TRM 26

TECHNICAL REFERENCE 1 of 2

MANUAL Rev 3
Civil & Structural
Date: 9/13
STRAY CURRENTS

INTRODUCTION

Direct ground earth leakage current (dc) can cause corrosion of structural steelwork and
reinforcement; in extreme cases it can cause problems with earthing (typically with data processing
equipment which is very sensitive to potential gradients). Building sites situated near electrified
railway lines, and railway structures such as viaducts and bridges are particularly sensitive to this
problem.

STRAY CURRENTS - CAUSE

Electricity supplied from the substations by the conductor rail to the trains, returns via the running
rails. Stray currents are commonly caused by the return dc rail not being electrically isolated from
the general mass of earth and allowing a small percentage of current to flow into the ground
alongside the rail system; these stray currents return to the rail at a different location via the easiest
electrical path. The easiest path may be structural steel within a bridge, or the steel reinforcement of
a nearby building. The point at which the current leaves the steel element becomes an area of
electrolytic corrosion.

Another problem is eddy currents caused by rebar loops around cable ducts, eg:

The complex electromagnetic fields set up by such an arrangement can play havoc with control
equipment.

PROBLEM

Problems are caused within concrete structures because by-products from rebar corrosion use up
more space than the original steel and the expansion can burst the concrete structure.

Stray current related problems have been experienced in most railway structures, particularly with
inspection chambers and maintenance depots.

Rates of corrosion depend upon the magnitude of leakage currents and steel reinforcement
configuration/orientation.

© W SP Group
 TRM 26
TECHNICAL REFERENCE 2 of 2

MANUAL Rev 3
Civil & Structural
Date: 9/13
STRAY CURRENTS

SOLUTION

The complete solution to the corrosion problem is to weld all reinforcement in foundation structures
together in order to provide a direct electrical path back to the substation (A practice followed in
Germany)

A minimum precaution is to discourage stray current from leaking into reinforcement by providing
adequate concrete cover (say min 75mm) using high grade durable concrete and quality control to
ensure uniform concrete cover.

Another solution is to use epoxy coated or stainless steel reinforcement, but the cost could be high.

If the problem is critical, get advice from a qualified consultant such as EMC Consultants etc. who
carry out surveys to map d.c potentials and corresponding earth current in the vicinity of the structure
and give recommendations for protection.

Rebar Loop . The influence of the cable is short range and affects complete rebar loops only.

Therefore ask the electrical designer to define the distance from the cable where effects on the rebar
loops become negligible. Then use pvc split sleeves to break all loops within this distance thus:

Make the intention and nature of this system clear on the tender drawings, and make sure the
contractor and RE know what to do.

KEYWORDS

Stray currents.

Author: Ben Karunasekera, WSP Buildings, Wimbledon

Sponsor: Group Technical Centre
Revision record:
6/96 Rev 2
9/13 Rev 3. Formatting updated.

© W SP Group