Electrical Grounding in Cold Regions

• Main Author: Henry, Karen
• Other Authors: COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER NH
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1987
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Electricity and Magnetism; *ELECTRICAL GROUNDING; COLD REGIONS; ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE; ELECTRODES; FREEZING; FROST; ICE; INSTALLATION; PERMAFROST; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SOILS; FROZEN SOILS; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA181405; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA181405

Electrical grounding for temporary and permanent installations in cold regions is complicated by the existence of frozen soil. This is because the electrical resistivity of frozen soil can be several orders of magnitude higher than unfrozen soil, the contact resistance between the grounding electrodes and the soil, which is usually negligible under unfrozen conditions, can become significant if a veneer of ice forms on the electrode, and it is difficult to drive grounding rods and frozen soil. The purpose of this digest is to describe the factors to consider when planning a grounding system for permanent and temporary installations in regions of seasonal frost and permafrost.