Maintenance free Earthing System – specification

Maintenance free earthing system shall be suitable for electrical and electronic application,
comply with the requirements as per National Building Code - 2016. Earthing system shall
offer a resistance less than specified, stable throughout the year. Multiple interconnected
earth electrodes (vertical rods, plates and horizontal conductor) are to be installed to get
the required value and dissipation of fault current.

For transformer neutral short circuit level need to be calculated based on IS 3043 and IS
13234 (IS/IEC 60909-2002). Earthing conductor and connections shall ensure that the
current is not exceeding the permissible current density.

Corrosion and Life of earth electrodes

Earthing system life is greatly influenced by corrosion. Electrochemical corrosion and
galvanic corrosion shall be dealt with great care. Bimetallic connections offer resistance
against electro chemical corrosion. Selection of materials decides its galvanic corrosion. GI
material in soil will corrode much faster than expected due to galvanic corrosion. Copper /
copper coated steel are resistant against galvanic corrosion, hence shall be used in
Maintenance free earthing system. Hence technologies such as pipe-in-pipe, rod-in-
pipe..etc. is not allowed. Instead solid rods and plates either copper or copper coated steel
shall be used.
Note – NBC:2016 – Metals inserted inside pipe will not influence the resistance value.

Need and importance of Earthing:

 Human and Personnel safety by automatic disconnection of power supply
 Equipment protection as the base for equipotentialisation.
 Provides low impedance path for fault currents.
 To ensure good quality power as a base for Voltage.
 Protection against lightning and transient currents, noise reductions, Limitation of
EMI.

References:

IS 3043: Code of practice for earthing

NBC-2016: National Building Code - 2016
IS 13234 (IS/IEC 60909): Short circuit current calculation of a 3 phase AC system.
IEC 60364 – Various parts: Low Voltage Electrical Installations: LV networks, Selection &
Erection of Electrical equipment, earthing arrangement & protective conductors
IS/IEC 62305:Protection against Lightning –Part 3: Protection of structures & life Hazards
IEC 62561: Lightning Protection System Components.
UL 467: Grounding and Bonding Equipment
Components of earthing system:
 Earth electrode system consisting of vertical and horizontal electrodes confirming to
IEC 62561-2 & UL 467
 Couplers, Connectors and exothermic welding confirming to IEC 62561-1, 4 and
IEEE 837
 Earth conductor tested to IEC 62561-2 and IEC 60364
 Inspection Chamber (Earth Pit)
 Earth enhancement material confirming to IEC 62561-7

Earth Electrode: (Vertical Rods)

Copper coated Solid Steel Rods are to be used as vertical electrode. These electrodes
shall be made of high tensile low carbon steel rod, molecular bonded with 99.9%
electrolytic copper with minimum coating thickness of 250 microns. The minimum length of
the earth rod shall be 3 meters which is either a single rod or smaller rods with couplers or
similar arrangement. Deeper rods can be used if necessary. The rod as well as the
couplers should satisfy the requirements as per the above-referred standards. For
Lightning protection application rods should have a diameter of 14.2 mm or 17.2 mm. For
other applications, selection need to be done based on the current density of material and
expected short circuit current (eg 20 mm or 25 mm rods).Approximate Short Circuit current
withstand capacities shall be

Rod Dia in mm I peak I rms (kA)

(kA)
14.2 31 14
17.2 45 18
20 76 30
25 100 40
32 100 50

Vertical Earth electrodes are to be exothermically welded to a copper strip of 25* 6mm or
higher size with provisions for connecting at least 6 leads. Connections to this copper strip
which is exothermically welded to rod shall be made only with SS bolt and nuts.

Earth Electrode: (Vertical plates)

Solid copper plates of 3 mm thick need to be used as plate electrode. The electrodes need
to be buried at least up to a depth of 2 meters below surface. Size of the plates shall be as
per the short circuit current requirement in general 600*600 mm plates are used.
Connecting wires shall be of copper multicore conductor 70 SQMM, with each strand
thickness more than 1.7 mm as specified in IS/IEC 62305, IEC 62561-2 and IEC 60364-5-
54. For application with higher current density, large size plates need to be selected with
more runs of 702mm copper conductor.

Interconnection of plates with copper conductor shall be made only with Exothermic
welding as per the drawing.

