In making electrical measurements pertinent to determining stray current mitigative measures, it is often desirable to determine the effect of a proposed insulating joint at a predetermined location. By applying a direct current source between the structure and the earth in the manner described in this paper, simulation of an insulating joint is achieved. Since the method is entirely electrical, the placing of temporary insulating joints for test purposes is eliminated. This method can be applied to any structure carrying stray DC earth currents.
In addition to simulating an insulating joint, the associated current and potential measurements are used to determine (1) the resistance to earth of the structure on each side of the point of application, (2) the potential to earth that would exist on each side of a permanent insulating joint, (3) the potential across the permanent insulating joint. They also provide data for determining the resistance and current carrying capacity for a bridging resistor. 4.5.3
