ITE

MANDATORY
TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION
No.: 100VV-TD-ITE-DE0004 Date: 14 mar 2019 Rev.: 00
STRUCTURAL BUILDING
DESIGN
CALCULATION PHYSICS
Title: Earthing of Facades Discipline:
MATERIAL QA/QC HS&E

ABSTRACT
This Form codified according to the Departmental Documents Naming Convention, replaces the
document:

DT-021_Earthing_of_facades-Eng_rev02

which is available at the following page.

ISSUE

NOTE

ACTION

Form: 100VV-TD-ITE rev.00 dated 05 Oct 2017

Prepared by: G. Serafin Checked by: M. Rigo Approved by: G. Franceschet

File: 100VV-TD-ITE-DE0004-00-EN Page 1 / 9
 Technical Instruction no. 21
DT-021
Rev.: 02
PERMASTEELISA
EARTHING OF FACADES Date: 01/04/2008
GROUP AND PROTECTION AGAINST LIGHTNING Page: 1 of 8

INTRODUCTION
The basic reasons for the earthing are:
• To offer protection against indirect electrocution (caused by atmospheric discharge);
• To facilitate the intervention of the differential switch in case of earth fault;
• To protect people and equipment against electrocution and electric voltage of any origin.
Following the laws in force, each building should be equipped with a system of protection against
atmospheric discharge, i.e. lightning (LPS - Lightning Protection System). The system doesn’t
prevent the discharge, but can reduce the harmful effects to the inside of the protected building by
conveying to earth the electricity passing through it.
During the passing of the lightning current through the LPS the discharges can spread (by
induction) even to the internal systems and to all the near metal elements, including the facades. In
order to avoid that the discharges become dangerous both for the structures (fire) and for man
(electrocution), an internal protection system must be realized. Generally the internal protection
system is obtained through equipotential connections of all the metal parts to the LPS and,
therefore, to earth. In other words, it is necessary that facades, window and door frames, metal
structures, structural iron, equipments, etc. be electrically connected to each other and so earthed.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this document is to clarify the requirements that the facades must satisfy in terms
of electric continuity for the protection against lightning and electric discharges, by providing the
instruments to apply them.

APPLICABILITY
All the new projects and the on going ones that have not provided a proper solution must follow
the instructions contained in this document in order to foresee and correctly dimension the
equipotential and earthing connections of the facades.

STANDARD REFERENCES
• EN 13830 (of 2003), specifies the features of a facade and provides technical information
about the several performances expected from it and the methods to execute the tests that
prove the conformity. As far as the electric continuity is concerned, the norm reads: “if
expressly required, the metal components of the facades must be mechanically connected to
the building structure in order to allow for an equipotential connection with the building
ground circuit. This requirement is necessary for all the facades installed on higher buildings
than 25 m.. The earth resistance must not be over 10 Ohm, when tested by following annex A
of the standard” The connections of the components must be made with metal elements and
respect the minimum sections reported in table 1:

Prepared by : L. Rubinato Checked by : G. Baccichet Approved by: G. Baccichet

 Technical Instruction no. 21
DT-021
Rev.: 02
PERMASTEELISA
EARTHING OF FACADES Date: 01/04/2008
GROUP AND PROTECTION AGAINST LIGHTNING Page: 2 of 8

Material Configuration Minimum section Comment

2
Copper Tape or massive round 16 mm Also equal to an M6 thread
2
Steel Tape or massive round 25 mm Also equal to an M8 thread
2
Aluminium Tape or massive round 32 mm Also equal to an M8 thread