Interconnecting Strips / Earthing Conductor:

All connections made in an earthing system above or below ground should meet electrical
conductivity, corrosion resistance, current carrying capacity, and mechanical strength of
the conductor. These connections should be strong enough to maintain a temperature rise
below that of the conductor and to withstand the effect of heating and the mechanical
forces caused by fault currents. Consideration shall be given to electrolytic corrosion when
using different materials in an earthing arrangement. The complete connections shall be
able to resist corrosion for the intended life of the installation

Copper coated steel conductor shall be used to interconnect different vertical electrodes as
a horizontal ring earthing conductor. Horizontal electrode shall have a minimum copper
coating thickness of 100 microns. For applications other than short circuit current, the
conductor shall have minimum cross sectional area of 75 Sqmm. (10 mm solid steel
conductor coated with copper 100 microns). For application where higher short circuit
currents are expected, conductor needs to be selected as per current density. Maximum
allowed current density is 46 Amps / Sq.mm. for steel and 118 amps/ sq mm for copper.

Couplers / Connecting clamps:

Couplers for interconnecting rods should be made of Brass or any other copper alloy,
which is resistant to corrosion. For rods with diameters larger than 20 mm self-locking
arrangements are preferable instead of couplers. Connectors for connecting Electrode with
earthing conductor/strip should be of brass/copper alloy / SS or exothermic weld.
Fasteners shall be made of Stainless steel. Connections / Joints under soil shall be
exothermically welded. Other forms of welding or screws / bolt nuts are not allowed.

Inspection Chamber:
Should have a dimension of 320 X 320 X 190 mm made of concrete. Flush Mounted,
removable should be able to withstand 5kN.

Earth Enhancement material:

Earthing enhancing compound is a conductive concrete based mineral compound
producing low resistance of an earth termination system. Material of the earthing
enhancing compound shall be chemically inert to subsoil. It shall not pollute the
environment. It shall provide a stable environment in terms of physical and chemical
properties and exhibit low resistivity. The earthing enhancing compound shall not be
corrosive to the earth electrodes being used.

The compoundshall be tested and certified as per IEC 62561-7 and also fulfill Toxicity
Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) requirements. Use of salt (NaCl – sodium
chloride) for artificial treatment of soil should be avoided as it accelerates corrosion.

Quality Requirement – Earth electrodes

All components of earthing system shall meet the following quality requirements as
specified in NBC-2016 as per IEC 62561

Earth electrodes shall be tested as per IEC 62561 and shall have a minimum tensile
strength of 600 N/mm2. Type test as well as sampling tests shall be done if necessary as
per the client’s requirement. The rods shall pass Coating measurement requirements as
well bend and adhesion test. The overall electrical resistance shall be as per the
requirements of the standard.

Accelerated corrosion resistance test shall be conducted as below

 Salt mist test as per IEC 60068-2-52:1996. The salt mist chamber shall maintain the
temperature conditions as specified in IEC 60068-2-52:1996 at relative humidity of
not less than 90 %.
 Humid sulphurous atmosphere treatment shall be in accordance with ISO
6988:1985 with seven cycles with a concentration of sulphur dioxide. Each cycle
which has duration of 24 h is composed of a heating period of 8 h at a temperature
of 40 °C ± 3 °C in the humid saturated atmosphere which is followed by a rest
period of 16 h.
 Ammonia atmosphere treatment shall be in accordance with ISO 6957:1988 for a
moderate atmosphere with the pH value 10.

Quality Requirement – Earth Enhancing Compound

Earth enhancement material shall be tested as below.

 Leaching test shall be performed according to EN 12457-2: for Fe (iron); Cu

(copper); Zn (zinc); Ni (nickel); Cd (cadmium); Co (cobalt): Pb (lead). Determination
of the concentrations of constituents of interest shall be performed according to EN
12506.
 Test for the determination of sulphur shall be performed according to ISO 4689-3 or
ISO 14869-1 and the adapted analyses instrumentation (ICP-OES, ICP-AES or
other ICP methods) and the measured values shall be less than 2%.
 Apart from this, the material also shall be tested as per TCLP requirements.
Quality Requirement – Exothermic welding
Exothermic welding shall be tested as per IEEE837 and IEC 62561 as below

 Mechanical Test (Electro Magnetic Force Test) to determine if the strength of

connection due to electromagnetic forces during a fault. For a multi-range
connection, electromagnetic force tests shall be performed on the connection joining
the Largest – to - largest and largest – to - smallest conductors for which the
connection is designed.
 Current-temperature cycling test to ensure the performance criteria of
connections subjected to temperature changes caused by fluctuating currents. Test
shall be done at an ambient of 10 °C to 40 °C.
 Freeze-thaw test to ensure the resistance of the connections subjected to repeated
cycles of freezing and thawing in water.
 Corrosion tests to evaluate the corrosion resistance of connections. The acid and
salt spray test sequences are independent of each other. Both sequential tests such
as Salt Spray and acid test shall be performed.
 Fault-current test to determine connection passing the previous tests will withstand
fault-current surges.
 Additional samples also shall be tested as per IEC 62561

