Tech Quiz #85

Grounding
by Jim White
Shermco Industries

2. The maximum ground resistance of an industrial facility

should be
a. 1 ohm
c. 4 ohms
b. 2 ohms
d. 5 ohms
3. The maximum ground resistance of a generating station
should be
a. 1 ohm
c. 4 ohms
b. 2 ohms
d. 5 ohms
4. What IEEE standard is used as a reference for fall-ofpotential testing?
a. Standard 71
c. Standard 99
b. Standard 81
d. Stanardd 101

Jim White is the Training Director for Shermco Industries and the
principal Shermco representative on the NFPA 70B Committee. Jim
is the alternate NETA representative on the NFPA 70E Committee
and serves as the NETA representative on the IEEE/NFPA Arc-Flash
Hazard Work Group (RTPC) Ad Hoc Committee. He served as the
Chairman of the 2008 IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop. Jim is a
NETA Certified Level IV Electrical Testing Technician and a member
of the NETA Safety Committee.

www.netaworld.org

5. For a ground system with fairly uniform soil and test

electrodes driven at sufficient spacing relative to the size
of that ground system, what distance from the tested
electrode should the potential electrode be placed to
measure the theoretically correct ground resistance when
performing a fall-of-potential test?
a. 20 feet
b. 100 feet
c. 62 percent of the distance between the current electrode and the tested electrode
d. 57.7 percent of the distance between the current electrode and the tested electrode
Answers
1. With average reliability and average condition, the table
in Appendix B indicates a test interval of 24 months. This
time recommendation changes according to criticality and
condition.
2. Section 7.13 gives a maximum of 5 ohms for an industrial
facility. In grounding, though, the lower the better.
3. Section 7.13 shows 1 ohm maximum for generating and
transmission facilities.
4. The ANSI/IEEE Standard 81, IEEE Guide for Measuring
Earth Resistivity, Ground Impedance, and Earth Surface
Potentials of a Ground System is the reference.
5. If the soil is fairly homogeneous in content, the distance the
voltage electrode, P2, is driven is usually 62 percent. Often
that may not provide the true resistance, though. The best
procedure is to drive P2 in several locations, in line with the
tested electrode, C1, and the test current electrode, C2. Obtain
test data for P2 positions beginning about 50 percent of the
distance from C1 to C2 until about 70 percent of that distance.
Plot the resulting earth resistances relative to the P2 distance
from C1. Where the plotted values level off is the true earth
resistance. If the plotted values do not level off, that indicates
more distance is needed between C1 and C2 and the tests need
to be run again.

1. According to ANSI/NETA MTS-07, how often should

ground systems be electrically tested?
a. Once a year
c. Once every three years
b. Once every two years d. Only every four years

Fall 2008 NETA WORLD