1

Technical Specifications

A) Chemical Earthing
1. Scope

This document covers earthing & bonding system to be adopted for signaling equipments with
solid state components which are more susceptible to damage due to surges, transients and over
voltages being encountered in the system due to lightning, sub-station switching etc. These
signaling equipments includeElectronic Interlocking, Integrated Power supply equipment, Digital
Axle counter, Data logger etc.

2. References

IS 3043 Code of practice for earthing

ANSI/UL 467 Safety for Grounding & bonding equipment
IEC 62561-2 Requirement for conductors and earth electrodes
IEC 62561-7 Requirement for earthing enhancing compounds
IEC 60068-2-52 Salt Mist Test and Humid sulphur Atmosphere Test
ASTM G 59-97 Potentiodynamic polarization resistance methods
CET/TS 14997 Leaching behaviours principles and methods
IRS:S:103 /2004 welding material for track circuit applications
IEC 62561-5 Load test for inspection chamber
IEEE Std 837TM -2002 Standard for qualifying permanent connections used insubstation
grounding.

2.1 Wherever, in this specification, any of the above mentioned specifications is referred by
number only without mentioning the year of issue, the latest issue of that specification is implied.

3. Importance of Earthing

The installation and maintenance of an effective low resistance earthing system is essential due to
the following -

a. Efficiently dissipate heavy fault currents and electrical surges, both in magnitude and duration,
to protect equipment being damaged so as to minimize down time, service interruption and
replacement cost.
b. Provide a stable reference for electrical and RF circuits at the installation to minimize noise
during normal operation.
c. Protection of personnel who work within the area from dangerous electric shock caused due
to “step potential” or “touch potential”.

4. Characteristics of good Earthing system

a. Excellent electrical conductivity

i) Low resistance and electrical impedance.

ii) Conductors of sufficient dimensions capable of withstanding high fault currents with no
evidence of fusing or mechanical deterioration.
iii) Lower earth resistance ensures that energy is dissipated into the ground in the safest possible
manner.
iv) Lower the earth circuit impedance, the more likely that high frequency lightning impulses will
flow through the ground electrode path, in preference to any other path.
 2

b. High corrosion resistance

The choice of the material for grounding conductors, electrodes and connections is vital as most
of the grounding system will be buried in the earth mass for many years. Copper is by far the most
common material used. In addition to its inherent highconductivity, copper is usually cathodic with
respect to other metals in association with grounding sites, which means that it is less likely to
corrode in most environments.

c. Mechanically robust and reliable.

5. Location for Earthing

a. Low lying areas close to the building or equipment are good for locating EarthElectrodes.
b. The location can be close to any existing water bodies or water points but not naturally well-
drained.
c. Dry sand, lime stone, granite and any stony ground should be avoided.
d. Earthing electrode should not be installed on high bank or made-up soil.

6. Acceptable Earth Resistance value

The acceptable Earth Resistance at earth MEEB busbar shall not be more than 1 ohm. For achieving
this value more than one earth pits can be installed if necessary depending upon the soil resistivity.

7. Components of Earthing& Bonding system

The components of Earthing& Bonding system are-Earth electrode, Earth enhancement material,
Earth pit, Equi-potential earth busbar, connecting cable & tape/strip and other associated
accessories.

8. Design of Earthing& Bonding system

8.1 Earth Electrode

a. The earth electrode shall be made of high tensile low carbon steel circular rods, molecularly
bonded with copper on outer surface to meet the requirements of Underwriters Laboratories
(UL) 467-2007 or latest as well as IEC 62561. Such copper bonded steel cored rod is preferred due
to its overall combination of strength, corrosion resistance, low resistance path to earth and cost
effectiveness.
b. The earth electrode shall be UL listed and of minimum 17.0 mm diameter and minimum3 Meter
long.
c. In rocky area, a set of 3 electrodes of 1 Meter each of 17.0mm dia in grid form shall be installed
in grid form.
d. The minimum copper bonding thickness shall be of 250 microns of 99.9% electrolyte grade
copper.
e. Marking: UL marking as per UL 467 scheme, Manufacturer’s name or trade name, length,
diameter, catalogue number must be punched on every earth electrode.
f. Earth electrode can be visually inspected, checked for dimensions and thickness of copper
coating using micron gauge. The supplier shall arrange for such inspection at the time of supply,
if so desired.
 3

8.2 Earth Enhancement material

Earth enhancement material is a superior conductive material that improves earthing effectiveness,
especially in areas of poor conductivity (rocky ground, areas of moisture variation, sandy soils etc.).
It improves conductivity of the earth electrode and ground contact area. It shall be tested and
confirm to the requirements of IEC 62561-7 having following characteristics:-
a. Shall be carbon based with min 95% of fixed carbon content premixed with corrosion resistant
cement to have set properties. Cement shall not mix separately & shall not have bentonite.
b. Shall have high conductivity, improves earth’s absorbing power and humidity retention
capability.
c. Shall be non-corrosive in nature having low water solubility but highly hygroscopic.
d. Shall have resistivity of less than 0.2 ohms -meter.
e. Shall be suitable for installation in dry form or in a slurry form.
f. Shall not depend on the continuous presence of water to maintain its conductivity.
g. Shall be permanent & maintenance free and in its “set form”, maintains constant earth
resistance with time.
h. Shall be thermally stable between -100 c to +600 c ambient temperatures.
i. Shall not dissolve, decompose or leach out with time.
j. Shall not require periodic charging treatment nor replacement and maintenance.
k. Shall be suitable for soils of different resistivity.
l. Shall not pollute the soil or local water table and meets environmental friendly requirements for
land fill, shall not be explosive &shall not cause burns, irritation to eye, skin etc. In this regard
“safety data sheets” shall be submitted by the manufacturers.
m. Marking: the earth enhancement material shall be supplied in sealed, moisture proof bags.
These bags shall be marked with manufacturer’s name or trade name, quantity etc.

