EFFECTS OF CONCRETE ON

TOUCH AND STEP VOLTAGES

IN SUBSTATIONS
IEEE SUBSTATIONS COMMITTEE ANNUAL
MEETING
CHICAGO, IL
MAY 16, 2011

PROJECT SPONSORS
INITIAL PROJECT ON RESISTIVITY OF

CONCRETE FUNDED BY SOUTHERN

COMPANY (PROJECT MANAGER LANE
GARRETT)
FOLLOW-UP PROJECT TO MEASURE TOUCH
AND STEP VOLTAGES FUNDED BY EPRI
(1020031) (PROJECT MANAGER GEORGE
GILA)
BOTH PROJECTS PERFORMED BY NEETRAC
(PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR SHASHI PATEL)

REASON FOR PROJECTS

CONCRETE: FOUNDATIONS, DRIVEWAYS,

ADJACENT SIDEWALKS
IEEE STD 80 SUGGESTS VALUES BETWEEN
30 AND 100 -M FOR WET CONCRETE
THIS SURFACE MATERIAL RESISTIVITY
RESULTS IN EXTREMELY LOW TOLERABLE
TOUCH ANS STEP VOLTAGES

THE ISSUES
HOW WET IS WET?
DOES THE CONCRETE WICK ENOUGH

MOISTURE FROM THE EARTH TO BE

CONSIDERED WET?
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF GROUNDED OR
UNGROUNDED METALLIC REINFORCEMENT
IN THE CONCRETE
IS 30-100 -M CORRECT? IF NOT, WHAT IS
THE CORRECT VALUE? HOW DO YOU
MEASURE IT?

CONCRETE RESISTIVITY
Seven slabs and eleven cylinders poured from same

mix of concrete, with strength rating of 4000 psi and

aggregate approximately 19mm (3/4 in) gravel
Some slabs poured on a conductive substrate, while
others poured on non-conductive substrate to
simulate either highly conductive or highly resistive
underlying soil
Some slabs reinforced with rebar, some with weldedwire mesh and some poured without reinforcement.
Some cylinders poured with wire mesh electrode
placed horizontally at various heights within
cylinder.

SLABS IN TANK, NO WATER

CONCRETE RESISTIVITY

Cylinder
A
B
C
D

DIMENSIONS

ELECTRODE PLACEMENT

152mm diameter
229mm high
(6in diameter
9in high)

NA

127mm (5in) from bottom

152mm (6in) from bottom

178mm (7in) from bottom

203mm (8in) from bottom

I
J
K

152mm diameter
229mm high
(6in diameter
9in high)

