Design Condition for Earthing System:

Fault Current and Duration

Each site shall be provided with an earth grid of buried conductors designed for an earth fault current
of 50 kA one second for 230kV and 40kA one second for 132kV. The preliminary earthing design shall
be such that the potential rise shall not exceed 5 kV.

Design Calculations
The design of the earth electrode systems shall be based on the approved earth resistivity data and
the system fault currents and their duration.
The design calculations shall be to the approval of the Engineer and shall be based on the methods
given in the standards listed. The calculations shall include the following parameters:

(a) earth resistance of the whole system and of its components

(b) earth potential rise
(c) step, touch and mesh potentials inside and outside the perimeter fence
(d) requirements for a high resistance surface layer
(e) conductor ratings
Earthing points shall be provided such that the combined resistance of the earth grid and all other
earthing points does not exceed the allowable limit dictated by the standards for the fault current and
duration specified measured during the dry season.
The earth potential rises shall not exceed the CCITT limits appropriate to the classification of the system
unless special precautions are taken to cater for transferred potentials.
Step, touch and mesh potentials shall be within the permitted limits calculated in accordance with the
standards given in IEEE 80 for the proposed surface layer.

Earth Electrode
The earth electrode shall comprise a system of bare conductors forming a mesh buried near the surface
of the ground and supplemented, if required, by one or more of the following electrodes:
(a) a system of interconnected rods driven into the ground
(b) a mesh system of bare conductors buried in the ground
(c) structural metalwork in direct contact with the ground
(d) reinforcing steel in buried concrete
(e) a system of bare conductors buried near the surface of the ground outside the perimeter fence

Mesh System
The mesh system shall be designed to limit touch, step and mesh potentials taking into account the
combined length of the mesh conductors, other buried conductors and rods but excluding any buried
conductors outside the perimeter fence. Due regard shall be given to non-linear distribution of the fault
current giving rise to the highest potentials at mesh comers.
The rating of the mesh conductors shall be compatible with the fault cur-rents after allowing for parallel
paths of hard drawn high conductivity copper strip with a minimum conductor size of 150 mm².
The conductor shall be installed in trenches excavated by the Contractor to a depth of 500mm. The
system will be installed after all foundations have been laid and the site filled to 100mm below finished
level. When the earthing grid has been laid and backfilled, bricks will be laid up to finished site level.
Where the excavated material is rocky or may be difficult to consolidate, the backfilling shall be carried
out using other material to the approval of the Engineer. The cost of such material shall be deemed to
be included in the Contract.

Earthing Rods
If the design calculations show that a mesh alone is unable to limit the potentials to the required values,
then the mesh shall be supplemented by the use of interconnected earthing rods driven into the
ground or installed in bored holes.
Rods shall be installed inside the perimeter fence to enclose the maximum possible area compatible
with the earthing of any metallic fence. (The spacing between rods shall not be less than their length,
unless rating considerations determine otherwise). The copper rod electrodes of 15mm diameter shall
be interconnected in groups of four to eight rods by insulated copper conductors and non-ferrous
clamps to form a ring. Each group shall be connected to the mesh by duplicate insulated copper
conductor via disconnecting test links.
Individual rods may be connected directly to the mesh, provided the rod can be disconnected for testing.
The calculation of potentials in the design of the complete installation shall be made without the group
of rods with the lowest estimated resistance to simulate the condition with the group disconnected for
testing.

Other Conductors
As an alternative to rods to supplement a mesh, additional bare copper conductors with a cross-section
area of not less than 150 mm² may be used. They shall be buried in the ground within the perimeter fence
to enclose the maximum possible area compatible with the earthing of any metallic
fence. Such conductors may be laid below the mesh, below foundations or in areas where there is no
plant. It shall be shown by calculation that the step potentials are low in such areas.
The conductor shall be in a ring, or a part of a ring, with at least two widely separated connections to
the mesh or other parts of the earthing system.