Installation:
 Normal soil in Marsh land: Electrodes can be hand driven or hammered into earth
for the required length.
 Semi Hard Soil: Electrodes can be hammered electrically or hydraulically for the
required length. For this purpose use rod with a diameter not less than 20 mm
 Hard Soil: Bore a hole with a minimum diameter of 100 MM with at a depth of up to
3 meters. Place the electrode at the center of the hole in such a way that bottom 100
mm of the electrode is in bond with the mother soil. For deep driven rods with depth
more than 3 meters, remaining length of the rod should be driven into the mother
soil. Fill the hole with earth enhancement compound tested to IEC 62561-2

Inspection & maintenance:

Inspection of the earthing system has to be done at least once in 6 months, preferably
before the monsoon period and a record should be maintained to verify earthing system
conductors and components, electrical continuity, earth resistance value, re-fastening of
components via-nuts; bolts etc. need to be carried out.

Drawing:
Layout of the complete earthing system with dimensions shall be submitted.
Warranty:
Earthing system should provide stable resistance for a period of 18 months after
installation as well as for full season. During this period monthly readings are to be
recorded by the end user.

Approved make: CAPE electric

Earth electrode: Vertical Rod
14.2 mm – CBR 1410 art 300 010
17.2 mm – CBR 1710 art 300 060
20 mm – CBR 2010 art 300 110
25 mm – CBR 2510 art 300 150
Earth electrode: Plate
CPE 600 art.no 300 740

Earth conductor: Horizontal electrode

10 mm round conductor 100 meter coil SRC 10-CU (art no 400 010)
30* 4 mm strip conductor in 100 meter coil SFC 30-CU (art no 400 034)
40* 4 mm strip conductor in 100 meter coil SFC 40-CU (art no 400 044)

Earth Enhancing Material:

PRO-CEM 12.5 art 300790

Couplers / Connecting clamps & Inspection Chamber; CAPE

 7
125
400 125

6
DETAIL A

400

5 1250
3

50
25 75

2
4

DETAIL A
3000

Description
DESCRIPTION
1. Copper / Copper bonded steel rod (ref table 1 for sizes) 5. Copper Strip – 25*6 mm or higher
2. 1) COPPER
Earth / COPPER
Enhancement MaterialBONDED EARTH
(confirming to IECROD
62561-7) 4) M10 BOLTS
6. Exothermic AND NUTS
Welding
3. Inspection Chamber 7. CI
5) lid / cover
INTERCONNECTING STRIP , 25 X6MM
2) EARTH ENHANCEMENT MINERAL COMPOUND
4. M10 Bolts and Nuts All dimensions are in mm
(confirming to IEC 62561-7) 6) EXOTHERMIC WELDING
Maintenance free earthing
3) INSPECTION CHAMBER arrangement (copper / copper
7) CIbonded
LID/COVER electrode with exothermic
welding) All dimensions are in mm

NOTE - After laying the earth from the earthbus to the electrode through
the PVC conduits at the pit entry conduits should be sealed with bitumen
compound.

Fig.15 A TYPICAL ARRANGEMENT OF COPPER/ COPPER BONDED

ELECTRODE WITH EXOTHERMIC WELDING
 8

B 5

3
2000

7
3
DETAIL A
2

800
4

1200
A 1

7
6
DETAIL B
3

Description
DESCRIPTION
1. 600 * 600 * 3 mm copper plate 6. M12 * 40 Stainless Steel
6) M12 X Bolts and
40 BRASS BOLTNuts
AND NUTS
2. 1) 1200X
30 * 6 mm copper strip 1200 X 12 COPPER PLATE 7. 50 * 6 mm Copper strip
3. Exothermic Welding 8. CI lid / Cover7) 35X5 COPPER STRIP
2) 35 X 8 COPPER STRIP
4. Earth Enhancement Material (confirming to IEC 62561-7) 8) CI LID/COVER
3) EXOTHERMIC WELDING
5. Inspection Chamber All Dimensions *are in mm
- After fixing , the outside surface should be
4) EARTH ENHANCEMENT MINERAL COMPOUND
covered with bitumin
(confirming to IEC 62561 - 7)
All Dimensions are in mm
Maintenance free 5)Plate
INSPECTION CHAMBER
Earthing Arrangement (copper electrode with exothermic welding)

Fig.16A MAINTENANCE FREE EARTHING WITH COPPER PLATE