AHC Co.

SECTION 16060

EARTHING SYSTEM

PART 1 – GENERAL

1.1 RELATED DOCUMENTS

A. Drawings and general provisions of Contract, including General and special Conditions
(General requirements), apply to work of this section.

B. Basic electrical materials and methods, section 16050 applies to work of this section.

C. Requirements of this section apply to electrical earthing work specified elsewhere in these
specifications.

1.2 DESCRIPTION OF WORK

A. Work includes providing all materials, equipment, accessories, services and tests
necessary to complete and make ready for operation, the earthing system work in
accordance with Drawings and Specifications and as required for a complete system.

1.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE

A. Manufacturer's Qualifications: Firms regularly engaged in the manufacture of earthing

products, of types, and ratings required, and ancillary materials, including stranded cable,
copper braid and bus and bonding jumpers whose products have been in satisfactory use
in similar service for not less than 5 years.

B. Standards Compliance: Comply with requirements of applicable local codes, IEC 61364 –
5 and IEE wiring regulations 16th edition pertaining to electrical earthing system and
equipment.

1.4 SUBMITTALS

A. Product Data: Submit manufacturer's data on earthing products and associated

accessories.

B. Samples: Submit sample of earthing cables and earthing accessories.

C. Shop drawings: Submit dimensional layouts on architectural background drawings.

D. Calculations: submit detailed calculations verifying the earth resistance value considering
the soil conditions.

PART 2 - PRODUCTS

2.1 RECOMMENDED MANUFACTURER

Refer to list of recommended manufacturers.

MVP RIYADH HOTEL

EARHTING SYSTEM
Date: MAR., 2008. Rev. : 1 16060 - 1
AHC Co.

2.2 ELECTRODES

A. Earthing system will be provided for the earthing of the entire development including the
L.V switchgears, panel boards, electrical circuits, building structure, bonding…etc and
associated equipments.

B. Earthing rods will be installed as indicated in the drawings with cable connection to
earthing equalizer / bars.

C. Earth rods shall be of circular cross-section copper bond type and as indicated shall be
jointed with purpose made couplings and a suitable driving cap and tip shall be fitted to
the rod. Couplings shall not exceed the diameter of the rod.

D. Rod section couplings, driving cap and tip shall be bronze or other material, which
exhibits mechanical strength, electrical continuity between sections and does not give rise
to electrolytic or corrosive action. All coupling units shall be the same length of threaded
length of the rod.

E. Earth rods shall be a minimum length of 3 meters ¾" inch diameter and shall be driven
into the ground using a suitable mechanical hammer. The tops of the rods shall be driven
below ground level to suit the inspection pit.

F. The top of each rod electrode shall be housed in a purpose made concrete pit to facilitate
inspection. The pit shall be provided with a lid and the assembly shall be flush with
ground level.

G. Earth pits shall be provided with a waterproof seal.

H. Parallel connected earth rods shall be spaced at a horizontal distance equal to their buried
length. They shall be connected with bare stranded copper cable unless otherwise shown
on the drawings, buried not less than 750 mm below ground level unless otherwise shown
on the drawings.

I. Copper strip or stranded cable may be installed in the same trenches as M.V/LV cables
but shall be separated from all other cables and services by a distance not less than 300
mm.

J. The resistance to earth of the electrode system for power services shall not exceed four
ohms and for communication services shall not exceed half ohm. Site testes shall be made
to ascertain that the electrode system resistance meets this requirement. If the resistance
exceeds this figure the contractor shall provide the necessary materials to reduce the
system resistance to the specified level.

2.3 EARTHING CONDUCTORS

A. Earthing conductors connecting the main earthing terminal or bar and electrode system
shall be green/yellow PVC insulated, stranded copper cable. A minimum of two earthing
conductors shall be installed and separately connected to the main earth bar with bolted
test links of copper and having a cross section equal to the main earth bar.

2.4 MAIN EARTHING TERMINAL

MVP RIYADH HOTEL

EARHTING SYSTEM
Date: MAR., 2008. Rev. : 1 16060 - 2
AHC Co.

A. The main earthing terminal shall consist of hard drawn copper formed into a bar having
minimum dimensions as detailed in the earthing schematic.
B. Each earthing bar shall be mounted not less than 600 mm above the finished floor level
and spaced by means of insulators not less than 50 mm from the fixing surface.

C. The diameter of fixing holes shall not exceed one third of earthing bar width. Where this
is not possible then the connection shall be made to a copper flag welded to the earthing
bar.

D. Each connection to the main earthing terminal shall be identified with an appropriately
worded label made of durable material.

2.5 PROTECTIVE CONDUCTORS

A. Protective conductors between equipment earthing terminals or bars and the main earthing
terminal or bar shall be made with stranded copper insulated cables as shown on the
drawings. Cables shall be connected to remote ends of the equipment earthing terminals
or bar and separately connected to the main earthing terminal or bar.

B. Where a number of protective conductors follow the same route these shall be
green/yellow PVC covered and installed on a cable tray and fixed with purpose made
cleats.

C. Connections between main earthing terminal or bars, equipment earthing terminals, etc,
and stranded copper cables shall be made with appropriate compression type lug, bolt, nut
and lock washers. Contact surfaces shall be thoroughly cleaned and tinned.

