SECTION 16452

GROUNDING

PART 1 - GENERAL

1.1 DESCRIPTION:

A. The Work shall consist of furnishing and installation of the grounding system as
shown on the drawings and specified herein.

1.2 REFERENCES:

A. SASO – Saudi Arabian Standards Organization

SASO 981-986 Electrical installations of buildings (all parts)

SASO 1270 Electrical installations of buildings: Part 5: Selection and

erection of electrical equipment - Chapter 54: Earthing
arrangements and protective conductors.

SASO 1486 Earthing electrodes

SASO 1487 Methods of testing earthing electrodes

SASO 1357 Electrical installations of buildings - Part 7: Requirements

for special installation or locations - Section 707: Earthing
requirements for the installation of data

SASO 1614 Protection of structures against lightning - Part 1: General

principles - Section 1: Guide A. Section of protection
levels for lightning protection systems

B. IEC - International Electro-technical Commission

IEC 60364 Electrical installations of buildings (all parts)

IEC 60364-5-54 Earthing arrangement and protective conductors

C. NFPA - National Fire Protection Association

NFPA 70 National Electrical Code

NFPA 780 Lightning Protection Code

D. UL - Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

UL 467 Electrical Grounding and Bonding Equipment

UL 486A Wiring connectors and Soldering Lugs for With Copper

Conductors
UL 486B Wire Connectors for Use With Aluminum Conductors

UL 869 Service Equipment

General Directorate 16452-1 Grounding

 E. IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IEEE 81 Guide for Measuring Earth Resistivity, Ground Impedance,

and Earth Surface

F. BS – British Standards Institute

BS 6651 Protection of Structures against lightning

BS 7671 IEE Wiring Regulations

1.3 SUBMITTALS:

A. Shop Drawings: Showing the location of system grounding electrode connections

and the routing of grounding electrode conductor.

B. Test Reports: Certified test reports of ground resistance.

C. Product Data and Material Samples.

1.4 QUALITY ASSURANCE:

A. Materials and equipment together with method of installation shall comply in all
respects with SASO, IEC and IEE Regulations for Electrical Installations, latest
edition and other applicable Codes and Standards specified herein.

PART 2 - PRODUCTS

2.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENT

A. Grounding resistance shall not be more than 3 ohm for computer equipment and 5
ohms for general building grounding.

2.2 MATERIALS:

A. GROUND CABLE:

1. Ground cables shall be soft drawn, bare stranded copper wire conforming to
IEC 228, or insulated stranded copper wire conductor cable, as shown on
the drawings. The grounding cable shall have a minimum section in
accordance with SASO, IEC or NEC 250 and in no case smaller than 2.5
mm² (AWG 12).

B. GROUND RODS:

1. Ground rods shall be copper cladded steel with high strength steel core and
electrolytic-grade copper outer sheath, molten welded to core, 19 mm
diameter rods, furnished in 3.00 meters length.

General Directorate 16452-2 Grounding

PART 3 - EXECUTION

3.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

A. The complete grounding system shall be mechanically and electrically continuous

and of durable construction, providing an independent current return path of low
resistance to ground sources.

B. Tees and straight through joints in copper strip should be made either by riveting
and sweating, welding or brazing.

C. Where connections between dissimilar metals must be made, these should be

protected by painting over with a moisture resisting bituminous paint or compound,
or by wrapping with a protective tape to exclude moisture.

D. Bolted connections shall be of the multiple bolt type. Bolts, washers and stop nuts
shall be of high copper alloy, everdur, durium, duronze or silicon bronze. Ferrous
hardware will not be accepted.

3.2 GROUND RODS AND GROUND CABLE:

A. Ground rods shall be driven with a cap driving stud. The ground conductors shall
be laid with slack and buried to a minimum depth of 600 mm below grade.

B. All ground cable shall be carefully handled when installed to avoid kinking or
cutting the conductors. All parts of the grounding system shall be protected
against damage during construction.

