The metal skeleton that is earthened in appropriate to the regulation and forms a unit of the construction can be used as a earthing conductor for the earth sections connected to this skeleton directly.

As a result, the conductive section of the whole skeleton structure must be sufficient and all of the joints should be safe regarding electrical conductivity and mechanical connection. Huge metal skeleton structures must be connected to the earthing system from points in sufficient number (at least two).

Earthing precautions against effects of lightning: An overvoltage earthing plant should be used for protection from lightning. The resistance and inductance of the discharging way to earth of all overvoltage protection arrangements must be kept little insofar as possible. Therefore, connection to the earthing electrode should be straight, without angled and from the shortest way.

Regarding earthing measures for buildings against effects of lightning the relevant standards (TS 622,TS IEC 61024 and TS IEC 60364-4-443 etc.) and the subjects taken place in other relevant legislation ( Lightning conductor installation section in Technical Works Specification of Ministry of Public Works, etc.) shall be observed.

Measurement in Earthing Installation

The Measurements to be Made in Newly Establishable or Available Earthing Installation ; Measurement of Earth Resistivity: The measurement of earth resistivity in order to pre-determine the earth deployment resistance or earthing impedance should be carried out with “Four Drilling Method” ( For example, Wenner Method ) that enables determination of this resistance for various depths.

Measurement of Contact Voltages

The current-voltage measurement method must be used for measurement of contact voltages.

The Inspections and Documentation Made on the Field in the Earthing Installation: Each earthing installation should be visually inspected and subjected to testing as the mounting and installation stages before taken into operation by the user.

The electrical engineer who concludes the measurement shall be indicated on the report ( Name, surname, title, association record no, etc. ).

Apart from the global earthing installation, the earth resistance of each installation should be calculated and systematically measured.

The periods recommended related with the inspection, measurement and supervision of various earthing installations within the operating period are given herein below:

• For electricity production, transmission and distribution plants (excluding energy transfer and distribution lines) : 2 years
• For energy transfer and distribution lines: 5 years
• For industrial foundations and trade centers:
• Inspection and measurement of earthing resistance: 1 year
• Other inspections, measurements and controls related with earthing installations: 2 years
• For mobile foundations:
• For fixed operating elements: 1 year
• For movable operating elements: 6 months
• The inspection, measurement and supervision periods of the earthing installations covered under the Regulation on Workshops Working with Flammable, Explosive Dangerous and Hazardous Substances

Earthing Rules for Communication Premises around Lightning Protection Installations

Adjacent Earthing: If there are other electrodes available in a distance closer than 2 m to lightning protection earthings, all electrodes should be connected each other. If the electrodes' distances are between 2 to 20 m it is recommended you to connect all electrodes together.

In the cases where the earthing resistivity is more than 500 Wmt , it is recommended to connect the electrodes between which the distances are longer than 20 m also to the lighting protection earthing.

Lightning protection of the buildings: It is recommended to connect the earthing installations related with communication systems to the lightning protection installation of the buildings. To do so, the same conductive sections and elements with the lightning protection installation should be used.

For this purpose the earthing bracing (ring) conductives are connected several times whereas the earthing bars or earthing clips are connected once.

The vertical metal parts in the high buildings ( for example; in steel-concrete communication towers ) which bear communication plants and the lighting danger risk, must be wrapped with construction iron in sufficient section (St 37) in order to prevent passing over. During elevating the earthing connection conductive for technical hardware, the function earthing and protection conductive (FPE) must be connected at each storey but at least 10 m distances and similarly at the top and bottom points of the building, to the wrapped vertical metal sections such as iron skeleton of the building. Therefore, these sections should have easily accessible connecting points.

If the lightning protection installation is kept separately from the installation earthing of a main reduction center, the earthing installation related with the communication installation connected to this installation earthing can be connected to the lightning protection installation only through a joint piece.

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Calculation of Earthing According to TSE 622