Grounding the Shelter

Learn how to protect your shelter from lightning.

By Bruce A. Kaiser
“Single-point grounding” is a all communications site equipment accelerated wear. The same
new buzz-word used to describe to the grounding system in such a applies to two pieces of equipment
the protection of communication way that all of the equipment communicating with one another
sites from the ravages of lightning samples ground potential is at only through data lines. If there is a
and general ground transients. one point. difference in potential between the
two pieces of equipment, that
What is single-point grounding? A change in potential in and of potential equalizes through the
Actually the term can be itself does not damage equipment. data lines within one or both of the
misleading. Single-point grounding It is a difference in potential across pieces of equipment.
has nothing to do with the or within a piece of equipment that
grounding system itself. The causes damage. If one radio is When we refer to the communi-
grounding system is determined by connected to both of the coaxial cations site equipment it is
the soil conditions and other cables from the tower and to a important to note that we are
factors at a specific site. Single power supply and there is a referring only to electrical or
point grounding is actually the difference in potential between electronic equipment.
connection of all site equipment to those two services, that difference Communications site equipment
the grounding system at a single in potential equalizes within the does not include door frames, air
point or more precisely, bonding radio causing damage or conditioning ducting or the tower.

To perhaps oversimplify the

concept, envision an imaginary
plane at or just below the floor
level of the site. All of the site
equipment is appropriately bond-
ed together above this plane and a
grounding system is established
below this plane. Those two
systems are bonded together at
only one hole through that plane.
Therefore all equipment within the
site is at the ground potential of
that single-point. For this
discussion the single-point ground
is defined as the point at which the
unified ground passes through this
plane.

In a typical communications site

we must be concerned with several
different ground potentials. The
first set of ground potentials is
associated with the services to the
site, such as ac power, telco and
transmission lines from the tower.
The second set of potentials is
associated with the various
electrical and electronic equipment
chassis. Although there are other
sources we will limit ourselves to