Table 1

• CEI EN 62305 (of 2006), defines the general principles for the protection of the
structures against lightning (including the relevant contents: equipments and people),
provides the procedure to determine the risk due to lightning and allows for the choice of
proper protection measures to be adopted in order to minimize the risk; lastly it gives
information on the project, the installation, the inspection, the maintenance and the test of the
protection system against the electromagnetic effects associated with lightning. As far as the
electrical continuity is concerned, the standard reads that a protection system against the
atmospheric discharge must guarantee a maximum continuity of 0,2 Ohm whatever its
development (value required for the continuity of the structural iron used as natural earth
plate). The minimum sections of the conductors to be used in the system are reported in the
following table:

Material Configuration Minimum section Comment

2
Copper and Massive tape 50 mm 2 mm thickness min.
2
tinned copper Massive round 50 mm 8 mm diameter
2
Cable 50 mm 1,7 mm diameter min. of each
elemental conductor
2
Aluminium Massive tape 70 mm 3 mm thickness min.
Massive round 50 mm2 8 mm diameter
2
Cable 50 mm 1,7 mm diameter min. of each
elemental conductor
Aluminium alloy Massive tape 50 mm2 2,5 mm thickness min.
2
and hot Massive round 50 mm 8 mm diameter
2
galvanized steel Cable 50 mm 1,7 mm diameter min. of each
elemental conductor
2
Stainless steel Massive tape 50 mm 2 mm thickness min.
2
Massive round 50 mm 8 mm diameter
2
Cable 70 mm 1,7 mm diameter min. of each
elemental conductor

The minimum section to avoid melting, assuming a specific energy of 10 MJ/Ω (200 KA), is
equal to 16 mm2 (copper), 25 mm2 (aluminium), 50 mm2 (steel and stainless steel).
Table 2

Prepared by : L. Rubinato Checked by : G. Baccichet Approved by: G. Baccichet

 Technical Instruction no. 21
DT-021
Rev.: 02
PERMASTEELISA
EARTHING OF FACADES Date: 01/04/2008
GROUP AND PROTECTION AGAINST LIGHTNING Page: 3 of 8

The CEI EN 62305 standard came into force in Italy on the 30th of April 2007 and all the
installations that are going to be completed after that date must comply with the requirements
reported in the standard. In UK it was assimilated as BS EN 62305 and currently it is temporary,
i.e. it is supplementing BS 6651 until August 2008, when the old standard will definitively expire.
In the other areas of earth the situation must be studied, but, since the standard was created by an
international body, it will be assimilated by many other countries, even if with different time and
methods.

PERFORMANCES EXPECTED FROM THE FACADE

• All the facade units must be electrically connected to each other and the equipotential
connection must be made with metal elements (plait, cable or U bolts) with proper section (see
table 1), the electrical continuity must not be over 10 Ohm. Each unit must be equipped with
a proper connection point for the ground circuit (min. section 50 mm2), the connection system
to the ground circuit must be always executed with certified elements (plaits or cables).
• If the facade is integral part of a building LPS (Lightning Protection System), the
equipotential connections must be realized with certified devices (plaits, cables or U bolts)
with proper section (see table 2) and the maximum electrical continuity must not exceed 0,2
Ohm. Each unit must be equipped with a proper connection point for the ground circuit (min.
section 50 mm2), the connection system to the ground circuit must be always executed with
certified elements (plaits or cables).

INSPECTION OF THE USED SYSTEMS

Some inspections on the electrical continuity of some facades have been carried out in order to
understand if the criteria used until now can be proposed even with the new standards and if the
following critical points have arisen:
a) Usually the metal elements such as brackets and profiles, when protected through painting or
anodization, have an electrically insulated surface, therefore they don’t guarantee electrical
continuity. In order to obtain a proper connection, the layer of paint or oxide must be
removed from the connection area.
b) Two adjacent units with 1.5 m width usually have an average value of electrical continuity of
ca. 0,11 Ohm (measured where the metal is not protected by oxide or paint). The value can be
considered as the basic resistance typical of the unit and can be hardly reduced, because it
depends on the materials and type of building used.
c) It has been noted that, when the equipotential connection and the connection to the ground
circuit are realized through the fixing brackets (image 1), the electrical continuity with the
other facade elements only occurs when the layer of oxide has been scratched in the contact
areas (image 1-a) or the stop dowel has been tightened (image 1-b), because the brackets are
generally either anodized or painted. The actual surface of electric contact as well as its
stability in the time (due to oxidation and the movements either of facades and slabs) cannot
be easily established or proved and the different assembling and installing methods can further