NA

RESISTIVITY MEASUREMENTS
VOLUME RESISTIVITY METHOD

FOIL ELECTRODES ON TOP AND BOTTOM OF SLAB

INJECTED CURRENT, MEASURED VOLTAGE

R A/ L

PROVED TO BE BAD TECHNIQUE, DUE TO HIGH

RESISTANCE FILM

4-PIN METHOD

SMALL BOLTS EMBEDDED IN CONCRETE TO

IMPROVE CONTACT RESISTANCE

SPACINGS OF 51, 102, 203 and 305mm (2, 4, 8
and 12 inches

MEASURING RESISTIVITY

CONTROLLING MOISTURE
SLABS AND CYLINDERS CURED FOR 158

AND 227 DAYS, RESPECTIVELY

SLABS RESUBMERGED FOR 31 DAYS, THEN
LIFTED TO ALLOW CONTROLLED DRYING
WEIGHED PERIODICALLY TO DETERMINE
MOISTURE CONTENT

RESISTIVITY VS. MOISTURE

NO REINFORCEMENT, NON-CONDUCTIVE BOTTOM

RESISTIVITY VS. MOISTURE

NO REINFORCEMENT, CONDUCTIVE BOTTOM

RESISTIVITY VS. MOISTURE

NO REINFORCEMENT, CONDUCTIVE BOTTOM

RESISTIVITY VS. MOISTURE

REBAR, NON-CONDUCTIVE BOTTOM

RESISTIVITY VS. MOISTURE

REBAR, CONDUCTIVE BOTTOM

RESISTIVITY VS. MOISTURE

WIRE MESH, NON-CONDUCTIVE BOTTOM

RESISTIVITY VS. MOISTURE

WIRE MESH, CONDUCTIVE BOTTOM

MOISTURE WICKING EFFECTS

CYLINDERS SUBMERGED TO SATURATE,

THEN PLACED VERTICALLY IN 4 INCHES OF

WATER
DETERMINE IF FOUNDATIONS, ETC. CAN
ABSORB ENOUGH MOISTURE FROM EARTH
TO BE CONSIDERED WET
RESISTIVITY MEASURED USING VOLUME
RESISTIVITY METHOD
ELECTRODES EMBEDDED SHOULD NOT BE

SUBJECT TO ERROR FROM HIGH RESISTANCE

FILM

MOISTURE WICKING EFFECTS

MOISTURE WICKING EFFECTS

MOISTURE WICKING EFFECTS

NOTE DARKER
(WETTER) REGION 5-6
INCHES ABOVE WATER
DRY REGION AT TOP
INDICATES LIMIT ON
HOW FAR MOISTURE
CAN WICK

CONCLUSIONS ON RESISTIVITY
THOROUGHLY WET CONCRETE (AFTER

FLOODING?) RANGES FROM 50 -M

(REINFORCED) TO 100 -M ( NON-REINFORCED)
WITH REALISTIC MOISTURE CONTENT AND NO
REINFORCEMENT, RANGES FROM 150 -M
(CONDUCTIVE UNDERLYING SOIL) TO 300 -M
(HIGH RESISTIVITY SOIL
WITH REALISTIC MOISTURE CONTENT AND
WITH REINFORCEMENT, RANGES FROM 50 -M
(CONDUCTIVE UNDERLYING SOIL) TO 100 -M
(HIGH RESISTIVITY SOIL
NOTE: USING THIS, ALONE, MIGHT NOT ACCURATELY

PREDICT TOUCH AND STEP VOLTAGE

TOUCH VOLTAGE ON CONCRETE

24x24 FT GRID WITH 4 MESHES INSTALLED
THREE CONCRETE 6x6 FT SLABS POURED

IN MESHES, ONE LEFT AS SOIL, 4TH SLAB

POURED OUTSIDE GRID
ONE SLAB JUST CONCRETE
ONE SLAB WITH REINFORCING MESH
ONE SLAB WITH REBAR

REINFORCEMENT COULD BE CONNECTED

OR DISCONNECTED FROM GRID

~ 20A INJECTED FROM REMOTE SOURCE

TOUCH VOLTAGE ON CONCRETE

0.91m

0.91m
1.83m

0.91m

0.91m
1.83m3
m

Ground Grid
- 4/0 bare copper
- Buried 0.457m deep

0.91m

1.83m

- exothermic connections

Slab 1

Slab 2

1.83m x 1.83m x
0.254m

1.83m x 1.83m x
0.254m

No reinforcement

Rebars

Rebar to grid
connection

All Slabs
- 27 580kpa
- ~ 19mm gravel

0.91m

- Slabs stick out 0.102m

above earth

0.91m

Slab 3
1.83m

Wire mesh
to grid
connection

0.91m

1.83m x 1.83m x
0.254m
Wire mesh

Soil 1

Slab 4

2.44m x 2.44m Plastic

Cover for Controlled
Soil Surface

1.83m x 1.83m x
0.254m
No reinforcement

(Cover removed during

measurements)

0.91m

TOUCH VOLTAGE ON CONCRETE

SOIL RESISTIVITY MEASURED
~ 20A CURRENT INJECTED INTO GRID
TOUCH VOLTAGES MEASURED ALONG

DIAGONALS OF EACH GRID (RELATIVE TO

GRID POTENTIAL)
GRIDS WITH REINFORCEMENT MEASURED
WITH AND WITHOUT GRID CONNECTION
LAWN SPRINKLERS USED TO WET
CONCRETE AND SOIL

