Earth Rod Electrode Resistance

by:VerPangoniloPEERPEQMIEAust

1.1 SINGLE EARTH ROD ELECTRODE

The resistance of a single earth can be calculated if the soil resistivity is known. An earth electrode
drivenvertically,theelectroderesistancecanbecalculatedusingtheequation

8L
R= ln 1
2L d

where:

R=electroderesistance,

=Soilresistivity,m(uniformsoil1)
L=Lengthofelectrodeburiedinsoil,m

d=Outerdiameterofearthrod,m

Note:InAustraliatheminimumdepthofverticaltypeearthelectrodeis1.2m[Clause5.3.6.3,AS/NZS
30002007]

Thesoilresistivityatthelocationoftheearthelectrodeneedstobeinvestigated.Theresistivityofsoils
varieswith
1. thedepthfromthesurface,
2. thetypeandconcentrationofsolublechemicalsinthesoil,
3. themoisturecontent,and
4. thesoiltemperature.

Inotherwords,thesoilresistivityisdependentonthe electrolyteinthesoil.Thepresenceofsurface
waterdoesnotnecessarilyindicatelowresistivity.

Intheabsenceofsoilinvestigativedata,typicalresistivityofvarioussoiltypesisgiveninthefollowing
table.

Table1Typicalsoilresistivity(Source:IEEE142/BS7430)
SoilType AverageResistivity(m)
Wellgradedgravel 6001000

Poorlygradedgravel 10002500

Clayeygravel 200400

Siltysand 100800

Clayeysands 50200

1
Uniformsoilmeansthatthesoiltypeisthesameforthewholelengthoftheearthelectrode

Page1of6
 SoilType AverageResistivity(m)
Siltyorclayeysandwithslightplasticity 3080

Finesandysoil 80300

Gravellyclays 2060

Inorganicclaysofhighplasticity 1055

SurfaceSoils 150

Clay 2100

Sandyclay 100150

Moistgravel 50700

Drygravel 7001200

Limestone 510000

Porouslimestone 30100

Quartz,crystallinelimestone 1001000

Sandstone 202000

Granites 9001100

Concrete 300500

Example:

Soilresistivity=180m

Earthrod=19x1.8m

Solution:

Assumingthattheearthelectrodeisfullydrivenintotheuniformsoil,theresistancewillbe

8L
R= ln 1
2L d

180 8(1.8)
R= ln 1
2 (1.8) (19 / 1000)

R = 89.6

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1.2 MULTIPLE EARTH ROD ELECTRODES

In the event that the desired soil resistivity is not achievable using a single earth electrode, multiple
electrodescouldbeused.

Thecombinedresistanceofrodelectrodesinparallelcanbeobtainedfromthefollowingequation:

1 + a
Rn = R
n
Inwhich

a=
2Rs
Where

R=singlerodresistanceinisolation,

S=rodspacing,m

=Soilresistivity,m
=multiplyingfactor(seeTable2orTable3)
n=numberofelectrodes(seeTable2orTable3)

The above equations assume that rod electrodes can be represented approximately by hemispherical
electrodes,havingthesameearthresistance.Thisassumptionissatisfactoryprovidedthatthespacing
betweentherodsislessthantheirlength.

Table2Factorsforparallelelectrodesinline(BS7430)
Numberofelectrodes(n) Factor()
2 1.00

3 1.66

4 2.15

5 2.54

6 2.87

7 3.15

8 3.39

9 3.61

10 3.81

For electrodes equally spaced around a hollow square, e.g. around the perimeter of a building, the
equationsgivenaboveareusedwithavalueoftakenfromTable3.

For three rods placed in an equilateral triangle, or in an L formation, a value of = 1.66 may be
assumed.

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 Table3Factorsforelectrodesinahollowsquare(BS7430)
Numberofelectrodes(n) Factor()
2 2.71

3 4.51

4 5.48

5 6.13

6 6.63

7 7.03

8 7.36

9 7.65

10 7.90

12 8.32

14 8.67

16 8.96

18 9.22

20 9.44

Note:Thetotalnumberofelectrodesaroundthesquareis4(n1).

Thereductionincombinedearthresistanceprovidedbyadditionalelectrodesinsidethesquareissmall,
butsuchelectrodeswillreducethepotentialgradientoverthesoilsurfaceinsidethesquare.Apractical
exampleofthisistheuseofstripelectrodesforminganearthgridwithinthesquare.

Table3mayalsobeusedforelectrodesarrangedinarectangle,wherenisgivenby(totalnumberof
electrodes/4)+1.Providedthatthelengthtowidthratiooftherectangledoesnotexceed2,theerror
willbelessthan6%.

EXAMPLE

From the previous example, let us calculate the earth resistance if we use 10 rod electrodes in line
arrangement.

R=89.6

=180m

L=1.8m

Thespacingshouldbelessthantherodlength(s<L).Assumes=1.5m.

180
a = = = 0.2132
2Rs 2 (89.6)(1.5)

1 + a
Rn = R
n

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Assume10electrodes.FromTable2,=3.81.

1 + 3.81 0.2132
Rn = 89.6 = 16.23
10
Ifwechangethearrangementtoahollowsquarearrangement,10electrodesinTable3,=7.90.

1 + 7.90 0.2132
Rn = 89.6 = 24.05
10

1.3 APPARENT SOIL RESISTIVITY FOR TWO-LAYER SOIL

Inlocationswherethesoiltypeisnothomogeneous,theresultingresistivityforatwolayersoilcanbe
calculatedusingtheformula

Kn Kn
(a ) = 1 1 + 4
2 2
n =1 h h
1 + 2 n 4 + 2 n
a a
where:

2 1
K=
2 + 1
1 : Toplayersoilresistivity
2 : Deeplayersoilresistivity
h : Depthoftoplayersoil

h : Depthoftoplayersoil

a : Earthelectrodespacing

n : Numberofearthelectrodes

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1.4 FORMULAE FOR CALCULATION OF EARTH RESISTANCES

Source : Table 4-5 IEEE 142 - 2007

References
1. IEEE142(GreenBook)2007IEEERecommendedPracticeforGroundingofIndustrialand
CommercialPowerSystems
2. IEEE811983IEEEGuideforMeasuringEarthResistivity,GroundImpedance,andEarthSurface
PotentialsofaGroundSystem
3. BS74301998CodeofpracticeforEarthing
4. PracticalGrounding,Bonding,ShieldingandSurgeProtection
G.Vijayaraghavan,MarkBrown,MalcolmBarnes
Newnes2004IDCTechnologies
5. AS/NZS30002007WiringRules

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ERRATA
1. The paragraph in Clause 1.2

In the event that the desired soil resistivity is not achievable using a single earth electrode, multiple
electrodes could be used.

should read

In the event that the desired electrode resistance is not achievable using a single earth electrode,
multiple earth electrodes could be used.

2. The paragraph in Clause 1.2

The above equations assume that rod electrodes can be represented approximately by hemispherical
electrodes, having the same earth resistance. This assumption is satisfactory provided that the
spacing between the rods is less than their length.

should be changed to

The above equations assume that rod electrodes can be represented approximately by hemispherical
electrodes, having the same earth resistance. This assumption is satisfactory provided that the
electrodes are evenly spaced and spacing between electrodes is not less than two-thirds of the
1
electrode length.

1
BS 7430:2011 p.54