8.3 Backfill material

The excavated soil is suitable as a backfill but should be sieved to remove any large stones and
placed around the electrode taking care to ensure that it is well compacted. Material like sand,
salt, coke breeze, cinders and ash shall not be used because of its acidic and corrosive nature.

8.4 Earth Pit

8.4.1 Construction of unit earth pit: Refer typical installation drawing no.
SDO/RDSO/E&B/001.
a. A hole of 100mm to 125mm dia shall be augured /dug to a depth of about 3.0 meters.
b. The earth electrode shall be placed into this hole.
c. It will be penetrated into the soil by gently driving on the top of the rod. Here natural soil is
assumed to be available at the bottom of the electrode so that min. 150 mm of the electrode
shall be inserted in the natural soil.
d. Earth enhancement material (minimum approx. 30-35 kg) shall be filled into the augured/dug
hole in slurry form and allowed to set. After the material gets set, the diameter of the composite
structure (earth electrode + earth enhancement material) shall be of minimum 100mm dia
covering entire length of the hole.
e. Remaining portion of the hole shall be covered by backfill soil, which is taken out during
auguring /digging.
f. A copper strip of 200mmX25mmX6mm shall be exothermically welded to main earth electrode
for taking the connection to the main equi-potential earth busbar in the equipment room and
to other earth pits, if any.
g. Exothermic weld material shall be tested as per provisions of IEEE 837 by NABL/ILAC member
labs.
h. The main earth pit shall be located as near to the main equi-potential earth busbar in the
equipment room as possible.
 4

8.4.2 Construction of loop Earth by providing multiple earth pits

a. At certain locations, it may not be possible to achieve earth resistance of ≤1ohm with one
earth electrode /pit due to higher soil resistivity. In such cases, provision of loop earth consisting
of more than one earth pit shall be done. The number of pits required shall be decided based
on the resistance achieved for the earth pits already installed. The procedure mentioned
above for one earth pit shall be repeated for other earth pits.
b. The distance between two successive earth electrodes shall be min. 3 mtrs. and max. upto
twice the length of the earth electrode i.e. 6 mtrs. approx.

c. These earth pits shall then be inter linked using 25X2mm. copper tape or 8mm round solid
copper conductor to form a loop using exothermic welding technique.

d. The interconnecting conductor shall be buried at depth not less than 500 mm below the
ground level. This interconnecting conductor shall also be covered with approximately 30 Kg
of earth enhancing compound for each 3 meters length.

8.4.3 Measurement of Earth resistance

The earth resistance shall be measured at the Main Equi-potential Earth Busbar (MEEB) with all the
earth pits interconnected using Fall of Potential method. The typical connection diagram used for
measurement of earth resistance is as per figure no. SDO/RDSO/E&B/003.

The basic procedure of fall of potential method using four terminal equipments is as under:-

a. Connect the C1 & P1 on the test set to the earth electrode as per figure no. SDO/RDSO/E&B/
003.
b. Drive a probe into the earth 30 to 60 metre from the centre of the electrode and connect
to terminal C2. This probe should be driven to a depth of 15 to 30 cms.
c. Drive another probe into the earth midway between the electrodes and probe C2 and
connect to terminal P2. This probe should be driven to a depth of 6 to 12 inches.
d. Measure the resistance.
e. Move the potential probe 3metre farther away from the electrode and make the second
measurement.
f. Move the potential probe 3 metre closure to the electrode and make the third
measurement.
g. All the three measurements shall be within a few percent of their average. The averageof
the three measurements may be used as the electrode/earth resistance.

8.4.4 Inspection Chamber

a. Inspection chamber should be as per IEC 62561-5 or latest.
b. The dimension of the chamber will be of 300 x 300 x 300 mm (inside dimension) of RCC with 50
mm thick and fine finish.
c. The marking space should be present an RCC cover.
d. The date of testing and earth resistance value shall be written on the cover with black base
with yellow paint.

8.5 Equi-potential Earth Busbar and its connection to equipments & Surge protectiondevices in the
Equipment room: Refer typical bonding connections drawing no.SDO/RDSO/E&B/002.

8.5.1 Equi-potential earth busbars

a. There shall be one equi-potential earth busbar for each of the equipment room i.e. IPS/Battery
charger room and EI/Relay room. The equi-potential earth busbars located in individual rooms
shall be termed as Sub equi-potential busbars (SEEB). The equi- potential earth busbar located
in the IPS /Battery charger room and directly connectedto Class ‘B’ SPDs and the main earth
pit shall be termed as Main equi-potential earth busbar (MEEB).
 5

b. The EEBs shall have pre-drilled holes of suitable size for termination of bonding conductors. The
EEBs shall be insulated from the building walls. Each EEB shall be installed on the wall with low
voltage insulator spacers of height 60mm. The insulators used shall have suitable insulating and
fire resistant properties for this application. The EEBs shall be installed at the height of 0.5m from
the room floor surface for ease of installation & maintenance. All terminations on the EEBs shall
be by using tinned copperlugs with spring washers.

