Ansi Tia 942 2005 Dtacenter

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WITHOUT SUCH LIMITATIONS.
SP-3-4351-RV2
(to become TIA-607-B)
Generic Telecommunications Bonding and Grounding (Earthing) for Customer Premises

DRAFT 1.2
March 22, 2010
NOTICE OF DISCLAIMER AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
The document to which this Notice is affixed (the “Document”) has been prepared by one or more
Engineering Committees or Formulating Groups of the Telecommunications Industry Association
(“TIA”). TIA is not the author of the Document contents, but publishes and claims copyright to the
Document pursuant to licenses and permission granted by the authors of the contents.
TIA Engineering Committees and Formulating Groups are expected to conduct their affairs in
accordance with the TIA Engineering Manual (“Manual”), the current and predecessor versions of
which are available at http://www.tiaonline.org/standards/sfg/engineering_manual.cfm. TIA’s function
is to administer the process, but not the content, of document preparation in accordance with the
Manual and, when appropriate, the policies and procedures of the American National Standards
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If the Document is identified or marked as a project number (PN) document, or as a standards
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The use or practice of contents of this Document may involve the use of intellectual property rights
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inspect, test or otherwise investigate products, designs or services or any claims of compliance with
the contents of the Document.
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SP-3-4351-RV2
OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE FOREGOING NEGATION OF DAMAGES IS A

FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT OF THE USE OF THE CONTENTS HEREOF, AND THESE
CONTENTS WOULD NOT BE PUBLISHED BY TIA WITHOUT SUCH LIMITATIONS.
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SP-3-4351-RV2
1 Generic Telecommunications Bonding and Grounding (Earthing) for Customer Premises

2 Table of Contents
3 1 SCOPE ...................................................................................................................................................1
4 2 Normative references ...........................................................................................................................2
5 3 DEFINITIONS .........................................................................................................................................3
6 3.1 General ............................................................................................................................................ 3
7 3.2 Definition of terms ........................................................................................................................... 3
8 3.3 Abbreviations and acronyms ........................................................................................................... 6
9 3.4 Units of measure ............................................................................................................................. 8
10 4 REGULATORY.......................................................................................................................................9
11 4.1 National requirements ..................................................................................................................... 9
12 4.2 Local code requirements ................................................................................................................. 9
13 5 OVERVIEW OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS BONDING AND GROUNDING SYSTEMS ...................10
14 5.1 General .......................................................................................................................................... 10
15 5.2 Overview of the telecommunications bonding and grounding infrastructure ................................ 10
16 5.2.1 General .........................................................................................................................................10
17 5.2.2 Telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB) .................................................................12
18 5.2.3 Bonding conductor for telecommunications (BCT) .......................................................................12
19 5.2.4 Telecommunications bonding backbone (TBB) ............................................................................12
20 5.2.5 Telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB) .............................................................................12
21 5.2.6 Grounding equalizer (GE) .............................................................................................................12
22 6 TELECOMMUNICATIONS BONDING AND GROUNDING COMPONENTS .....................................13
23 6.1 General .......................................................................................................................................... 13
24 6.2 Busbars ......................................................................................................................................... 13
25 6.2.1 Telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB) .................................................................13
26 6.2.2 Telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB) .............................................................................13
27 6.3 Conductors .................................................................................................................................... 14
28 6.3.1 General .........................................................................................................................................14
29 6.3.2 Sizing the telecommunications bonding backbone (TBB) ............................................................14
30 6.3.3 Sizing the bonding conductor for telecommunications (BCT) .......................................................14
31 6.3.4 Sizing the grounding equalizer (GE) .............................................................................................14
32 6.4 Connectors .................................................................................................................................... 14
33 6.5 Identification .................................................................................................................................. 14
34 6.5.1 Conductors ....................................................................................................................................14
35 6.5.2 Labels ............................................................................................................................................15
36 7 DESIGN REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................................................................16
37 7.1 General .......................................................................................................................................... 16
38 7.1.1 Telecommunications entrance facility (TEF) .................................................................................16
39 7.1.2 Distributors (see ANSI/TIA-568-C.0).............................................................................................16
40 7.1.3 Computer rooms ...........................................................................................................................16
41 7.1.4 Cabinets and racks .......................................................................................................................17
42 7.1.5 Cable ladders, cable runways, conduits, pipes, and building steel ..............................................18
43 7.2 Telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB) ................................................................. 18
44 7.2.1 General .........................................................................................................................................18
45 7.2.2 Bonds to the TMGB.......................................................................................................................19
46 7.2.3 Connections to the TMGB .............................................................................................................19
47 7.3 Telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB) ............................................................................. 19
48 7.3.1 General .........................................................................................................................................19
49 7.3.2 Bonds to the TGB..........................................................................................................................20
50 7.3.3 Connections to the TGB ................................................................................................................20
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51 7.4 Conductors..................................................................................................................................... 20