1. Ground conductors shall not be embedded in equipment foundations.

2. Exposed grounding conductors shall follow the contours of the surface over
which they pass. Diagonal runs shall be avoided. The runs shall be
horizontal, vertical and parallel, and securely fastened to the mounting
surface without slack using galvanized malleable iron straps.

C. Splices and Taps:

1. Conductors shall contain a minimum number of splices throughout each run.

Grounding conductors, splices and taps shall be made by the exothermic-
weld process. The instructions of manufacturer shall be obtained and
followed in welding connections. Particular care shall be taken to use the
correct size and type of mold and size of cartridge for each combination of
conductors.

2. Where a cross connection is required, it shall be made with two T-

connections spaced not less than 457 mm apart. Connections of cable to
ground rod shall also be exothermic-welded. All ground cables shall be
thoroughly cleaned with wire brush at connections before welding. All welded
joints shall be checked and inspected by the Engineer before being covered.
Molds shall not be used to make more than the maximum number of joints
recommended by manufacturer, or when otherwise unsuitable for further
service.

General Directorate 16452-3 Grounding

3.3 TERMINAL CONNECTIONS:

A. Connections of ground conductors to conduits shall be made with copper clamps

or straps or by grounding bushings. Ground connections to piping shall generally
be welded or brazed. Non-conductive protective coatings such as paint or enamel
on the conduits or fittings shall be removed from the threads or contacts surfaces
before attaching grounding connection. After ground connection is attached, any
exposed bare-metal shall be covered again with a coating matching the original
coating.

3.4 EQUIPMENT GROUNDING:

A. Equipment grounding shall consist of connecting all non-current carrying metallic

parts of the electrical mechanical installation to the grounding sources. Comply
with SASO 1270, IEC 60364-5-54 or NEC Article 250 for sizes and quantities of
equipment ground conductors, except where larger sizes or more conductors are
indicated.

B. Non-current carrying metallic parts of the electrical installation shall include such
items as metal conduits, raceways, outlet boxes, cabinets, panel board,
transformers/switchgear, exposed metal parts of apparatus, and other electrical
equipment, protecting or shielding electrical equipment from direct access by
unauthorized personnel.

C. The series grounding of one piece of equipment to another will not be permitted.
All equipment grounding connections shall be tapped from the applicable
ground/source.

D. Ground continuity conductors other than metallic conduits, trunking and cable
armor shall consist of a special green colored insulated copper conductor, size as
shown on the drawings.

E. Computer and other electronic and communication equipment shall be grounded

to an equipment earth which will be run separately to the building ground and will
be connected to the main ground bar.

3.5 GROUNDING OF VARIOUS METAL COMPONENTS

A. Ground all extraneous metalwork such as steel structure, concrete reinforcement,

ducting, piping, suspended ceiling grids, enclosures, doors, grilles, barriers and
other metal components of building.

3.6 GROUNDING CONDUCTOR:

A. A separate green-yellow colored insulated grounding conductor shall be installed

in all conduits and raceways. Sizes shall be as per SASO 1270, IEC 60364-5-54
or as shown on the drawings

3.7 GROUNDING OF MOTORS:

A. Motors shall be grounded by connecting a green-yellow colored conductor from a

grounding bushing in the starter or isolating switch to the motor frame. The
conductor shall be run together with the circuit wiring and terminated in the motor
connection box provided the latter is mechanically connected to the frame. If this is
not feasible, the grounding conductor shall be extended through an insulated
bushed opening in the connection box and connected to the motor base.

General Directorate 16452-4 Grounding

3.8 TESTING:

A. Contractor shall measure the ground resistance of the ground well of the
completely driven ground rod at each location before connecting it to the ground
grid. Upon completion of the entire grounding system of the site, including all
necessary connections and backfilling, Contractor shall measure the ground
resistance at a location designated by the Engineer.

B. Measurement shall be made with ground tester. All measurements and tests shall
be witnessed by the Engineer. An acceptable grounding resistance shall not be
more than 3 ohm computer equipment and 5 ohms for general building grounding.
If test measurements exceed this value, the Contractor shall install and connect
additional ground rods as directed by the Engineer until this value is obtained.

END OF SECTION

General Directorate 16452-5 Grounding