TOUCH VOLTAGE ON CONCRETE

Pad 1

Pad-1
1.24
1.2
4
1.5
1.5

Pad-2Pad

V11

BC1

V21

V12
BC2

V13

V22
V23

V14

1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5

Nine pins to measure

9 pins to measure
concrete resistivity at 2,
concrete resistivity at
4, 8
2 @
2, 4, 8 and 12
@
spacing
4
@
and 12 spacing
8 @

V24

V15
V25

1.5
1.5

1.24

11

Soil 1

Pad 3
2.7
V35

VC4

V34

BC3
V33

Pad 4

Soil-1
VC5

Pad-4

VC3
BC5

V32

BC4
VC2
V41 V42 V43 V44 V45
V45

VC1

V31
2.7
2.7

1
3
3

3
4

VS1

Soil
2

BC6

VS2
VS3
VS4
VS5

Each
Each 1
1 spacing
spacing

TOUCH VOLTAGE ON CONCRETE

Measured Iexp between grid and boots with
Al foil placed at BC1, BC2, BC3, BC4, BC5
and BC6. Boots were worn by 200 lbs
man.
Concrete pins are embedded Wx3/4L

threaded anchors.
Iexp measured across 1000 resistor as a

voltage.
GRIDS WITH REINFORCEMENT MEASURED
WITH AND WITHOUT GRID CONNECTION

TOUCH VOLTAGE ON CONCRETE

TOUCH VOLTAGE ON CONCRETE

The circuit looking from the

two contact points C1 and
C2/C3

Vtoc
or
Vtcc

Vtoc or Vtcc

1000

C1

Vtoc

Rb =
Iex

Iexp

1000

C2

C3

Rcontact
Rthev

Ifault

Rmutual

Igrid

C2/C3

TOUCH VOLTAGE ON CONCRETE

FROM STD 80:Rthev 1.5 s
FROM THE TEST CIRCUIT:

Vtoc I exp Rthev 1000

Vtcc I exp 1000

COMBINING THESE EQUATIONS:

Rthev

Vtoc Vtcc
1000
Vtcc

TOUCH VOLTAGE ON CONCRETE

LARGE PIN SPACINGS
INFLUENCED BY
UNDERLYING SOIL USE
2-4 SPACINGS
AVG WET =196 -M
AVG DRY=264 -M

SOIL MODEL:
UPPER =195 -M
UPPER =1244 -M
H=26 ft
NOTE: WET CONCRETE
NEARLY SAME AS UPPER
LAYER SOIL

TOUCH VOLTAGE ON CONCRETE

TOUCH VOLTAGE ON CONCRETE

TOUCH VOLTAGE ON CONCRETE

Voltages increase as drying of slabs and soils occur. Voltages

on concrete slabs increase at higher rate compared to those

over soil areas.
For a given environmental condition, voltages on Pad 1 (no
reinforcement) and Pad 2 (rebars not grounded) are mostly
higher compared to those on Soil 1 (controlled soil). Voltages
on Pad 3 (ungrounded wire mesh) are close to those on Soil 1.
In wet conditions, ungrounded rebars and wire meshes tend
to equalize voltages spatially (along diagonal). In the process,
touch voltages are reduced in comparison with slab having no
reinforcement (Pad 1). As concrete dries, ungrounded rebars
become less effective with characteristics similar to Pad 1.
Voltage equalizing characteristics of wire meshes remain the
same.
Voltages reduce significantly when rebars or wire meshes are
connected to grid. Due to their close spacing, wire meshes
are more efficient in reducing these voltages.

EXPOSURE CURRENT ON CONCRETE

EXPOSURE CURRENT ON CONCRETE

EXPOSURE CURRENT ON CONCRETE

Between wet and dry conditions, the wet condition

(8/3/09) causes the maximum exposure current at each

location.
The exposure currents reduce at a dramatic rate as the
concrete continue to dry.
Ungrounded rebars or wire meshes have little influence on
exposure currents.
However, grounding of rebars and wire meshes reduces
the exposure current significantly.
Wire meshes is more efficient than rebar in reducing
exposure current.
Overall, the exposure currents are higher on soil areas
compared to concrete locations. Also, as drying occurs,
the exposure currents reduce at a much slower rate
compared to concrete areas.