8.5.2 Bonding Connections

To minimize the effect of circulating earth loops and to provide equi-potential bonding, “star
type” bonding connection is required. As such, each of the SEEBs installed in the rooms shall
be directly connected to MEEB using bonding conductors. Also, equipment/racks in the
room shall be directly connected to its SEEB. The bonding conductors shall be bonded to
their respective lugs by exothermic welding.

8.5.3 All connections i.e routing of bonding conductors from equipments to SEEB & from SEEBs to
MEEB shall be as short and as direct as possible with min. bends and separated from other
wiring. However, connection from SPD to MEEB shall be as short as possible and preferably
without any bend.

8.5.4 Materials and dimensions of bonding components for connection of individualequipments

with equipotential bus bar and earth electrode shall be as given below:

Component/Bonding Material Size

Main equipotential earthbusbar Copper 300X25X6 mm
(MEEB) (min.)
Sub equipotential earthbusbar Copper 150X25X6 mm
(SEEB) (min.)
Individual equipments to SEEB using Multi-strand single core PVC 10 sq.mm
tinned copper lugs with stainless steel insulated copper cableas per
nut and bolts. IS:694
SEEB to MEEB using tinned copper Multi-strand single core PVC 16 sq.mm
lugs with stainless steel nut and bolts. insulated copper cableas per
IS:694
Surge protection devices (SPD) to Multi-strand single core PVC 16 sq.mm
MEEB using tinned copper lugs with insulated copper cableas per
stainless steel nut and bolts. IS:694
MEEB to main earth Multi-strand single core 35 sq.mm
electrode PVC insulated copper cable
as per IS:694 (Duplicated)
Main earth pit to other earthpit in Copper tape OR solid 25X2 mm OR 8
case of loop earth copper round conductor OR mm dia OR 50
GI Strip mm x 3 mm

9. Drawing of earthing & bonding system

The complete layout with dimensions of the earthing& bonding system shall be submitted by the
supplier after commissioning.

10. Warranty

The OEM shall be responsible for complete supply, installation & commissioning of the earthing &
bonding system. The warranty of such system shall be 60 months from date of commissioning.
During this period, any failure of earthing system due to improper materials & bad workmanship
shall be attended free of cost by the OEM.
 6

11. Maintenance of earthing & bonding system

The maintenance schedule should cover verification of earthing system conductors and
components, verification of electrical continuity, measurement of earth resistance, re- fastening of
components and conductors etc.

12. Tests & Requirements

Conditions of tests – Unless otherwise specified, all tests shall be carried out at ambient atmospheric
conditions.

12.1 For inspection of material, relevant clauses of this specification shall also apply.

12.2 Type tests: The type test may be done in firm’s premises or at NTH/NABL approved laboratory/
internationally recognized test laboratory. The following shall comprise type tests and shall be
carried out once in five years in the given sequence:-

12.2.1 Type test on earth electrode:-

The type test shall be conducted on six samples

SN Test Clause
a) Visual inspection (Cl. 12.6.1)
b) Adherence of coating Test (Cl. 12.6.2)
c) Tensile strength test (Cl. 12.6.3)
d) Bending test (Cl. 12.6.4)

12.2.2 Type test on earth enhancement compound;-

SN Test Clause
a) Leaching test (Cl. 12.6.7)
b) Sulphur content (Cl. 12.6.8)
c) Corrosion test (Cl. 12.6.9)
d) Resistivity test (Cl.12.6.10)

12.2.3 Type test on Exothermic welding connection :-

SN Test Clause
a) Short time current test Cl.
12.6.11)
 7

12.2.4 Type test on exothermic Joints of earth electrode:-

The test shall be conducted on six earth electrode of 500mm length each and havingthree joints
of each type in line with Annexure H of IEC 62561-2.

SN Test Clause
a) Compression test (Cl. 12.6.12)
b) Salt mist test (Cl. 12.6.5)
c) Humid sulphur Atmosphere Test (Cl. 12.6.6)

12.3 The type test shall be carried out on 6 samples of the lot offered. The earth electrode shall
successfully pass all the type tests for proving conformity with this specification. If the sample
fails in any of the type tests, the purchaser or his nominee at his discretion may call for other
samples of the same type and subject it to all tests or to the test (s)in which failure(s) occurred.
No failure shall be permitted in the repeat test (s).At the end of the validity period or earlier if
necessary, the testing authority may call for fresh samples for type testing.
12.4 Acceptance tests - The test facility should be available at manufacturer’s premises. The
following shall comprise acceptance tests.

SN Test Clause
a) Visual inspection (Cl. 12.6.1)
b) Adherence of coating Test (Cl. 12.6.2)
c) Bending test (Cl. 12.6.4)
d) Tensile strength test (Cl. 12.6.3)
e) Resistivity test (on earth enhancement compound) (Cl. 12.6.10)

12.5 Routine test:-

SN Test Clause
a) Visual inspection (Cl. 12.6.1)
b) Dimensional Check on earth electrode (Cl. 8.1)
c) Copper bonding thickness test Cl. 8.1 (d)
d) Weight check of earth enhancement compound

12.6 Test Procedure:

12.6.1 Visual Inspection; - Earth electrode and earth enhancement compound shall be examined
in reference to clause 8.1 and 8.2 marking and UL listing.