52 7.4.1 General ......................................................................................................................................... 20
53 7.4.2 Bonding conductor for telecommunications (BCT) ....................................................................... 20
54 7.4.3 Telecommunications bonding backbone (TBB)............................................................................ 21
55 7.4.4 Grounding equalizer (GE)............................................................................................................. 21
56 7.4.5 Coupled bonding conductor (CBC) .............................................................................................. 21
57 7.4.6 Bonding conductors for connections to the mesh-BN or RGB ..................................................... 21
58 7.4.7 Telecommunications equipment bonding conductor (TEBC) ....................................................... 22
59 7.4.7.1 General ...................................................................................................................................... 22
60 7.4.7.2 Separation ................................................................................................................................. 23
61 7.5 Bonding equipment cabinets/equipment racks to the TEBC ......................................................... 23
62 7.6 Structural bonding of equipment cabinets/equipment racks .......................................................... 24
63 7.7 Supplementary bonding networks ................................................................................................. 25
64 7.7.1 Mesh-BN ....................................................................................................................................... 26
65 7.7.2 Mesh-IBN ...................................................................................................................................... 27
66 7.7.3 Bonding conductor for connections to the supplementary bonding network ................................ 27
67 7.8 Administration ................................................................................................................................ 28
68 8 PERFORMANCE AND TEST REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................ 29
69 8.1 Two-point ground/continuity testing ............................................................................................... 29
70 ANNEX A (INFORMATIVE) GROUNDING ELECTRODES ..................................................................... 30
71 A.1 General .......................................................................................................................................... 30
72 A.2 Ground rods ................................................................................................................................... 30
73 A.3 Electrolytic ground rods ................................................................................................................. 30
74 A.4 Ground plate electrodes ................................................................................................................ 31
75 A.5 Wire mesh ...................................................................................................................................... 31
76 A.6 Concrete encased electrode .......................................................................................................... 31
77 A.7 Ground ring electrodes .................................................................................................................. 32
78 A.8 Ground radial electrodes ............................................................................................................... 32
79 A.9 Enhanced grounding materials ...................................................................................................... 33
80 A.10 Grounding conductors ................................................................................................................... 33
81 ANNEX B (INFORMATIVE) TOWERS AND ANTENNAS ....................................................................... 35
82 B.1 General .......................................................................................................................................... 35
83 B.2 Grounding electrode system .......................................................................................................... 35
84 B.2.1 External grounding ....................................................................................................................... 35
85 B.2.2 Grounding busbars ........................................................................................................................ 35
86 B.2.3 Bonding connections ..................................................................................................................... 36
87 B.2.4 Grounding systems ....................................................................................................................... 36
88 B.2.4.1 Type 1 sites ............................................................................................................................... 36
89 B.2.4.2 Type 2 sites ............................................................................................................................... 37
90 B.2.5 Tower grounding ........................................................................................................................... 38
91 B.2.5.1 Guyed metallic towers ............................................................................................................... 38
92 B.2.5.2 Self-supporting metallic towers ................................................................................................. 40
93 B.2.5.3 Wooden structures (poles) ........................................................................................................ 41
94 B.2.6 Building/shelter and outdoor cabinet grounding ........................................................................... 42
95 B.2.7 Rooftop sites grounding system ................................................................................................... 43
96 B.2.7.1 Down conductors....................................................................................................................... 44
97 B.2.7.2 Roof conductors ........................................................................................................................ 44
98 B.2.8 Transmission line grounding at antenna locations ....................................................................... 46
99 B.2.9 Ancillary objects requiring bonding and grounding....................................................................... 47
100 B.2.9.1 Fence grounding ....................................................................................................................... 47
101 B.2.9.2 Generators ................................................................................................................................ 48
102 B.2.9.3 Satellite dishes .......................................................................................................................... 49
103 B.2.10 Internal bonding and grounding .................................................................................................... 49
104 B.2.10.1 Components .............................................................................................................................. 49
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105 B.2.10.2 Installation requirements ............................................................................................................49

