A functioning grounding system is an integral part of the electrical installations in all buildings. It forms an important basis for ensuring safety and functionality in buildings from direct and indirect lightning strikes.
To ensure proper protection and safe operation, these installations must meet special requirements as specified in the regulations for the relevant systems. Special attention must be paid to the design and installation of the foundation earth electrodes also known as grounding rods.
Grounding is a term that is used to represent the connection of a conductive metallic object (which may include an electrical conductor) to ground.
The Grounding of a lightning protection system provides a low impedance conductive path for the energy of a lightning discharge (attracted by the lightning air terminals) to the ground. The ground (soil) thus acts as an infinite sink for the discharge and prevents excessive voltages from appearing along the conducting path. Such voltages may be impressed upon the occupants of a facility as touch, step or transferred voltages.
A grounding system must terminate to a grounding rod which is in direct contact with the soil mass. It directs the lightning energy captured by air terminals and conducted by the down conductors to the ground mass.
Grounding rods facts
- When lightning strikes an object, it is looking for the path of least resistance, or more specifically, the path of least impedance.
- A grounding system, which is made up of a grounding rod and wires, provides a low-impedance path to the ground.
- This low-impedance path is installed to encourage the lightning to travel through it instead of through expensive electronic equipment.
- Grounding rods and wires are also used to create what is referred to as a common ground.
- One way of creating a common ground is to drive a copper rod into the ground and connect your electrical and electronic equipment to this rod by using wires or straps (grounding wires).
- The grounding rod should be at least 6 feet long and should be fully driven into the ground, leaving enough of the rod accessible to attach the ground wires to it.
- By creating a common ground, you have created a path of least impedance for lightning strikes.
LEC enjoys a worldwide reputation as a foremost specialist in lightning protection and we have also proven our commitment to research and development. We are devoted to offering effective lightning protection systems and designing solutions that provide the highest level of safety and effectiveness for lightning protection.