12.6.2 Adherence of coating Test on earth electrode; - The test shall be carried out as per clause
no.9.7.1 of UL- 467. A 457mm (18in) length of rod with one end cut to a 450 shall be driven
between two clamping plates or jaws of a vise set1.02mm (0.04in) less than the diameter of
the rod, so as to shear of sufficient metal to expose the bonds between the coating & rod.
There shall be no Separation of the coating from steel.

12.6.3 Tensile strength test as per IEC 62561-2:- The tensile strength for a copper clad solidround
steel rod shall be between 600 to 770 N/mm2.

12.6.4 Bending test on earth electrode: - The test shall be carried out as per clause no.9.7.2 of UL-
467.A length of rod shall be rigidly held in a clamp or vise. A force shall be appliednormal to
the free end of the rod at a distance from the clamping device equal to 40 times the rod
diameter. The application of the force shall be such that the rod ispermanently bent through
a 300 angle. There shall be no cracking of the coating when subjected to bend through a
300 angle.
 8

12.6.5 Salt mist test as per Ann-A of IEC 62561-2:- The test shall be carried out as per clause 9.3 of
IEC 60068-2-52:1996, severity 2. Three spray periods of two hrs each at a temp between 150C
to 350C with a humidity storage period between 20h and 22h after each. The storage test in
humidity chamber at 400C± 20C & 90± 2 % RH. There should not be any visual corrosive
deterioration when inspected with normal or corrective visionwithout magnification. 100mm
from both ends of the specimen are excluded from inspection. White rust is not considered
as corrosive deterioration.

12.6.6 Humid sulphur Atmosphere Test as per Ann-A of IEC 62561-2:- The test shall be carried out
as per ISO 6988;1985 regarding Metallic and other non-organic coatings -- Sulfur dioxide test
with general condensation of moisture. There should not be any visual corrosive
deterioration when inspected with normal or corrective vision without magnification. 100mm
from both ends of the specimen are excluded from inspection. White rust is not considered
as corrosive deterioration.

12.6.7 Leaching test on earth enhancement compound as per clause no.5.2 of IEC62561-7;- As per
Cl 2.3.1.3 of CEN/TS14997 in line with EN12457-2, Various test portions are put in contact
during 48 hrs at a L/S ratio of 10ml/g with leachants the PHof which is adjusted and
controlled at predetermined PH values. PH value shall be > 10.

12.6.8 Sulphur content on earth enhancement compound as per clause no. 5.3.1 &5.3.2 of IEC
62561-7:-The test for determination of sulphur content shall be performed according to ISO
14869-1 regarding Soil quality -- Dissolution for the determination of total element content.
The material is deemed to have passed the test if all measured values are less than 2%.

12.6.9 Corrosion test on earth enhancement compound as per clause no.5.5.1& 5.5.5 of IEC 62561-
7:- The corrosion rate is determined by using potentiodynamic polarization resistance
methods as outlined in ASTM G59-97 and ASTM G102-89. For Cu plated earth electrode, the
polarization resistance shall be >4 Ohm m2 for non-aggressive environment and >8 Ohm m2
for aggressive environments.

12.6.10 Resistivity test on earth enhancement compound:- An earth tester with four electrode shall
be used for measurement of soil resistivity. The four electrode soil box shall be made of an
inert non-conductive material with four permanently mounted manufactured of mild or
stainless steel.

The four–electrode method is used to measure the resistivity of earthing enhancing

Compounds. Three samples of the earthing enhancement material shall be tested in a four-
electrode soil box. With the four-electrode method, a voltage is impressed on the outer
electrodes which causes current to flow. The resulting voltage drop between the inner
electrodes is measured using a voltmeter and the resulting resistance is calculated.

The resistance of each earthing enhancing compound sample shall be converted to the
resistivity value using the following formula: ρ = (R × A)/a

Where

ρ-is the sample resistivity (Ω cm);

R-is the resistance (Ω);
A (cm2)-is the cross sectional area of the container perpendicular to the current flow
a (cm).-is the inner electrode spacing, measured from inner edges of electrodes

Sample preparation: - The sample should be reasonably large and thoroughly mixed so that
it will be representative. The measured will be dependent on the degree of compaction,
moisture content, constituent solubility and temperature. The effect of variation in
compaction & moisture content may be reduced by fully saturating the sample before
placing it into the box. This will be done by preparing stiff slurry of the sample, by adding
 9

only sufficient water to produce a slight amount of water surface, which should be allowed
to evaporate before the slurry is remixed and placed in thebox. Let the sample be
saturated for at least 24 hours. The saturated measurement will provide an approaching
minimum resistivity, and can be usefully compared with “as received” resistivity
measurements.

12.6.11 Short time current test on exothermic welding connection systems as per Ann-D of UL-467:-
Exothermic welding connection systems using applicable connections & electrode shall be
subjected to short time current test of 5.0KA for 10 sec. Exothermic welding connection
system consisting of all type of joints shall be subjected to Short time current of 5.0KA for 10
sec duration”. The grounding or bonding system shall not crack, break or melt. After the test,
the continuity shall be maintained on the test sample. The continuity shall be maintained
between the conductors as measured at a connection point 6.4mm (1/4 in) from the
device.