addressing these two areas in this grounded to the other during a you can make the transmission line
discussion. . strike the radio will see a difference potential the reference potential for
Changes in ground in potential between its power the remainder of the site
potential across a site may be input and chassis. This potential equipment.
affected by a variety of factors but difference will equalize within the
the most dramatic and familiar is radio. At many sites the ac power Based on our experience with
lightning. During a thunderstorm service entrance is located at one cell sites in Florida, the second
the charge at the base of the storm end of the equipment shelter, the solution is much easier and is
cloud induces a shadow of telco service entrance at one side actually more effective. We make
opposite charge on the earths and the transmission line service the transmission line potential the
surface beneath it. As the storm entrance at the end opposite the ac site reference potential
cloud blows along through the power entrance. (See Figure 1.) (single-point) by establishing a
atmosphere this ground charge or large copper buss bar on the
more accurately earth surface Each service is grounded where outside wall of the equipment
charge is dragged along the it enters the shelter. When shelter just below the transmission
surface of the earth beneath it. lightning strikes in the woods near line service entrance. We then
Cloud-to-ground lightning results the site, the ground potential install a grounding kit on the
when the difference in potential changes across the site due to transmission line (in addition to the
secondary effect. The propagation grounding kits already installed at
rate of the ground charge causes a the top and bottom of the tower
When looking at the
difference in ground potential and bond it to that buss bar. We
ground potential of the (dashed lines) at each service then run a large lead from the buss
services to the site, the entrance ground. The equipment bar to the site grounding system.
most difficult service within the shelter therefore sees a This means that the RF side of the
potential to control is the difference in potential between the site equipment will be at the
transmission line from RF input at the potential of ground potential of this buss bar. (See
#1, the power input at the potential figure 2 ) Then we route the ac
the tower. of ground #3 and the telco input at service to the site so it meets the
the potential of ground #2. That equipment shelter just to one side
between the storm cloud charge difference in potential is equalized of the transmission line service
and the ground charge exceeds the across and within the equipment entrance. At the main disconnect,
dielectric of the intervening air. causing damage and/or wear. the ac neutral and ground are
That air breaks down in a series of bonded together and a ground lead
steps and the lightning strike extends from that box. This ground
occurs. When lightning strikes a Any difference in ground lead should be attached to either
particular point on earth the the transmission line service
potential of the different
ground charge at that point is entrance buss bar or to the large
vacated relative to the surrounding services to the site will
ground lead from that buss bar
ground charge. The surrounding be equalized at the above the point at which it
charge rushes to the point of the single point we have attaches to the grounding system.
strike. established. This assures that the ac power side
(and low voltage power side)
Looking at the distribution of ground of the site equipment will
ground charge immediately after a When looking at the ground be at the same potential as the
strike it is apparent that the ground potential of the services to the transmission line buss bar, and
charge potential will change with site, the most difficult service therefore the same potential as the
distance from the strike. A point potential to control is the RF side of the equipment.
close to the strike will be at a transmission line from the tower.
different potential than another This is in part because the tower is Then we route the telco service
point at a different distance from located several meters away from to the site so it meets the
the strike. If a ground rod is driven the site and the potential of the equipment shelter just to the
at each of these points, during a tower is constantly changing. opposite side of the transmission
lightning strike there will be a line service entrance. We then take
dramatic and almost instantaneous You can do one of two things to the ground lead extending from the
difference in potential between control transmission line ground telco service box and also attach it
these two ground rods. If a power potential. You can attempt to limit it to either the transmission service
supply is grounded to one of the relative to the rest of the site or entrance buss bar or to the large
rods and a radio powered by it is ground lead from that buss bar
above the point at which it the site equipment will be at the same potential as the RF and power
attaches to the grounding system. same potential as the transmission sides of the equipment.
This assures that the telco side of line buss bar, and therefore, the
Any difference in ground move the service entrances. With many sites particularly older sites,
potential of the different services the ac power, move the main an internal halo ground was
to the site will be equalized at the disconnect to a location near the installed around the perimeter of
single-point we have established transmission line service entrance the shelter near the ceiling or floor
and the site equipment will sample and ground it to the single point. and bonded to ground at all four
all ground potentials at one and Then run a primary jumper corners of the shelter. Site
only one point, the single-point internally back to the existing equipment was then bonded to the
ground. The same lightning strike distribution panel. This way none halo at the closest or most
in the woods produces the same of the distribution routing needs to convenient location so that piece
step potential across the site. be changed. The same of equipment sampled ground
However, because all site technique should be employed potential at the closest grounding
equipment is attached to services with the telco service, moving the point. Again, during a lightning
sampling ground potential at only demarcation or service entrance to strike in the woods near the site the
one point and there is no other the transmission line service ground potential at one corner of
ground reference potential, the entrance, and establishing its the site may be vastly different
equipment sees no current flow ground at the single point. from the ground potential at any
across or within it to equalize Although it is expensive to move other corner. The chassis potential
potential. the service entrances, it is less of each piece of equipment will be
This arrangement is effective expensive than replacing damaged closest to the potential of the
and easy to design into a new site. equipment or equipment that wears ground at the nearest corner of the
But what about an existing site? out prematurely. And at least you building.
The internal distribution routing of do not have to re-route the internal
ac power and telco lines is already distribution of the ac power and
Although it is expensive
established which is difficult and telco lines within the shelter.
expensive to change. The answer is to move the service
to leave the existing internal The next area of grounding entrances, it is less
distribution routing intact and just concern is chassis grounding. In expensive than
replacing damaged
equipment.