106 B.2.10.3 Bonding to the external ground electrode system .....................................................................49
107 ANNEX C (INFORMATIVE) TELECOMMUNICATIONS ELECTRICAL PROTECTION ..........................50
108 ANNEX D (INFORMATIVE) ELECTRICAL PROTECTION FOR OPERATOR-TYPE EQUIPMENT
109 POSITIONS ................................................................................................................................................52
110 ANNEX E (INFORMATIVE) CROSS REFERENCE OF TERMS ..............................................................54
111 ANNEX F (INFORMATIVE) REFERENCES .............................................................................................55
112
113 List of Figures
114 Figure 1 – Relationship between TIA cabling standards ........................................................................ x
115 Figure 2 – Illustrative example of a large building ............................................................................... 11
116 Figure 3 – Illustrative example of a smaller building ............................................................................ 12
117 Figure 4 – Typical TMGB ..................................................................................................................... 13
118 Figure 5 – Typical TGB ........................................................................................................................ 14
119 Figure 6 – Label for bonding and grounding conductors ..................................................................... 15
120 Figure 7 – Example of three methods to bond equipment and racks to ground .................................. 18
121 Figure 8 – Bonding to the service equipment (power) ground ............................................................. 21
122 Figure 9 – Example TEBC to rack bonding conductor connection ...................................................... 22
123 Figure 10 – Example of a TEBC routed on cable tray ......................................................................... 23
124 Figure 11 – Illustration of connection point to a rack from a TEBC ..................................................... 24
125 Figure 12 – Illustration of a bond connection from a cabinet to the cabinet door ................................ 25
126 Figure 13 – A mesh-BN with equipment cabinets, frames, racks and CBN bonded together ............. 26
127 Figure 14 – A mesh-IBN having a single point of connection .............................................................. 27
128 Figure 15 – Illustrative views of typical ground rods ............................................................................ 30
129 Figure 16 – Illustrations of a vertical and horizontal electrolytic ground rod ........................................ 31
130 Figure 17 – Illustrative view of a concrete-encased electrode ............................................................. 32
131 Figure 18 – Illustrative view of a ground radial electrode .................................................................... 33
132 Figure 19 – Illustrative example of ground enhancement materials surrounding a grounding conductor
133 and a ground rods ......................................................................................................................... 33
134 Figure 20 – Radius bend illustration .................................................................................................... 34
135 Figure 21 – Illustrative example view of a site grounding electrode system........................................ 35
136 Figure 22 – Illustration of a parallel ground rod installation ................................................................. 37
137 Figure 23 – Illustration of a guyed tower grounding example .............................................................. 39
138 Figure 24 – Illustration of guy wire grounding ...................................................................................... 40
139 Figure 25 – Illustration of a monopole tower grounding example ........................................................ 41
140 Figure 26 – Illustrative view of a wooden pole grounding example ..................................................... 42
141 Figure 27 – Illustrative view of a cabinet grounding system ................................................................ 43
142 Figure 28 – Illustrative rooftop tower example ..................................................................................... 44
143 Figure 29 – Illustrative view of roof-mounted antenna mast grounding with a supplemental grounding
144 electrode system ........................................................................................................................... 45
145 Figure 30 – Illustrative view of side-mounted antenna grounding using copper strap down conductor
146 ...................................................................................................................................................... 46
147 Figure 31 – Illustration of a fence bonding example ............................................................................ 47
148 Figure 32 – Illustrative view of a fence fabric and deterrent wiring bonding example ......................... 48
149 Figure 33 – Illustrative view of a generator grounding example .......................................................... 49
150 Figure 34 – Electrical protection for operator-type equipment positions ............................................. 53
151
152 List of Tables
153 Table 1 – Sizing of the TBB ................................................................................................................. 14
154
155
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156 FOREWORD
157 (This foreword is not part of this Standard)
158 This Standard was developed by Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Subcommittee
159 TR-42.16.
160 Approval of Standard
161 This Standard was approved by TIA Subcommittee TR-42.16, TIA Engineering Committee TR-42,
162 and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
163 ANSI/TIA reviews standards every 5 years. At that time, standards are reaffirmed, withdrawn, or
164 revised according to the submitted updates. Updates to be included in the next revision should be
165 sent to the committee chair or to ANSI/TIA.
166 Contributing organizations
167 More than 60 organizations within the telecommunications industry contributed their expertise to the
168 development of this Standard (including manufacturers, consultants, end users, and other
169 organizations).
170 Documents superseded
171 This Standard replaces ANSI-J-STD-607-A, published in October, 2002.
172 Significant technical changes
173 Significant technical changes and additions from the previous edition include:
174 • Bonding and grounding requirements for “generic” premises. Requirements for specific types
175 of premises (e.g., commercial buildings, residential) can be found in corresponding TR-42
176 developed premises standards.
177 Relationship to other TIA standards and documents

