Electrical conductivity of steel reinforcing bar 1

[yakpol]

I understand it's not a very important steel property. For stray current control requirements I need to electrically connect all rebar in the base slab and to provide continuously welded bars equivalent to 70mm^2 of cooper. Searched the web, have found electrical conductivities for all imaginable materials... except for reinforcing steel. Normally material conductivity is given as a percentage of cooper conductivity.

Greatly appreciate your help!

Yakpol

 

[PSlem]

http://www.psihq.com/iread/ufergrnd.htm

 

[dik]

It's not a bad conductor. On two of the projects I'm working on, all reinforcing steel is electrically connected using exothermic welding. These are high voltage switch yard and switch house components for 134 KVa equipment, and everything is at well earthed.

Dik

 

[yakpol]

PSlem,
Thanks for the reference, I just have a hard time with units conversion.converting Surge Amperes Per Foot into S/m (Siemence per meter). For bar diameter 1.0" Surge = 8150 Amperes/ft. What is equivalent in S/m (Siemens/meter)? Shame I forgot electricity almost completely.

 

[ishvaaag]

The data in PSlem reference gives the amount on amperage some length of rebar of a given size can pass to the soil in the conditions described.

It seems you simply need the conductivity of steel to ensure you can deliver the same current than 70 mm2 of copper, to the purpose of selecting some section.

The conductivities in A/(mm^2·V/m) = m/(ohm·mm^2) are

Cu 56
Al 35
Fe 8.5
Steel Wire 6.7

 

[ishvaaag]

Some more values, from other source,

m/(ohm·mm^2)

Pure Iron 10.22

Commercial Galvanized
Siemens-Martin 6.14
High Strenght 4.97
Extra High Strenght 4.77

Contact Rails 7.81 to 6.33

 

[yakpol]

Gentlemen, thank you for your help!

Yakpol