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Welcome to the Virginia Chapter
IAEI
Joint Conference October, 3-5, 2010
Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront
57th and Atlantic Avenue Virginia Beach, VA 23481
Virginia
Plumbing & Mechanical Inspectors Association
Virginia Building and Code Officials Association
Virginia Cross Connection Control Association
International Association of Electrical Inspectors, Virginia
Chapter
Conference
Registration and Information
Mail-in Registration Form
Register online (coming soon)
Conference
Related Documents
Exhibitor Letter
The Georgia Chapter of the
International Association of Electrical Inspectors would like to
invite you to attend the 82nd Annual IAEI Southern Section
Meeting October 10-13, 2010 at the Savannah Marriott
Riverfront located in the beautiful and historic city of Savannah
right on the river. For room reservations, call (800) 634-5215
to register and inform the Hotel that you are registering to stay
for the IAEI Southern Section Meeting.
Online
Registration Now Open!
Download Printable
Registration Forms
FOR
ADDITIONAL INFO. OR QUESTIONS
Contact: Roger McDaniel (770)
603-5309, or email
rodmcdan@southernco.com
We look forward to
seeing you there!
What’s New for
NEC-2008?
Concrete Encased Electrodes.
By Keith Lofland
A proposal was submitted for NEC-2008
to recognize a vertically run concrete-encased electrode as well
as the currently accepted horizontal concrete-encased electrode.
This proposal, ROP 5-152, was originally rejected but was
ultimately accepted in the comment stage by comment 5-86. There
seems to be no technical justification to require that
concrete-encased electrodes (rebars) be located horizontally and
not to accept the vertical position within that portion of a
concrete foundation footing or pier.
One of the reasons that a
concrete-encased electrode is so effective is due to the fact
that the concrete has a much larger surface area in contact with
the earth than other electrodes. In addition, the steel rods or
copper conductors in the concrete are in direct contact with the
concrete. These two facts exist whether the rebars are at the
bottom of the foundations or vertical in a column or pier.
Concrete gives out moisture slowly wherever it is in contact with
the earth, not just at the bottom of the foundation. Concrete
absorbs moisture quickly and loses moisture very slowly. The
mineral property of concrete and its inherent pH means concrete
has a supply of ions to conduct current. The moisture present, in
combination with the surrounding soil, makes for a good conductor
for electrical energy or lightning currents.
Another element involving
concrete-encased electrodes that received some clarification for
NEC-2008 was multiple concrete-encased electrodes present at a
building or structure. At several large commercial (and some
residential) buildings, it is very possible to have several
sections and perhaps multi levels of a foundation with isolated
rebar sections that individually would meet the definition of a
concrete-encased electrode, but with none of these separate
sections being tied together by any intentional conductive path.
The question arose in the past concerning these multiple
concrete-encased electrodes pertaining to whether or not one or
all of these multiple qualifying electrodes are required to be
connected and used in the grounding electrode system. It was made
clear by the addition of the last sentence of Section
250.52(A)(3) in NEC-2008 that only one of these qualifying
sections of a concrete-encased electrode be required to be
connected and used in the grounding electrode system. The
conclusion can be reached that subsidiary conductivity is
provided between these separate sections of steel reinforcing
bars by the eventual common concrete encasement.
More On Arc-Fault!!!
Preventing Shocks and Electrical Fires
By JAY ROMANO - The New York Times
Published: November 18, 2007
HOME electrical fires kill some 480
people a year in the United States, injure more than 2,000 and
destroy more than $868 million in property, the National
Electrical Manufacturers Association says. And while smoke
detectors can alert the household to a fire, other devices can
help prevent a fire in the first place. There are also devices
that can protect people from electrical shock.
Gerard Winstanley, a program manager
for the manufacturers’ group, said that one of the newest and
most effective prevention devices is the arc fault circuit
interrupter, or A.F.C.I., which can replace the ordinary circuit
breaker.
Mr. Winstanley explained that the
device is designed to trip if an arc — basically, a spark flowing
through the air from one piece of metal to another — is detected
anywhere in that circuit. Arcing is dangerous, he said, because
carbon can build up where the arc occurs and can eventually
create enough heat to cause a fire.
The A.F.C.I. is able to distinguish
between the normal arc produced by electrical motors, lights and
switches, and arcs that are occurring where they are not supposed
to.
A.F.C.I.’s must have the same
amperage as the circuit breaker being replaced. While they cost
more — about $30 as opposed to $5 or so for an ordinary circuit
breaker — the money laid out to replace the 15 to 20 breakers in
an average house could be well spent.
Another high-tech device that can
replace ordinary electrical outlets is the ground-fault circuit
interrupter, or G.F.C.I. While not intended to prevent fires,
these devices can keep people from getting shocks.
“G.F.C.I.’s are marvelous devices,”
said John Drengenberg, the consumer affairs manager for
Underwriters Laboratories, the electrical testing organization in
Northbrook, Ill.
G.F.C.I.’s monitor the power going
into an appliance and the power coming out, and if an imbalance
is detected, they will shut down the outlet in microseconds, thus
preventing an electrical shock.
When a G.F.C.I. is the first outlet
of a series of outlets wired together, it will protect against
ground faults in the other outlets. A G.F.C.I. circuit breaker
will protect an entire circuit. A G.F.C.I. outlet costs about
$10, compared with $1 for an ordinary outlet. A G.F.C.I. circuit
breaker is about $30.
One of the most common and least
expensive electrical safety devices is the little gray or orange
connector that converts a three-pronged plug into a two-pronged
one. But it is also the one most likely to be used incorrectly.
Brett Brenner, president of the
Electrical Safety Foundation International, which is affiliated
with the manufacturers’ association, said that for the adapter to
work properly, its grounding wire or tab should be attached to
the face of the outlet, using the screw that holds the outlet
cover in place. Just plugging an appliance into the adapter and
the adapter into the outlet will provide no protection at all.
Additional safety information is
available at
www.esfi.org/safety-tips and at
www.afcisafety.org.
Additional Articles
09/01/2007 - We Interrupt this Circuit Electrical Wholesaling
(1 meg PDF)
05/07/2009 - What is the price of safety? - Indianapolis Star
(5 megs PDF)
Tamper-resistant Electrical Receptacles
What are are
tamper-resistant electrical receptacles and what is the new
requirement? The 2008 National Electrical Code®
(NEC®) will require new and renovated dwellings to have
tamper-resistant (TR) receptacles. These receptacles have
spring-loaded shutters that close off the contact openings, or
slots, of the receptacles. When a plug is inserted into the
receptacle, both springs are compressed and the shutters then
open, allowing for the metal prongs to make contact to create an
electrical circuit. Because both springs must be compressed at
the same time, the shutters do not open when a child attempts to
insert an object into only one contact opening, and there is no
contact with electricity. Tamper-resistant receptacles are an
important next step to making the home a safer place for
children.
Click on this link for more info in a printable PDF
document.
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