178 The following are related standards regarding various aspects of structured cabling that were
179 developed and are maintained by Engineering Committee TIA TR-42. A diagram of the relationship
180 between the TIA cabling standards is illustrated in figure 1.
181 • Generic Telecommunications Cabling for Customer Premises (ANSI/TIA-568-C.0);
182 • Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard (ANSI/TIA-568-C.1);
183 • Balanced Twisted-Pair Telecommunications Cabling and Components Standard
184 (ANSI/TIA 568 C.2-2009);
185 • Optical Fiber Cabling Components Standard (ANSI/TIA-568-C.3);
186 • Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces (TIA-569-B);
187 • Residential Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard (ANSI/TIA-570-B);
188 • Administration Standard for Commercial Telecommunications Infrastructure
189 (ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-A);
190 • Customer-Owned Outside Plant Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard
191 (ANSI/TIA-758-A);
192 • Building Automation Systems Cabling Standard for Commercial Buildings
193 (ANSI/TIA/EIA-862);
194 • Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers (ANSI/TIA-942); and,
195 • Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Industrial Premises (ANSI/TIA-1005).
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Common Premises Component

Standards Standards Standards
ANSI/TIA-568-C.2
ANSI/TIA-568-C.0 Balanced Twisted-
ANSI/TIA-568-C.1
Generic Pair
Commercial Building
Telecommunications Telecommunications
Telecommunications
Cabling for Customer Cabling and
Cabling Standard
Premises Components
Standard
TIA-569-B
ANSI/TIA-570-B
Commercial Building
Residential ANSI/TIA-568-C.3
Standard for
Telecommunications Optical Fiber Cabling
Telecommunications
Infrastructure Components
Pathways and
Standard Standard
Spaces
ANSI/TIA-606-A
ANSI/TIA-942
Administration
Telecommunications
Standard for
Infrastructure
Commercial
Standard for Data
Telecommunications
Centers
Infrastructure
ANSI/TIA-607-B
ANSI/TIA-1005
Telecommunications
Telecommunications
Bonding and
Infrastructure
Grounding (Earthing)
Standard for
for Customer
Industrial Premises
Premises
ANSI/TIA-758-A
Customer-Owned
Outside Plant
Telecommunications
Infrastructure
Standard
ANSI/TIA-862
Building Automation
Systems Cabling
Standard for
Commercial
Buildings
196
197 Figure 1 – Relationship between TIA cabling standards

198
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199 The following documents may be useful to the reader:

