PRS-EX-MOLD
Graphite weld mold
Reusable mold for an exothermic connection of a specific conductor pair.
Quote by connection type and both conductor sizes. One mold is one geometry.
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Data center products · quote only · separate from land submissions
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Exothermic grounding for data center sites
Below-grade connections on a data center grounding grid are permanent, so the mold has to match the conductors being joined. US sites pour this work with the early civil package, long before the hall is fit out. Send the connection type and both conductor sizes. We do not guess a mold from a rod diameter alone.
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How exothermic connections are used in a data center grounding grid
Exothermic connections join grounding conductors permanently, usually below grade, while civil work is still open. A graphite mold is cut for one geometry: cable to cable, cable to ground rod, or cable to bus. Weld metal fills that mold. The result is a welded joint rather than a clamp that can loosen. Copper-clad ground rods and the clamp, when the detail uses a clamp instead of a weld, are part of the same early grid.
One mold does not make a grid. Each conductor pair needs its own mold. Sending both conductor sizes, and the connection type, is the whole quote. A mold number from the spec locks the metal size. Above grade, the conductors that come up from that grid land on ground bars and are stitched with bonding jumpers.
Soil and foundation questions are not answered by a rod diameter. How the ground will behave under a building is covered in geotechnical conditions for the land. This page quotes the weld materials. It does not design the grid, and it does not claim a resistance number.
One mold is one geometry
Cable-to-cable, cable-to-ground-rod, and cable-to-bus are different molds. A graphite mold is cut for that pair of sizes and is reused only for the same geometry. Weld metal is sized in grams to the mold. If you already have a mold number, include it and the metal size locks in.
Above-grade bonding is a different assembly. See ground bars and bonding jumpers.
Rods, clamps, and the soil question
Copper-clad ground rods and the clamp that lands the conductor are quoted with the grid when it is still being built. Sectional rods should be called out. How the soil will actually behave under a foundation is a land question, covered in geotechnical conditions, not something a rod quote can answer.
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PRS-EX-METAL
Weld metal
Metal cups sized to the mold and the mass of the connection.
Quote by gram size and quantity. The mold number, if you have one, locks the size.
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PRS-EX-ROD
Ground rod and clamp
Copper-clad ground rods with the clamp that lands the grounding conductor.
Quote by diameter, length, and conductor size for the clamp. Sectional rods if specified.
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Codes keep a quote attached to the right line in this catalog. They are not a manufacturer part number. If you have a spec, put it in the notes. We price that request, not a shopping cart.
Frequently asked questions
What information does an exothermic mold quote need?
Connection type and both conductor sizes. Cable-to-rod is not cable-to-cable. One mold is one geometry. If you have a mold number, send it. Weld metal is then sized to that mold. A rod diameter alone is not enough.
How is weld metal sized?
By the mold. The metal cup has to fill that connection. Quoting a random gram size wastes the shot or underfills the weld. The mold number, or the two conductor sizes plus the joint type, is what locks it.
When is a ground rod clamp used instead of a weld?
When the detail says clamp. Many grids weld the conductor to the rod. Some land it under a clamp for a specific reason. Say which. A clamp quote is not a welded connection, and a weld quote will not include a clamp unless you ask.
How many molds does a site need?
One geometry per conductor pair you will repeat. Crews reuse a mold for that same joint and need another mold when the sizes change. Count the joint types on the grounding drawing. We will not guess a mold quantity from acreage.
Does this replace the room ground bar?
No. Exothermic work is typically the buried or permanent joint. The bar in the electrical room is where many above-grade bonds land. Quote both if both are open. They are different materials.
Can you tell me the lead time and the grid resistance?
Lead time comes back on the quote. Molds and metal are not a published shelf. Grid resistance is an engineering result from the design and the soil, not a product spec. See soil conditions for why the land side of that question is separate.