In Practice

摘要

Q: What's the best way to drive an earth rod into the ground? I'm having very little success, even with a sledgehammer. A: The 'best way' depends entirely on the ground conditions beneath that specific spot. In soft, loose ground, a few taps with a fairly heavy hammer will drive the rod straight in... but many of us are not so lucky. An earth rod is no kind of rock drill, so if the pointed end hits something that it can't either push aside or break through, it will stop dead. No amount of further hammering will help after that - it will only curl the point over. Time to call for reinforcements!