200 a) National Electrical Safety Code® (NESC®) (ANSI/IEEE C2-2007)
201 b) National Electrical Code® (NEC®) (ANSI/NFPA-70-2008)
202 Other references are listed in annex F.
203 Annexes
204 Annexes A through F are informative and not considered a requirement of this Standard.
205 Introduction
206 General
207 Telecommunications, as used in this Standard, refers to all forms of information (e.g., voice, data,
208 video, security, audio, industrial, building control). Telecommunications equipment used to support
209 these wide varieties of systems that rely on the electronic transport of information requires an
210 effective building infrastructure. This infrastructure encompasses spaces, pathways, cables,
211 connecting hardware, and a bonding and grounding system. For reliable operation of
212 telecommunications equipment and systems, bonding and grounding (earthing) is important. This
213 Standard focuses on the bonding and grounding portion of this infrastructure.
214 NOTE – The North American term “grounding” used in this Standard is equivalent to
215 the international term “earthing”.
216 The bonding and grounding approach in this Standard is intended to work in concert with premises
217 cabling specified within TIA Engineering Committee TR-42. The requirements specified in this
218 Standard in conjunction with a basic understanding of bonding and grounding concepts and
219 methodologies will aid in achieving a reliable solution when applied to telecommunications
220 installations.
221 Several sources of bonding and grounding information exist within the telephone industry. For
222 example, the NEC® specifies requirements regarding the safety aspects of bonding and grounding of
223 equipment and systems. Yet another example is that of ANSI/T1.318 which provides information on
224 bonding and grounding to support electrical protection considerations. For information on
225 electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), see TSBXXXX.
226 Purpose
227 The purpose of this Standard is to enable and encourage the planning, design, and installation of
228 telecommunications generic bonding and grounding systems within a premises with or without prior
229 knowledge of the telecommunications systems that will subsequently be installed. While primarily
230 intended to provide direction for design of new buildings, this Standard may be used for existing
231 building renovation or retrofit treatment. Design requirements and choices are provided to enable the
232 designer to make informed design decisions.
233 Stewardship
234 Telecommunications infrastructure affects raw material consumption. The infrastructure design and
235 installation methods also influence product life and sustainability of electronic equipment life cycling.
236 These aspects of telecommunications infrastructure impact our environment. Since building life cycles
237 are typically planned for decades, technological electronic equipment upgrades are necessary. The
238 telecommunications infrastructure design and installation process magnifies the need for sustainable
239 infrastructures with respect to building life, electronic equipment life cycling and considerations of
240 effects on environmental waste. Telecommunications designers are encouraged to research local
241 building practices for a sustainable environment and conservation of fossil fuels as part of the design
242 process.
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243 Specification of criteria

244 Two categories of criteria are specified; mandatory and advisory. The mandatory requirements are
245 designated by the word "shall"; advisory requirements are designated by the words "should”, "may",
246 or "desirable" which are used interchangeably in this Standard.
247 Mandatory criteria generally apply to protection, performance, administration and compatibility; they
248 specify minimally acceptable requirements. Advisory criteria are presented when their attainment
249 may enhance the general performance of the cabling system in all its contemplated applications.
250 A note in the text, table, or figure is used for emphasis or offering informative suggestions, or
251 providing additional information.
252 Metric equivalents of United States (US) customary units
253 The units in this Standard are metric or US customary with soft conversion to the other.
254 Life of this Standard
255 This Standard is a living document. The criteria contained in this Standard are subject to revisions
256 and updating as warranted by advances in building construction techniques and telecommunications
257 technology.
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258 1 SCOPE
259 This Standard specifies requirements for a generic telecommunications bonding and grounding
260 infrastructure, and its interconnection to other systems, for locations where telecommunications
261 equipment will be installed. This Standard may also be used as a guide for the renovation or retrofit of
262 existing systems.
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263 2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES

