Average corrosion
weight loss for 7-year
The average corrosion rate of 5.6 grams per
period at 20 sites year of the galvanized ground rod shown in
across the nation. Figure 2 can be shown to represent ap-
Data from N.A.C.E.
driven ground rod 1- proximately 15 years of service before the
3-7 year test program galvanizing is gone. This assumes average
coating of 2.26 oz/ft2 of galvanizing.
Chance production SPC records on 5/8 -
inch ground rods show an average coating
of 2.26 oz/ft2.
When the galvanizing is gone, a bare steel
rod corrodes at an average rate of 15 grams
per year as shown in Figure 2. Assuming
40 50 60
this rate for the balance of nominal 30-year
service life, or 15 years (30-15=15), the
diameter of the ground rod will be reduced
by approximately 0.019 inch.
CONTINUED, NEXT PAGE
➥
3
 Of course, this diameter decrease will cause the ground rod resistance to increase; but
as seen below, the increase is negligible.
Resistance of 5/8 -inch ground rod
reduced .019" in dia. = 0.002088 ohms.
Original resistance 5/8"
ground rod = 0.001962 ohms.
Resistance increase = 0.000126 ohms.
This corresponds to a resistance increase of 6.4 percent. The resistance increase is
obviously quite small when compared to the resistance of the earth as shown in Figure
1 (previous page) (0.01 percent to 0.0005 percent of the resistance of the earth).
How to Install Ground Rods
Ground rods should be installed near the ground wire and the base of the pole. The
rod must be driven to its full length into the ground and, after driven in place must
have a resistance less than 25 ohms (National Electric Safety Code Rule 96.8). If the
resistance is greater than 25 ohms, an additional ground rod must be used in parallel.
The ground wire must be wrapped around the mounting hardware bolt and the
mounting hardware tightened firmly to assure a continuing bond.
By using Chance galvanized ground rods, you can save money at no sacrifice of
performance. Chance has a complete family of rods and the necessary clamps. Talk to
your representative and cut your costs. ■

References:
(1) Resistivity of mild steel from page 15-6 of Marks Handbook 8th Edition.
(2) “Grounding Connections for Electrical Systems”, O.S. Peters, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Bureau
of Standards, Technological Paper 108, June 1918.
(3) “Calculation of Resistance to Ground”, H.B. Dwight, Electrical Engineering, Vol. 55, December 1936.
(4) “Driven Ground Rod 1-3-7 Year Test Program”, Final Report, Draft No. 2 September 1971, National
Association of Corrosion Engineers.
(5) Manual on “Underground Corrosion Control in Rural Electric Systems”, REA Bulletin 161-23, October
1977, Part IV, page 18.

4
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