12.6.12 Compression test: - As per clause 5.4.2 of IEC 62561-2:- Each specimen shall be assembled
from two parts of the rods each 500 mm long. The top of the specimen shall be impacted
with a vibration hammer defined with the following parameters, for duration of 2 minutes:-

(a) Percussion rate (2000 ± 1000)min-1

(b) Single stroke impact energy (50 ± 10) Nm

The specimens are deemed to have passed the tests if their joints are not broken or donot
show any crack to normal or corrected vision without magnification.

12. Sampling plan

12.7 The following sampling plan for earth electrode shall be adopted for acceptance tests.

Lot size Visual Adherence to Bend test Tensile

inspection/ coating strength
Dimension
2-8 2 1 1 1
9-15 3 1 1 1
16-25 5 1 1 1
26-50 8 2 2 2
51-100 13 3 3 3
101-150 20 3 3 3
151-200 32 4 4 4
Above 200 15% 2% 2% 2%

12.7.2 For resistivity test min two samples shall be selected.

12.7.3 If any of the sample fails during acceptance test the complete lot will be rejected.

12.7.4 For load test on inspection chamber minimum 1 sample shall be selected.
 10

Typical Installation of Earth.

MEBB 6X25X200 mm 400mmx400mm Concrete lid cover,

6X25X300 mm Cu bus bar approx. 50 mm thick with pulling hook
Cu bus bar 50
300 50
Inspection
Chamber

150 mm
Cement

500 mm
500 mm

concrete
Exothermic weld

To other earth pit

25×2 mm Copper tape OR

PVC insulated multi strand 35 Sq. mm 8 mm round solid copper
OR 25 mm x 3 mm GI strip

3000 mm
Cu cable as per IS: 694 (Duplicated)
Earth enhancement powder
with backfill soil

Copper bonded steel earth electrode,

minimum 3.0 mtr. Long & minimum
17.0 mm dia.

Augured Hole
100 mm to 125 mm Dia

150 mm
Natural soil/backfill compound
(Minimum)

RDSO
Typical installation of earth for S&T Installations
Drg. No. SDO / RDSO/ E&B/001 Sheet No. 1 of 1
 11

Type arrangement of Earth Resistance

 12

Annexure-I
Precautions to be followed for execution of earthing work
1. All the material supplied for the earthing work should be inspected by RDSO.

2. Site location for earthing-

i) Low line areas close to the building are good for locating earth electrode.
ii) Dry sand, lime stone, granite and any stony ground should be avoided.
iii) Earth electrode should not be installed on high bank or made-up soil.

3. The copper coating on earth electrode should not be cracked due to damage during storage
/transport and should be free of corrosion.

4. The packing bags of earth enhancement compound should be in sealed condition.

5. For the earth pit, a hole of 100 mm-125 mm dia should be augured to a depth of approx. 3 m and
the earth electrode is placed in the hole with about 150mm of bottom part inserted in the natural
soil.

6. Earth enhancement material (minimum 30-35 Kg) shall be filled into the augured hole in aslurry form
such that it spreads evenly around the electrode covering entire length of the hole.

7. In order to achieve earth resistance of less than or equal to 1 ohm, multiple earth pits should be
provided depending upon soil resistivity if required.

8. The distance between two earth electrodes shall be minimum 3 m and maximum up to 6 m
(approx.).

9. The 25 x 2 copper strip OR 8 mm round solid copper OR 25 mm x3 mm GI strip interconnecting the

earth electrode shall be buried at a depth not less than 500 mm below ground level and this copper
strip should also be covered with earth enhancement compound.

10. Proper size of cable should be used for connection of equipments to equi-potential busbar, SPDs
to equi-potential busbar, equi-potential busbar to earth electrode as indicated in the specification.

11. The length of cable connection between SPDs and equi-potential busbar and between equipment
and equi-potential busbar should be as short and as direct as possible and preferably without/
minimum bends.

12. Authorized representative of the RDSO approved OEM should supervise eachinstallation and
certify that the installation is complying the requirements of the specification.

13. All the joints shall be made moisture proof with required size of lead sheath/strip between GI
plates and flats.

14. The GI flat/strip should not be bent sharply at right angles but should be laid in a smooth curve of
not less than 1m radius.
 13

Annexure-II

Precautions to be followed for Exothermic welding of connections for

Earthing & Bonding System for signaling equipments

1. Clean the surfaces of the various components i.e. earth electrode, cable, copper
bus bar, copper tape and mould etc. with the help of card cloth brush before
performing exothermic welding to ensure that surface is free from oil & dust.

2. Pre heat the welding surfaces of various components to ensure that the surface is
free from moisture.

3. Mould used should be correct for the component size and application. Do not use
worn out or broken moulds which could result in leakage of molten weld metal.

4. Ensure that handle clamp is attached to the mould and properly adjusted.

5. Ensure that all the components to be jointed properly fit into the mould and the
mould isin level position.

6. Place the correct size of steel disc into the mould crucible and make sure the disc
sits well at the base of the weld metal cavity.

7. Pour recommended size of weld metal powder into the mould crucible.

8. Check for leaks, make sure that weld metal do not enter into the weld cavity.

9. Ignite the weld powder at the lid opening. Use only firm’s recommended igniter.
Make sure that no inflammable items are around the mould.