Because many pieces of

equipment communicate with one
another through data lines and all
share power, potential differences
will again equalize within and
through the site equipment. The
solution to this problem is to bond
the chassis of each piece of
equipment to ground at the same
point. The easiest method is to
install a copper buss bar inside the
shelter on the opposite side of the
same wall as the external
transmission line buss bar. Each
piece of site equipment is then
bonded back to the internal buss
bar, preferably with a bonding wire
run from each chassis directly to
the buss bar. The internal buss bar
is then bonded through the wall to
the external buss bar. Ideally the
equipment ground leads should be
arranged across two internal buss
bars according to how they
produce or absorb surges and
whether they require non- isolated
or isolated signal ground equipment should be chassis
references. But the point is all grounded to one potential.
Again the now-familiar lightning that it is less expensive and uses single-point grounding design
strike in the woods produces the less material to ground the site because a metal shelter provides an
same step potential across the site. unlimited number of ground loops
However because all site between service entrances and
equipment chassis sample ground Site layout can specify equipment chassis. If
potential at only one point and that all services are electromagnetic shielding is a
there is no other ground reference routed to the same end concern, it can be effectively
potential the equipment sees no of the shelter. accomplished in non-metallic
current flow across or within it to structures without creating ground
equalize potential. loops.
properly than it is to multiple-point
You may ask, if single-point
ground.
It should be noted at this point grounding does manage to get the
that the real purpose of the external potential of all equipment chassis
We have referred to the above
buried counterpoise around the and service grounds to the same
lightning strike in the woods as the
shelter is really to protect potential, what about the hot or
culprit in producing lightning
personnel and the site from the line sides of those services? Any
damage. A direct strike to the tower
deleterious effects of step potential excess difference in potential
equipment shelter or utility service
across the site during a nearby between the line side and the now
pole on the site produces an even
strike. Therefore, it is important and unified ground will still cause
more impressive change in ground
should be part of any site equipment damage or accelerated
potential across the site. With a
grounding scheme. But its purpose wear. Single-point grounding does
properly designed and installed
is not to provide a convenient buss not, and cannot address that issue.
single-point grounding system
to which equipment grounds That is why it is important to
along with effectively designed
should be tied. install effective, high quality
and installed high quality surge
transient voltage surge
suppression, your site should
suppression equipment in a
This method of survive the ground potential
“staged protection” design, with
single-point chassis change of even a direct strike.
the primary TVSS device at the
ground is effective and service entrance to prevent damage
A few points become apparent
easy to design into a when considering single-point
to equipment caused by an excess
new site. difference in potential between the
grounding of all services and
ground and hot or line sides of the
equipment. The most obvious is
services.
that it is much easier to design a
Again, this method of single-point new site to this standard than it is
Again, effective lightning
chassis ground is effective and to modify an existing site.
protection is a 3-part process
easy to design into a new site. But Equipment shelters can be
involving effective bonding and
what about existing sites with specified and ordered from the
grounding, transient voltage surge
internal halos and multiple point manufacturer with all service
suppression and structural
grounding of that halo to the entrances at the same end of the
lightning protection. Without all
external buried counterpoise? shelter and adjacent to one
three elements you are not
Fortunately many of the problems another. Site layout can specify
protected.n
at an older site can be solved with that all services are routed to the
a good pair of wire cutters. First, same end of the shelter and have
For additional information
cut the internal halo at the end of effective, high quality surge
regarding protection of sensitive
the building away from the suppression installed. By the way,
electronics contact:
transmission line service entrance, if the site has water from a
eliminating the large ground loop. commercial service or from a well
POC: Mike Helms
Then cut each wire grounding the the water pipe should also enter
“Lightning Mike”
internal halo to the external buried the facility at this location and be
[email protected]
counterpoise and remove them bonded to the single point. If the
from the walls. This leaves each shelter has a structural lightning
Reprinted from The Journal of
equipment chassis grounded only protection system, one of its
Cellular Telecommunications
at the single-point buss bar. grounding points should also be
During this process be certain that bonded to the single point.
you do not inadvertently leave any
piece of equipment ungrounded. The use of all-metal equipment
One of the ironies in this case is shelters is also eliminated by