# IFC class for earthing rod

**URL:** <https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/ifc-class-for-earthing-rod/5632>\
**Category:** IFC\
**Tags:** ifc2x3, ifc5, ifc4x3\
**Created:** [September 4, 2024, 12:20am UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/ifc-class-for-earthing-rod/5632 "2024-09-04T00:20:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![namio.sousa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@namio.sousa](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/namio.sousa)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 12:20am UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/ifc-class-for-earthing-rod/5632/1 "2024-09-04T00:20:55Z")

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Is there any IFC class to classify an earthing rod?

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**Author:** ![artur\_tomczak](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.buildingsmart.org/artur_tomczak/32/2632_2.png) [@artur\_tomczak](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/artur_tomczak)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 5:02pm UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/ifc-class-for-earthing-rod/5632/2 "2024-09-05T17:02:30Z")

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I’m not an expert on this, but think the closest generalisation of earthing rod would be the [IfcCableSegment](https://ifc43-docs.standards.buildingsmart.org/IFC/RELEASE/IFC4x3/HTML/lexical/IfcCableSegment.htm) and you can apply the predefined type: CONDUCTORSEGMENT. Alternatively [IfcProtectiveDevice](https://ifc43-docs.standards.buildingsmart.org/IFC/RELEASE/IFC4x3/HTML/lexical/IfcProtectiveDeviceTypeEnum.htm).

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**Author:** ![aothms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@aothms](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/aothms)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 6:30am UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/ifc-class-for-earthing-rod/5632/3 "2024-09-06T06:30:10Z")

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IFC4.4 will likely introduce an IfcEarthingElement as a subtype of IfcFlowTerminal with several predefinedtypes including `GROUNDINGROD`.

 ![afbeelding](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/buildingsmart1/original/2X/6/624f773b4a969de331eb395b9fb7892cf39c2635.png)

![afbeelding](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/buildingsmart1/original/2X/a/ada22fba1de7b2971494d237cceed8f35b8e6df9.png)

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**Author:** ![fmohus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.buildingsmart.org/fmohus/32/106_2.png) [@fmohus](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/fmohus)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 12:22pm UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/ifc-class-for-earthing-rod/5632/4 "2025-05-15T12:22:51Z")

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For IFC 4 (awaiting IFC 4.4) I would suggest IfcCableFittingType with PredefinedType EXIT (or USERDEFINED with attribute ObjectType GROUNDINGROD)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![artur\_tomczak](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.buildingsmart.org/artur_tomczak/32/2632_2.png) [@artur\_tomczak](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/artur_tomczak)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 7:55am UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/ifc-class-for-earthing-rod/5632/5 "2025-06-26T07:55:55Z")

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We have a system for that, please register your suggestion through IFC documentation, by clicking at the: “Help suggest improvements” in the top right corner.

> **[IFC 4.3.2 Documentation](https://ifc43-docs.standards.buildingsmart.org/)**