10. Once welding is completed, wait for two minutes before opening mould to allow
metal to cool.

11. Gently scrap off the un- wanted slag from the crucible with a mould scraper.

12. Clean the crucible and the weld cavity with a mould cleaning brush.

13. Welding should be carried out only by the well trained staff of the supplier.
 14

B) LIGHTNING ARRESTOR

1.0 Scope

This chapter covers the detailed requirements of installation of lightning conductor system
for protection of buildings / Telecom Tower against lightning. For details not covered in
these specifications, reference may be made to IS 2309: 1989.

2.0 Principal Components

The principal components of a lightning protective system are:-

(a) Air terminations,

(b) Down conductors,

(c) Joint and bonds,

(d) Testing joints,

(e) Earth terminations, and

(f) Earth electrodes.

3.0 Materials

3.1 The materials of air terminations, down conductors, earth termination etc. of the
protective system shall be reliably resistant to corrosion, or be adequately
protected against corrosion. The material shall be one of the following, as
specified.

(a) Copper: Solid or flat copper strip of at least 98% conductivity conforming to
relevant I.S. Specifications shall be used.

(b) Copper Clad Steel: Copper clad steel with copper covering permanently and
effectively welded to the steel core shall be used. The proportion of copper and
steel shall be such that the conductance of the material is not less than 30% of
conductance of the solid copper of the same total cross-sectional area.
(c) Galvanized Steel: Steel thoroughly protected against corrosion by a zinc coating
shall be used.

(d) Aluminium: Aluminium, 99% pure, and with sufficient mechanical strength, and
protected against corrosion shall be used.

3.2 Aluminum should not be used underground, or in direct contact with walls
.

3.3 All air terminations shall be of GI and all down conductors shall be of GI or
aluminum, except where the atmospheric conditions necessitate the use of
copper orcopper clad steel for air terminations and down conductors.

4.0 Layout

4.1 The system design and layout shall be done in accordance with IS 2309: 1989 and
specified in the tender documents.
 15

4.2 Air Terminations

(i) Air termination networks may consist of vertical or horizontal conductors, or

combinations of both. For the purpose of lightning protection, the vertical and
horizontal conductors are considered equivalent and the use of pointed air
terminations, or vertical finial is, therefore, not regarded as essential.

(ii) A vertical air termination, where provided, need not have more than one point, and
shall project at least 30 cm, above the object, salient point or network on which
it is fixed.

(iii) For a flat roof, horizontal air termination along the outer perimeter of the roof shall
be used. For a roof of larger area a network of parallel horizontal conductors
shall be installed. No part of the roof should be more than 9 m from the nearest
horizontal protective conductor.

(iv) Horizontal air terminations should be carried along the contours such as ridges,
parapets and edges of flat roofs, and, where necessary, over flat surfaces, in such
a way as to join each air termination to the rest, and should themselves form a
closed network.

(v) All metallic projections including reinforcement, on or above the main surface of
the roof which are connected to the general mass of the earth, should be
bondedand form a part of the air termination network.

(vi) If portions of a structure vary considerably in height, any necessary air terminations
or air termination network for the lower portions should be bonded to the down
conductors of the taller portions, in addition to their own down conductors.

4.3 Down Conductors

(i) The number and spacing of down conductors shall be as specified, or as

directedby the Engineer-in-charge.

(ii) Routing

(a) A down conductor should follow the most direct path possible between the air
terminal network and the earth termination network. Where more than one
down conductor is used, the conductors should be arranged as evenly as
practicable around the outside walls of the structures.

(b) The walls of light wells may be used for fixing down conductors, but lift shafts
should not be used for this purpose.

(c) Metal pipes leading rainwater from the roof to the ground may be connected
to the down conductors, but cannot replace them, such connections should
have disconnecting joints.

(d) In deciding on the routing of the down conductor, its accessibility for inspection,
testing and maintenance should be taken into consideration.

(iii) Provision when External Route is Not Available

(a) Where the provision of external routes for down conductors is impracticable,for
example, in buildings of cantilever construction from the first floor upwards,down
conductors should not follow the outside contours of the building. To doso would
 16

create a hazard to persons standing under the overhang. In such cases, the
down conductors may be housed in an air space provided by a non-metallic
and non-combustible internal duct and taken straight down to the ground.

(b) Any suitable covered recess, not smaller than 76 mm x 13 mm, or any suitable
vertical service duct running the full height of the building may be used for this
purpose, provided it does not contain an unarmoured or a non-metal
sheathed cable.

(c) In cases where an unrestricted duct is used, seals at each floor level may be
required for fire protection. As far as possible, access to the interior of the duct
should be available.

4.4 The lightning protective system should be so installed that it does not spoil
thearchitectural or aesthetic beauty of the building.

5.0 Installation

5.1 General

(i) The entire lightning protective system should be mechanically strong to

withstandthe mechanical forces produced in the event of a lightning strike.

(ii) Conductors shall be securely attached to the building, or other object to be

protected by fasteners, which shall be substantial in construction, not subject to
breakage, and shall be of galvanized steel or other suitable materials, with
suitableprecautions to avoid corrosion.

(iii) The lightning conductors shall be secured not more than 1.2 m apart for horizontal
run, and 1 m for vertical run.

5.2 Air Terminations

All air terminals shall be effectively secured against overturning either by attachment
to the object to be protected, or by means of substantial bracings and fixings which
shall be permanently and rigidly attached to the building. The method and nature of
thefixings should be simple, solid and permanent, due attention being given to the
climaticconditions and possible corrosion.