Conductors Outside Perimeter Fence

If the design calculations show that the step and touch potentials outside the perimeter fence or wall
exceed the limits, then additional bare conductors shall be buried in the ground outside the fence in
the form of rings encircling the whole site.
The distance of the conductors from the fence and the depth shall be determined in the design to ensure
that step and touch potentials are within the limits.
The minimum conductor size shall be 75 mm² copper and shall be connected to the fence or the mesh
with 75 mm² conductors at each comer of the site and at intervals of not more than 100 m. These
conductors shall not be included in the calculations called for above.

Connection of System Neutrals and Earth

The system neutral points within a substation shall have duplicate connections to the closest earthing
point.
The earth electrodes of a neutral earthing point shall be arranged in two groups with a conductor from
each group to a test link and there shall be duplicate bare copper conductors of cross sectional area
not less than 150 mm² from each test link to the earth grid. The duplicate connection may be in the
form of a ring.
Neutral earthing connections between the substation system (transformer) neutral and the test links
shall be of bare copper tape, secured and supported on stand-off insulators so that there is no contact
between copper tape and transformer tank.
Neutral earthing conductors shall normally be buried directly in the ground but where necessary, they
may be cleated to walls, fixed to cable racks or laid in the cable trenches.

Main Earthing Bar

The main earthing bar shall be in the form of a ring or rings of bare conductors surrounding, or within,
an area in which items to be earthed are located. Where two or more rings are installed, they shall be
interconnected by at least two conductors which shall be widely separated.
The main earthing bar, or parts thereof, may also form part of the earth electrode system, providing
this is bare conductor.
Each main earthing bar shall be connected by at least two widely separated conductors to the earth
electrode system.
The minimum conductor size for the main earth and interconnections between earthing bars and the
earth electrode system shall not be less than 150 mm².

Electrical Equipment and Structure Connections to Earth

Connections between: (a) all HV electrical equipment and (b) LV electrical equipment comprising
substantial multi-cubicle switchboards and the main earth bar shall be duplicated. The bare copper
conductor size shall have a minimum cross section area of 150 mm².
All substation equipment, including disconnectors, earthing switches, main transformer tanks, current
and voltage transformer tanks, switchgear, electrical supporting steelwork and gantries, etc. shall all
be connected with the earth grid.
Surge arresters installed for the protection of transformers and reactors shall be connected by low
reactance paths both to the transformer tanks and to the earthing system.
Capacitor voltage transformers used in connection with line traps shall be connected by direct low
reactance paths to a single earth rod for each arrester, in addition to the earth grid.

Where necessary an earthing mat shall be installed at all operating positions for outdoor HV equipment
manual operating mechanism boxes and local electrical control cubicles to ensure the safety of
the operator. The mat shall be directly bonded to the cubicle and the conductors forming the mat and
the bonding connection shall have a minimum copper cross-section area of 75 mm².
Galvanised structures comprising bolted lattice components shall not be used as the sole earth
connection path to post and strain insulators or to overhead line earth conductors.
Buildings containing electrical equipment shall be provided, at each level, with a ring of earthing
conductors which shall have duplicate connections to the earth grid outside the building. The frames of all
switchgear, control and relay panels and other electrical equipment and exposed structural metal work
shall be connected by branches to a ring. The ring and branch conductors shall be of the same material
as the earth grid. Strip run within buildings, inside cable trenches or above ground level on apparatus
shall be neatly supported in non-ferrous clamps.
Fixed earthing connectors for use with portable earthing devices specified below shall be provided on
each busbar and on both sides of high voltage equipment.
Rigid loops in the copper earthing strip branch bond between the equipment and the earthing grid
shall be provided adjacent to each item of high voltage equipment for use with the portable earthing
devices. The rigid loops shall be marked green.

Connections between other LV electrical equipment and the earth bar need not be duplicated. The
single conductor shall be rated to withstand the fault rating of the equipment.
Connections to Non-Electrical Structural Metalwork and Equipment
All metalwork within the project area which does not form part of the electrical equipment shall be
bonded to the main earth bar except where otherwise specified. The bonding conductor size shall be
not less than 150 mm².
Individual components of metallic structures of plant shall be bonded to adjacent components to form
an electrically continuous metallic path to the bonding conductor.
Small electrically isolated metallic components mounted on non-conducting building fabric need not be
bonded to the main earth bar.