Republic of the Philippines

University of Rizal System

Morong, Rizal
College of Engineering
Electrical Engineering Department

GROUNDING AND BONDING

JAN MICHAEL B. CASTANEDA

5-EE
Article 2.50: Grounding and Bonding
The term “grounding” means to provide a conductive path between electrical
equipment and the earth. While bonding is simply the act of mechanically connecting
two or more conductive materials together to establish a conductive path between
them.  It is possible to “bond” components together without ever grounding them.
The Article covers general requirements for grounding and bonding of electrical
installation and specific requirement of the following:
o System circuits and equipment required.
o Circuit conductor to be grounded on grounded system.
o Location of grounding connections.
o Type and size of grounding and bonding conductor and electrodes.
o Methods of grounding and bonding.
o Conditions under which guards, isolation or insulation may be substituted for
grounding.
Importance of Grounding
Grounding metal parts to suitable grounding electrodes shunts dangerous
ground-fault current to the earth protecting persons when ground fault happens.
Electrical equipment must be grounded so that sufficient fault current will flow through
the circuit protection device to quickly open and clear the ground fault. Electrical
equipment must be grounded to ensure that dangerous voltage on metal parts resulting
from a ground fault can be reduced to a safe value. When electrical current is given
multiple conductive paths on which to flow, current will only take the path of least
resistance.
Examples of ground current path are metallic raceways, metallic cable sheaths,
electrical equipment, electrically conductive metal or any combination of equipment
grounding conductors.
 Ground – is an intentional or accidental conducting connection between an
electrical circuit and earth or to some conducting body that serves in place of the
earth.
 Grounded – connected to earth or to some conducting body that serves in place
of the earth.
 Grounded, effectively – intentionally connected to earth or to some conducting
body that serves in place of the earth.
 Grounded Conductor – a system of circuit conductor that is intentionally
grounded.
 Grounding Conductor - a conductor used to connect equipment or the
grounded circuit of a wiring system to a grounding electrode conductor.
Grounding Electrodes (Article 2.50.3)
 A ground electrode comprises of a metallic rod that is buried in to the ground at
a certain depth and connected externally to the grounding system by ground wire. A
ground electrode essentially serves as a good conducting medium that is in contact with
groundmass. A good ground electrode connection ensures safe and smooth evacuation
of current from ground connections in to the ground.
The purpose of ground electrode is to dissipate fault current by giving a current
many paths to travel into earth. The longer the electrode, the better dissipation.
Increasing of diameter are not nearly gained dissipation.
The electrodes permitted for grounding are metal underground water pipes,
metal frame of the building or structure, concrete encased electrode, ground ring, rod
and pipe electrodes, and plate electrodes. (Article 2.50.3.3a)
 Equipment Grounding Conductor - the conductor used to connect the non-
carrying metal parts of equipment, raceways, and the other enclosures to the
system grounded conductor, the grounding electrode conductor, or both, at the
service equipment or at the source of a separately derived system.
 Solidly Grounded - means the bonding of the system to the metal case to the
derived system.
 Neutral Conductor - the conductor connected to the neutral point of a system
that is intended to carry current under normal conditions. The neutral conductor
from the neutral point of the transformer or generator to its connection point to
the grounding impedance shall be full insulated. It shall have the ampacity of not
less than the maximum current rating of the grounding impedance. In no case
shall the neutral conductor be smaller than 8.0mm2 (3.2mm. dia.) copper or
14mm2 aluminum or copper clad aluminum.
 Neutral Point - the common point on a WYE connection in a poly phase system
or midpoint on a single phase, 3 wire system, or midpoint of a single portion of a
3 phase delta system, or a midpoint of a 3 wire direct current system.
Bonding
 Bonding Jumper - reliable conductor to ensure the electrical conductivity
between metal parts that must be electrically connected.
Requirements for Grounding and Bonding
Grounded Systems
1. Electrical System Grounding – Electrical systems that are grounded shall be
connected to earth in a manner that will limit the voltage imposed by lightning,
line surges, or unintentional contact with higher-voltage lines and that will
stabilize the voltage to earth during normal operation.
2. Grounding of Electrical Equipment – Normally non-current conductive
materials enclosing electrical conductors or equipment, or forming part of such
equipment shall be connected to earth as to limit the voltage to ground of these
materials.
3. Bonding of Electrical Equipment – Normally non-current-carrying conductive
materials enclosing electrical conductors or equipment, or forming part of such
 equipment shall be connected together and to the electrical supply source in a
manner that establishes an effective ground-fault current path.
4. Bonding of Electrically Conductive Materials and Other Equipment -
Normally non-current carrying conductive materials that are likely to become
energized shall be connected together and to the electrical supply source in a
manner that establishes an effective ground-fault current path.
5. Effective Ground-Fault Current Path - Electrical equipment, wiring and other
electrically conductive material likely to become energized shall be installed in a
manner that creates a low-impedance circuit facilitating the operation of the
overcurrent device or ground detector for high impedance grounded system. It
shall be capable of safely carrying the maximum ground-fault current likely to be
imposed on it from any point on the wiring system where ground fault may occur
in the electrical supply source. The earth shall not be considered as an effective
ground-fault current path.
Ungrounded Systems
1. Grounding of Electrical Equipment – Normally non-current conductive
materials enclosing electrical conductors or equipment, or forming part of such
equipment shall be connected to earth as to limit the voltage to ground of these
materials.
2. Bonding of Electrical Equipment – Normally non-current-carrying conductive
materials enclosing electrical conductors or equipment, or forming part of such
equipment shall be connected together and to the electrical supply source in a
manner that establishes an effective ground-fault current path.
3. Bonding of Electrically Conductive Materials and Other Equipment -
Normally non-current carrying conductive materials that are likely to become
energized shall be connected together and to the electrical supply source in a
manner that establishes an effective ground-fault current path.
4. Effective Ground-Fault Current Path - Electrical equipment, wiring and other
electrically conductive material likely to become energized shall be installed in a
manner that creates a low-impedance circuit from any point on the wiring system
to the electrical supply source to facilitate the operation of the overcurrent
devices should a second ground fault from a different phase occur on the wiring
system. The earth shall not be considered as an effective ground-fault current
path.
Ground Detectors
The ground detector is an instrument which is used to detect conductor
insulation resistance to ground. Ungrounded alternating current system as permitted,
operating not less than 120V and not exceeding 1000V shall have ground detectors
installed on the system.
Preventing Objectionable Current
To prevent a fire, electric shock, or improper operation of circuit-protection
devices or sensitive equipment, electrical systems and equipment must be installed in a
manner that prevents objectionable current from flowing on conductive materials,
electrical equipment, or grounding and bonding paths.
Means of Identifying Grounded Conductor
Use white or gray to identify the grounded neutral conductor of a single wiring
system.
Article 2.50.2.3: Circuits Not to Be Grounded.
The following circuits shall not be grounded:
(1) Circuits for electric cranes operating over combustible fibers in Class III
locations, as provided in 5.3.3.56.
(2) Circuits in health care facilities as provided in 5.17.4.2 and 5.17.7.1
(3) Circuits for equipment within electrolytic cell working zone as provided in
Article 6.68
(4) Secondary circuits of lighting systems as provided in 4.11.1.5(a)