5.3 Down Conductors

(i) The down conductor system must, where practicable, be directly routed
fromthe air termination to the earth termination network, and as far as possible,
be symmetrically placed around the outside walls of the structure starting from
the corners. In all cases consideration to side flashing must always be given.

(ii) (a) Practical reasons may not sometimes allow the most direct route to be
followed. While sharp bends, such as arise at the end of roof are inescapable(and
hence permissible), re-entrant loops in a conductor can produce high inductive
voltage drops so that the lightning discharge may jump across theopen side of
a loop. As a rough guide, this risk may arise when the length ofthe conductor
forming the loop exceeds 8 times the width of the open side ofthe loop.

(b) When large re-entrant loops as defined above cannot be avoided, such as
inthe case of some cornices or parapets, the conductors should be arranged in
 17

such a way that the distance across the open side of a loop complies with the
requirement indicated above. Alternatively, such cornices or parapets shouldbe
provided with holes through which the conductor can pass freely.

(iii) Bonding to Prevent Side Flashing

Any metal in, or forming a part of the structure, or any building services having
metallic parts which are in contact with the general mass of the earth,
shouldbe either isolated from, or bonded to the down conductor. This also
applies toall exposed large metal items having any dimension greater than 2 m
whether connected to the earth or not.

5.4 Joints and Bonds

5.4.1 Joints

(i) A lightning protective system should have as few joints as possible.

(ii) Joints should be mechanically and electrically effective, for example,

clamped, screwed, bolted, crimped, riveted or welded.

(iii) With overlapping joints, the length of the overlap should not be less than 20 mm
forall types of conductors.

(iv) Contact surfaces should first be cleaned, and then inhibited from oxidation
with a suitable non-corrosive compound.

(v) Joints of dissimilar metals should be protected against corrosion or erosion from
the elements, or the environment and should present an adequate contact
area.

(vi) All the joints shall be made moisture proof with required size of lead sheath/strip
between GI plates and flats.

5.4.2 Bonds

(i) Bonds have to join a variety of metallic parts of different shapes and
composition,and cannot therefore be of a standard form.

(ii) There is the constant problem of corrosion and careful attention must be given
to the metals involved, i.e. the metal from which the bond is made, and those
of the items being bonded.

(iii) The bond must be mechanically and electrically effective, and protected from
corrosion in, and erosion by the operating environment.

(iv) External metal on, or forming part of a structure, may have to discharge the full
lightning current, and its bond to the lightning protective system should have a
cross-sectional area not less than that employed for the main conductors.

(v) Structures supporting overhead electric supply, telephone and other lines must
not be bonded to a lightning protective system without the permission of the
appropriate authority.

(vi) Gas pipe in no case shall be bonded to the lightning protective earth
termination system.
 18

5.4.3 Test Joints

Each down conductor should be provided with a test joint in such a position that, while
not inviting unauthorized interference, it is convenient for use when testing.

5.4.4Earth Termination Network

5.4.3.1 An earth station comprising one or more earth electrodes as required, should be
connected to each down conductor. This shall be specified.

5.4.3.2 Each of the earth stations should have a resistance not exceeding the
product given by 10 ohms multiplied by the number of earth electrodes to
be provided therein. The whole of the lightning protective system, including
any ring earth, should have a combined resistance to earth not exceeding
10 ohms without taking account of any bonding [as per 6.4.4.3.

5.4.3.3 If the value obtained for the whole of the lightning protection system exceeds 10
ohms, a reduction can be achieved by extending or adding to the electrodes,
or by interconnecting the individual earth terminations of the down
conductors bya conductor installed below ground, sometimes referred to as a
ring conductor. Buried ring conductors laid in this manner are considered to be
an integral part of the earth termination network, and should be taken into
account when assessing the overall value of resistance to earth of the
installation.

5.4.3.4 A reduction of the resistance to the earth to a value below 10 ohms has the
advantage of further reducing the potential gradient around the earth
electrode when discharging lightning current. It also further reduces the risk of
side flashingto metal in, or of structure.

5.4.3.5 Earth electrodes should be capable of being isolated and a reference earth
point should be provided for testing purposes.
 19

LIST OF APPROVED MAKES- BSNL ELECTRICAL WING (As on 29.02.2016)

Srn Item Make

1 Engine Ashok Leyland /Cummins/ Cater pillar /KOEL / Volvo Penta /

Mahindra & Mahindra (up to 200 KVA) /Escorts (up to 30 KVA)/
Eicher (up to 35 KVA)

2 Alternator(Brushless) Crompton Greaves (AL. series) / KEC /

Leroy Somer / Stamford/Jyoti Ltd

3 Battery (Lead Acid / Amara Raja / AMCO / Farukawa / Hitachi

Mntc. Free) / Exide/ Prestolite / Standard

4 HV Switchgear Biecco Lawrie / Crompton / Kirloskar /MEI / Jyoti Ltd

(Vacuum CircuitBreaker/SF6
)