Prepared by : L. Rubinato Checked by : G. Baccichet Approved by: G. Baccichet

 Technical Instruction no. 21
DT-021
Rev.: 02
PERMASTEELISA
EARTHING OF FACADES Date: 01/04/2008
GROUP AND PROTECTION AGAINST LIGHTNING Page: 4 of 8

affect the final result. Even the connection point with the ground circuit (image 1-c) shows the
same critical points as described above.
Image 1
CRITICAL SOLUTION

a
c

The following paragraph shows some solutions which solve the problems arisen, so satisfying
completely the new standards..

TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS TO BE ADOPTED

A valid connection point for the ground system is made up of M12 threaded channel on the slide
of the standard brackets kit (image 2). The working section of the fixing screw (M12x16mm) is
~78mm2 and the bracket head, as it has not been treated, results to be electrically conductive and
so adequate to fix any connection device. The solution must be checked in working conditions in
order to always guarantee a sufficient number of free threads between the end of the dowel and the
head of the bracket and fix the screw (image 3), especially when the outermost values of slab
tolerance must be compensated..

Image 2 : bond for equipotential connection Image 3 : always check the available threads
If the surrounding conditions are favourable, even the equipotential connection between the façade
units can be made through the slide brackets. Either tinned copper cables or plaits can be used as

Prepared by : L. Rubinato Checked by : G. Baccichet Approved by: G. Baccichet

 Technical Instruction no. 21
DT-021
Rev.: 02
PERMASTEELISA
EARTHING OF FACADES Date: 01/04/2008
GROUP AND PROTECTION AGAINST LIGHTNING Page: 5 of 8

bond (of certified type if necessary), or aluminium U bolts (if the facade is not part of the LPS); in
this la test case the devices must be elastic enough to absorb the façade movement and must not
be protected (with paint or anodization), in order to guarantee the maximum electrical
conductivity (images 4 and 5).

Image 4 : U bolt and plait fixed on slab Image 5 : U bolt and plait fixed under slab

If there are different brackets or the available space is not sufficient to apply the above solutions,
M10 threaded inserts can be used (working section ~54mm2) to be fixed either on the mullions or
on the top transom (the profile side must have thickness ≥ 2 mm), by choosing an area that can be
easily reached after installation (better if agreed with the construction electrician). The inserts can
be used both for the equipotential connection of the façade units and earthing. (images 6 and 7).

Image 6 : bond for the equipotential connection Image 7 : bond and plait for earthing

Prepared by : L. Rubinato Checked by : G. Baccichet Approved by: G. Baccichet

 Technical Instruction no. 21
DT-021
Rev.: 02
PERMASTEELISA
EARTHING OF FACADES Date: 01/04/2008
GROUP AND PROTECTION AGAINST LIGHTNING Page: 6 of 8

All the connections to the ground circuit or for the facade equipotentiality must guarantee
the minimum passing section required and result steady and durable. Those are the reasons
why the self-tapping screws are not considered adequate for the purpose and all the
connections realized between different metals must be studied in order to prevent galvanic
corrosion (see relevant paragraph).