D. Sockets lugs, bolts, nuts, washers, screws, rivets, clamps, cleats or other items which
come into direct contact with copper protective conductors bars, strips, cables etc, shall be
non-ferrous and manufactured from brass, bronze or other suitable conducting material
which will not cause electrolytic or other corrosion. Where connections occur between
copper and galvanized structures, contact surfaces shall, additionally, be tinned and after
completion compounded to exclude moisture. Protective conductors, cables, strip, bars,
lugs, etc, shall be installed in visible and serviceable positions.

E. The joints shall be made using zinc free brazing material with a melting point of at least
600 oC. The amount of overlap between the two strips to be jointed shall not be less than
the width of the larger conductor.

PART 3 - EXECUTION

3.1 EXAMINATION

A. Examine conditions under which electrical earthing connections are to be made and notify
in writing of conditions detrimental to proper completion of work. Do not proceed with
work until unsatisfactory conditions have been corrected.

3.2 INSTALLATION

MVP RIYADH HOTEL

EARHTING SYSTEM
Date: MAR., 2008. Rev. : 1 16060 - 3
AHC Co.

A. Install electrical earthing system as indicated in accordance with manufacturer's

instructions, requirements of applicable standards, and in accordance with recognized
industry practices to ensure that installation complies with requirements and serves
intended function.

B. Coordinate as necessary to interface installation of electrical earthing system work with

other work.

C. Earth the electrical installation including, but not limited to, the following: Underground
distribution, substation service equipment, electrical service system, switchgear housings,
cabinets, housings and neutrals of transformers lightning protection system, emergency
distribution systems, busway enclosures, motor control centers, individual starters cable
trays, cable trunkings and other non-current carrying metal parts of electrical equipment.

D. Wherever flexible metal conduit or cable are used for part of a raceway run, provide an
earthing conductor in the raceway or cable and connect to earthing bushings at each end
of run.

E. Where pull boxes contain barriers, provide an earth lug in each section.

F. Install earthing conductors in all circuits wiring.

G. Terminate feeder and branch circuit insulated equipment earthing conductors with earthing
lug, bus, or bushing.

H. Route earthing connections and conductors to earth and protective devices in shortest and
straightest paths as possible to minimize transient voltage rises.

I. Install thermo – weld connections on clean metal contact surfaces, to ensure electrical
conductivity and circuit integrity.

J. Where expansion fittings occur, provide internal earth conductor terminating in adjacent
pulling points with earthing bushings.

K. Metallic pipe services for example, gas mains, water mains and dry risers shall be
effectively bonded to the main earthing terminal at their point of entry. Connections shall
be made to the services with purpose-made earthing clamps.

L. Where there is a lightning conductor system for the building or structure, it shall be
effectively bonded to the main earthing terminal. A suitable label shall be provided
adjacent to this bonding connection at the main earthing terminal indicating the purposed
of connection.

M. Building structures shall be effectively bonded to the main earthing system (Grid).

N. The cross-sectional area of all earthing, bonding and protective conductors shall comply
with the requirements of the IEE wiring regulations. Except where detailed otherwise in
this specification or on the drawings all conductors for earthing shall be copper.

O. Single-core cables forming part of the earthing system shall be of stranded copper, with
green/yellow PVC.

MVP RIYADH HOTEL

EARHTING SYSTEM
Date: MAR., 2008. Rev. : 1 16060 - 4
AHC Co.

P. Mechanical joints between aluminum and copper shall have the joint faces lightly coated
with an anti-corrosion compound before the connection is made.

Q. Where conduits, or glands for armoured cables, terminate on switchgear, distribution

boards, starter panels or other apparatus then brass compression washers shall be used to
ensure an effective earth connection.

R. Where connections are made between sections of raceways then the manufacturer's earth
continuity links shall be installed across the joint. Connections made between raceways
sections crossing a building expansion joint shall be made with a flexible copper braid.

S. Sections of cable tray shall be thoroughly cleaned before overlapping and securing with a
minimum of two screwed fixings. The remote ends of the cable tray shall be effectively
bonded to the earthing system.

T. The armouring of plastic sheathed cables shall terminate in compression glands fitted with
purpose-made earth tags. A protective conductor shall connect the earth tag with the
apparatus earthing terminal. The earth tag shall be manufactured from a high conductivity
material compatible with the cable gland.

U. The armouring of metal sheathed cables shall be securely clamped to the gland at the
cable termination with a purpose-made bolted clamp.
A protective conductor shall be installed to connect the armour clamp or gland fixing
bolts to the apparatus earthing terminal.

3.3 EARTH TESTS

A. After installation of the individual earthing systems in accordance with the above for the
various parts of the works and after the whole installation has been connected up,
resistance tests shall be carried out at each sub-station and for each earth source
independently and the readings obtained officially and recorded. Three readings shall be
obtained for each sub-station relating to the two earth paths connected individually and in
parallel.

B. An Ever shed and Vignoles or similar earth tester shall be used and all results tabulated
and handed to the Engineer.

3.4 FIELD QUALITY CONTROL

A. Upon completion of installation of electrical earthing, test ground resistance with ground
resistance tester.

B. Weld earthing conductors to underground earthing electrodes.

C. Earth electrical service system neutral at service entrance equipment to earthing

electrodes.

D. Earthing each separately-derived system neutral to:

a. Effectively earthed metallic water pipe.

b. Effectively earthed structural steel member.

MVP RIYADH HOTEL

EARHTING SYSTEM
Date: MAR., 2008. Rev. : 1 16060 - 5
AHC Co.

b. Separate earthing electrode.

END OF SECTION 16060

MVP RIYADH HOTEL

EARHTING SYSTEM
Date: MAR., 2008. Rev. : 1 16060 - 6