5 Transformer (Oil filled ABB / Schneider Electric /Andrew Yule /

/ Dry type) Bharat Bijlee / Crompton / EMCO/ Kirloskar/ Siemens

a) Above 400 KVA

b) Up to 400 KVA In addition to above makes, Uttam/ Patson/ Rajasthan

Transformer and Switchgear

6 Air Circuit Breaker L&T/ Schneider Electric / Siemens

7 MCCB(Ics=Icu) L&T/ Schneider Electric / Siemens

8 SDF units L&T/ Schneider Electric / Siemens/ HPL/ Havells

9 Power Contactors L&T/ Schneider Electric / Siemens/

Lakshmi(LECS)

10 Change Over Switch HPL / Havells / H-H Elcon

11 Intelligent APFC Relay L&T/EPCOS(Siemens)/ Schneider Electric

/ Neptune Ducati/Syntron/ABB

12 Bus Bar Trunking/ Moeller/L&T/Schneider Electric/ABB /Legrand/Zeta

Sandwiched Bus Duct

13 Power Capacitors L&T/EPCOS(Siemens)/ABB/Crompton/

(MPP/APP) Schneider Electric/Neptune Ducati

14 Digital/ KWHr meter Schneider Electric/ AE/ Digitron / IMP/

Meco / Rishabh /Universal/HPL/L&T/ABB/Yokins

15 Cold shrink HT/LT Denson / 3M(M-Seal )/ Raychem

Cable Joint
 20

Srn Item Make

16 Rubber Matting ISI mark

17 MCB/ lsolator Crompton / Havells / lndokopp / MDS Legrand / L&T /

Schneider Electric/
/ELCB/RCCB/
Siemens / Standard/ C&S/ABB/HPL
Distribution Board

18 MS/ PVC Conduit ISI mark

19 Cable Tray MEM/Bharti/Ratan/Slotco/Profab

20 HT/LT Cables ISI mark

21 PVC insulated ISI mark

copper conductor wire

22 Centrifugal Pump Amrut / BE / Beacon / Batliboi /Crompton / Jyoti / Kirloskar /

KSB /Mather & platt / WASP/Grundfos

23 Submersible Pump Crompton/Amrut / BE / Calama /Kirloskar / KSB

24 Motors ABB/ Bharat Bijlee / Crompton Greaves /

Schneider Electric / HBB / KEC / Siemens/ Jyoti Ltd

25 Fresh Air Fans GE / Khaitan/Almonard/Crompton

26 Starter ABB / BCH / Schneider Electric / L&T /Siemens

27 Single Phase Preventer L&T / Minilec / Siemens / Zerotrip

28 GI/MS Pipe ATC / ATL / BST / GSI / ITC / ITS / IIA /

JST / Jindal /TTA / Tata/Zenith

29 Foot Valve ISI mark

30 Gate Valve Advance/Audco/Johnson Controls/Zoloto /Annapurna /

Fountain /Kirloskar / Leader / Sant / Trishul

31 Compressors Carrier/Emerson Copeland/York/Danfoss

(for chillers only)

32 Resin Bonded Glass Fibre Glass / Pilkingston / UP Twiga

wool

33 Expanded Polystyrene BASF(India) Ltd.

34 Gauge Feibig / H.Guru / Pricol

35 Controls FLICA / Honeywell / Indfoss / Penn-

Danfoss / Ranco / Ranutrol / Sporland

 21

Srn Item Make

36 Fine Filters Anfiltra Effluent / ARW / Athlete/Airtake/ Dyna / Kirsloskar/

Puromatic/ Purafill/ Purolator / Tenacity

37 GI Sheet HSU Jindal / National / Nippon Denro /

Sail / Tata

38 Heat Detector Appollo / Chemtron/ Edward / Fenwal/

Hochiki / Nitton /System Sensor/ Wormald /Honeywell

Essar/Notifier

39 Ionization Detector Appollo / Cerebrus / Edward/ /Fenwal /

Hochiki / Nitton / System Sensor /Wormald

40 Photo Electric Smoke Appollo / Cerebrus / Edward / Fenwal/

Detector Hochiki / Nitton / Wormald/System Sensor

41 Fire Panel Agni Instruments / Agni Devices/ Aruna

(Microprocessor Agencies/ Carmel Sensor / Ravel Elect. /Honeywell

Essar/Notifier/Navin Systems
based)

42 Sprinkler/ Hose Reel & ISI mark

Hose Pipe

43 Fire Extinguisher ISI mark

44 Lift OTIS/ Kone/ Mitsubishi/ Schindler/Johnson/ThyssenKrupp

Elevators(India)

45 High Precision Air

Conditioners (HPAC units)
0. M/s Emerson Network Power India(P) Ltd, Thane
0. M/s Sidwal Refrigeration Ind.(P) Ltd, New Delhi
0. M/s Stulz CHSPL India(P) Ltd, Mumbai
0. M/s Schneider Electric IT Business(I) Pvt Ltd,
Gurgaon(formerly M/s Uniflair India(P) Ltd.
NOTE- In addition to above, the items having valid approval of BSNL Elect Zone, Mumbai, Maharashtra
shall also be used.

NOTE:

A. In case of External / PMC works, the list of approved makes may be modified as per client’s
requirement.
B. The accessories such as CT/PT/measuring instrument/relays provided by approved make in
respect of Transformer/HT Panel/DG /AC Package Units as supplied by approved manufacturer
along with the equipment’s are also acceptable in addition.
Any additional makes may be approved by concerned PCEs/Sr CEs/CEs (Elect) for the work
under his jurisdiction as already accorded vide ltr no- 3-2-5/EW/VEP-1/2007 Dated 5-7-2007.