CONNECTION METHOD
The equipotential connection of the facade and the connection to the ground circuit can be realized
with two different basic criteria:
1. The equipotential connections are executed between each facade unit and the metal
elements that respect the minimum sections indicated in table 1, e.g. 32mm2 aluminium U
bolts (commercially the 35mm2 are used) or 16mm2 copper plaits or cables, while the
ground connection is made with 50mm2 certified elements positioned at regular distances
(image 8) in accordance with the specifications of the systems. The façade must guarantee
a lower electrical continuity than 10 Ohm.
The equipotential connections between facade units are always our responsibility (both
supply and installation), while for the earthing devices (certified plaits or cables) it may
depend on the type of specifications, whether they are included in our supply or not (to be
taken into account at tender stage).
If the facade is used as natural pendant for the lightning current, so becoming part of
the building LPS, both the equipotential connections and the earthing connections must be
realized with certified devices that respect the minimum sections reported in table 2 and a
lower electrical continuity of the system must be guaranteed than 0,2 Ohm. This situation
must be clearly identified in the job specifications and requires co-ordination with the
system designer.

Ground connection of Equipotential connection of

facade facade units Ground circuit

Facade

Image 8

Prepared by : L. Rubinato Checked by : G. Baccichet Approved by: G. Baccichet

 Technical Instruction no. 21
DT-021
Rev.: 02
PERMASTEELISA
EARTHING OF FACADES Date: 01/04/2008
GROUP AND PROTECTION AGAINST LIGHTNING Page: 7 of 8

2. The equipotential connections between the facade units and the connection to the ground
circuit are realized through only one certified device (50mm2 plait or cable), which earths
each facade unit (image 9). The façade results to be equipotential only when all the units
are connected to ground and the electrical continuity must not exceed 10 Ohm. The supply
and the connection of the devices are generally at our expenses and it must be taken into
account since the tender stage, considering the number and cost of those elements.
If the facade is used as natural pendant for the lightning currents, so becoming part
of the building LPS, besides realizing the connections with the certified devices that
respect the minimum sections reported in table 2, a lower electrical continuity of the
system must be guaranteed than 0,2 Ohm.

Ground connection and equipotential Ground circuit

connection of the facade units

Facade

Image 9

PREVENTION OF CORROSION
When metal surfaces with different electrochemical characteristics are connected to each other, a
galvanic potential is developed capable of corroding the less noble metal among the ones involved.
It has been noted that, in order to have a light galvanic effect, it is necessary to keep the potential
difference between metals at max. 300 mV (in a low corrosive environment). Table 3 shows the
values (in mV) measured between different metals and the grey band highlights the couples that
can be considered galvanically safe, so forming a compatible couple.
When it is not possible to select compatible metals, it is necessary to interpose another metal that
reduces the potential difference between the two.
In order to investigate thoroughly the principles of galvanic corrosion, refer to Technical
Instruction No. 10.

Prepared by : L. Rubinato Checked by : G. Baccichet Approved by: G. Baccichet

 Technical Instruction no. 21
DT-021
Rev.: 02
PERMASTEELISA
EARTHING OF FACADES Date: 01/04/2008
GROUP AND PROTECTION AGAINST LIGHTNING Page: 8 of 8

Table 3 : galvanic coupling between common metals (electrolyte: water + 2% NaCl); the grey band
highlights the couples having potential difference lower than 300 mV and so can be considered
compatible.

WORKING SECTIONS FOR SCREW PASSING

Ø Thread Passing
Ø Screw Comment
web section
2
Use in couple (2x) for the fixing of 25 mm devices,
M5 4.1 mm 13 mm2 2
or in 4 combined pieces(4x) for 50 mm devices
2
Suitable for the fixing of 16 mm devices, if used in
M6 4.8 mm 18 mm2 couple (2x) it reaches 32 mm
2

M8 6.6 mm 34 mm2 2
Suitable for the fixing of 32 mm devices

M10 8,3 mm 54 mm2 Suitable for the fixing of 50 mm2 devices

M12 10 mm 78 mm2 2
Suitable for the fixing of 70 mm devices

Table 4 : working sections for the passing of some screws suitable for the fixing of the devices for the
equipotential and ground connection.

Prepared by : L. Rubinato Checked by : G. Baccichet Approved by: G. Baccichet