Effect of Soil Resistivity Measurement on the Safe Design of Grounding Systems

Vasilios P. Androvitsaneas, Katerina D. Damianaki, Christos A. Christodoulou and Ioannis F. Gonos
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Vasilios P. Androvitsaneas: High Voltage Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon Politechniou Str., Zografou Campus, GR15780 Athens, Greece
Katerina D. Damianaki: High Voltage Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon Politechniou Str., Zografou Campus, GR15780 Athens, Greece
Christos A. Christodoulou: High Voltage Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon Politechniou Str., Zografou Campus, GR15780 Athens, Greece
Ioannis F. Gonos: High Voltage Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon Politechniou Str., Zografou Campus, GR15780 Athens, Greece

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 12, 1-13

Abstract: A prerequisite for the proper and safe designing of a grounding system is the full knowledge of the ground structure in the terrain of installation. Through soil resistivity measurements, engineers are able to illustrate the ground profile, which constitutes the most significant parameter for the design of a grounding system and for determining the maximum permissible limits of step and touch voltages. This paper highlights the high importance and necessity for engineers to choose the proper measurement axes of soil resistivity in the terrain of interest and to choose suitable measurement depths, as well the combination of axes for the final determination of the ground profile. The variance of soil resistivity values, as a function of axis distance and the impact of axis placement on determining the uncertainty of measurements, is also analyzed in detail in this study. Furthermore, this work studies the value variance of step and touch voltages as a function of measurement axes, considering two- and three-layer soil models, based on soil resistivity field measurements performed at the university campus. Therefore, the proper and premeditated measurement of soil resistivity, particularly in anisotropic ground, is proved to be of major importance for the full designing of a safe grounding system.

Keywords: grounding system; soil resistivity; soil models; step voltage; touch voltage; uncertainty of measurement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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