Sizing of Grounding Electrode Conductor (Art. 2.50.3.17)

When sizing electrical ungrounded conductors, the ampacity of the conductor is
the main consideration. This is not the case when sizing electrode conductor, it is sized
according to cross-sectional area of the service-entrance conductor.
Sizing of Equipment Grounding Conductor
The regulations for calculating the size of equipment grounding conductor are:
1. Table 2.50.6.13 shall be used to size the equipment conductor.
2. When ungrounded conductors are increased in size and an equipment grounding
is installed with them, the equipment grounding conductor is required to be
proportionately increased in size acc. To the circular mil area of the ungrounded
conductors.
3. Where more than one circuit is installed in a single raceway or cable, one
equipment grounding conductor can be installed in the raceway or cable; it will be
sized for the largest overcurrent device protecting conductors in the raceway or
cable.
4. An equipment grounding conductor not smaller than 18 AWG copper is permitted
for flexible cords when the flexible cord is protected at or over 20 amperes.
5. The equipment grounding conductor is never required to be larger than the circuit
conductors.
6. Where the overcurrent protection is an instantaneous circuit breaker or a motor
protector, the equipment grounding conductor is sized according to the size of
the motor overload protective device.
7. When conductors are run in parallel in more than one raceway or cable , as
permitted by PEC 3.10.1.4, the equipment grounding conductor is run in parallel.
Each of the paralleled equipment grounding conductors is sized according to the
ampere rating of the overcurrent device protecting the conductors in the raceway
or cable.
Grounding Electrode Rod Installation
Basic Requirements for a rod or pipe electrode are:
1. Minimum length of 2.5 m or 8 ft.
2. When metal pipe or conduit is used for electrode, it is required to be not smaller
than trade size ¾conduit.
3. Iron or steel pipe electrodes are required to have a galvanized surface or other
corrosive resistant material.
4. Rod electrode may be iron, steel, or stainless steel and are required to have a
minimum diameter of 5/8 inch (16mm) diameter.
5. Nonferrous rods, or their equivalent are required to have a minimum diameter of
½inch (13 mm).
Grounding Electrode: Lightning Protection System
Art. 2.50.5.17 states that Lightning Protection System shall be bonded to the
building or structure grounding electrode system. When different grounding electrodes
are used for a building and are not bonded together, a voltage hazard will exist.
Main Bonding Jumper
The connection between the grounded circuit conductor and the equipment
grounding conductor at the service.
Sizing of Main Bonding Jumper
Three methods for sizing the main bonding jumper are:
1. Basic Rule: Use Table 2.50.3.17, the grounding electrode conductor table, is
also used for the main bonding jumper.
2. 12 ½ % Rule for Large Conductors. When the total circular area of any
service entrance phase conductor exceeds the maximum circular-mil area listed
in Table 2.50.3.17, the main bonding jumper shall not be smaller than 12 ½% of
the service phase conductors.
3. Rule for Using Different Materials. This rule applies when the main bonding
jumper is a different material than the service-entrance conductors. One could be
aluminum and the other copper for example. In this case, the minimum size of
the main bonding jumper is based on assuming that the service entrance
conductors are of the same material as the main bonding jumper and that
ampacity is equivalent to the installed phase conductors.
For grounded systems, noncurrent-carrying conductive materials enclosing
electrical conductors or equipment, or forming part of such equipment, shall be
connected to earth so as to limit the voltage-to-ground on these materials.