THEVENIN EQUIVALENT RESISTANCE

THEVENIN EQUIVALENT RESISTANCE

THEVENIN EQUIVALENT RESISTANCE

Wet conditions generally caused the minimum

resistances in series with the feet.

Thevenins resistances increase at a dramatic
rate as the concrete dries.
Slabs with ungrounded rebars or wire meshes do
not show a definite advantage over the slab with
no reinforcement.
However, the influence of grounded rebars and
wire meshes is mostly to increase the
resistances in series with the feet.
Thevenins resistances are lower for the soil
areas compared to concrete locations. Also, as
drying occurs, the resistances increase at a
much slower rate compared to concrete areas.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

STD 80 DERIVES EQUATION FOR EQUIVALENT

BODY CIRCUIT RESISTANCE, THEN MULTIPLIES

THIS BY ALLOWABLE BODY CURRENT TO GET
ALLOWABLE TOUCH VOLTAGE
Etouch50 1000 1.5Cs s IB
THIS IS COMPARED TO COMPUTED (FROM

EQUATIONS OR PROGRAMS) OPEN CIRCUIT

TOUCH VOLTAGE TO DETERMINE IF DESIGN IS
SAFE

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

USING TEST RESULTS FOR SLAB 1 (NO

REINFORCEMENT), WET s = 150 -M soil =195

-M
Etouch50 1000 1.5 *1.0 *150 * 0.03236 39.6V
MEASURED Vtoc = 46V
PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT
WAS CONCRETE ALREADY DRYING?
ACTUAL FOOT RESISTANCE FACTOR IS 1.64, NOT 1.5
TOTAL EQUIVALENT BODY CIRCUIT RESISTANCE IS 13.9%

LOW
WOULD GET BETTER AGREEMENT WITH s = 200 -M
(42V)

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

USING TEST RESULTS FOR SLAB 3

(UNGROUNDED WIRE MESH), WET s = 50 -M

soil =195 -M
Etouch50 1000 1.5 *1.0 * 50 * 0.03235 34.8V
MEASURED Vtoc = 53V
NOT SO GOOD AGREEMENT
WOULD GET BETTER AGREEMENT WITH s = 200 -M

(42V)
ACTUAL FOOT RESISTANCE FACTOR IS 1.64, NOT 1.5
TOTAL EQUIVALENT BODY CIRCUIT RESISTANCE IS 34.3%
LOW

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

USING TEST RESULTS FOR SLAB 3 (GROUNDED

WIRE MESH), WET s = 50 -M soil =195 -M

Etouch50 1000 1.5 *1.0 * 50 * .00173 1.86V
MEASURED Vtoc = 2V
GREAT AGREEMENT!!!
TOTAL EQUIVALENT BODY CIRCUIT RESISTANCE IS ONLY

7% LOW
WOULD GET OK AGREEMENT WITH s = 200 -M (42V)

CONCLUSIONS
REASONABLY CONSERVATIVE VALUE FOR WET

CONCRETE (WITH OR WITHOUT

REINFORCEMENT) = 200 -M
UNGROUNDED REINFORCEMENT GIVES ABOUT
SAME BODY CURRENT AS PLAIN CONCRETE
GROUNDING THE REINFORCEMENT IN CONCRETE
SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCES BODY CURRENT
BASED ON THESE TESTS, STD 80 EQUATION
SLIGHTLY UNDERESTIMATES THE EQUIVALENT
BODY CIRCUIT RESISTANCE
COMPUTATION OF OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE MUST
USE MODEL THAT DEPICTS EFFECTS OF
GROUNDED REINFORCING MATERIAL VOLTAGE
ON SOIL WILL GROSSLY OVERESTIMATE Vtouch