264 The following standards contain provisions that, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of
265 this Standard. At the time of publication, the editions indicated were valid. All standards are subject to
266 revision, and parties to agreements based on this Standard are encouraged to investigate the
267 possibility of applying the most recent editions of the standards indicated below. ANSI and TIA
268 maintain registers of currently valid national standards published by them.
269 a) ANSI/IEEE 1100, 2005, Powering And Grounding Sensitive Electronic Equipment
270 b) ANSI/IEEE C2, 2007, National Electrical Safety Code (NESC®)
271 c) ANSI/NECA/BICSI-607, 2010, Telecommunications Bonding and Grounding Planning
272 and Installation Methods for Commercial Buildings
273 d) ANSI/NFPA-70, 2008, National Electrical Code (NEC®)
274 e) ANSI/NFPA-780, 2008, Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems
275 f) ANSI/T1.333, 2001, Grounding And Bonding Of Telecommunications Equipment
276 g) ANSI/T1.334, 2002, Electrical Protection Of Communications Towers And Associated
277 Structures
278 h) ANSI/TIA-568-C.0, 2008, Generic Telecommunications Cabling for Customer Premises
279 i) ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-A, 2007, Administration Standard for the Telecommunications
280 Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings
281 j) FIPS PUBS 94, 1983, Guideline on Electrical Power for ADP Installations, 1983 (USA
282 Federal Information Processing Standards Publications)
283 k) ITU-T K.27, 1996, Bonding Configuration And Earthing Inside A Telecommunication
284 Building
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285 3 DEFINITIONS
286 3.1 General

287 For the purpose of this Standard the following definitions, acronyms, abbreviations and units of
288 measure apply.
289 3.2 Definition of terms

290 For the purposes of this Standard, the following definitions apply:
291 access floor: A system consisting of completely removable and interchangeable floor panels that
292 are supported on adjustable pedestals or stringers (or both) to allow access to the area beneath.
293 access provider: The operator of any facility that is used to convey telecommunications signals to
294 and from a customer premises.
295 administration: The method for labeling, identification, documentation and usage needed for
296 installation, moves, additions and changes of the telecommunications infrastructure.
297 backbone: A facility (e.g. pathway, cable or bonding conductor) for cabling Subsystem 2 and
298 Cabling Subsystem 3.
299 bonding: The joining of metallic parts to form an electrically conductive path.
300 bonding conductor: A conductor that interconnects the screened twisted-pair horizontal cabling
301 infrastructure to the telecommunications grounding busbar.
302 bonding conductor for telecommunications: A conductor that interconnects the
303 telecommunications bonding infrastructure to the building's service equipment (power) ground.
304 bonding network (telecommunications): A set of interconnected conductive structures that
305 provides a low impedance path for equalizing potentials.
306 building backbone: 1) Pathways or cabling between telecommunications service entrance rooms,
307 equipment rooms, telecommunications rooms, or telecommunications enclosures within a building.
308 2) Cabling for interconnecting telecommunications spaces from the telecommunications entrance
309 facility to a horizontal cross-connect within a building.
310 cabinet: A container that may enclose connection devices, terminations, apparatus, wiring, and
311 equipment.
312 cable: An assembly of one or more insulated conductors or optical fibers, within an enveloping
313 sheath.
314 cable sheath: A covering over the optical fiber or conductor assembly that may include one or more
315 metallic members, strength members, or jackets.
316 cabling: A combination of all cables, jumpers, cords, and connecting hardware.
317 Cabling Subsystem 1: Cabling from the equipment outlet to Distributor A, Distributor B, or
318 Distributor C.
319 Cabling Subsystem 2: Cabling between Distributor A and either Distributor B or Distributor C (if
320 Distributor B is not implemented).
321 Cabling Subsystem 3: Cabling between Distributor B and Distributor C.
322 campus: The buildings and grounds having legal contiguous interconnection.
323 campus backbone: Cabling for interconnecting telecommunications spaces between buildings.
324 coaxial cable: A telecommunications cable consisting of a round center conductor surrounded by a
325 dielectric surrounded by a concentric cylindrical conductor (shield) and an optional insulating sheath.
326 commercial building: A building or portion thereof that is intended for office use.
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327 common bonding network: The set of metallic components that are interconnected to form the
328 principle means for effectively bonding equipment inside a building to the grounding electrode system
329 computer room: An architectural space whose primary function is to accommodate data processing
330 equipment.
331 conduit: (1) A raceway of circular cross-section. (2) A structure containing one or more ducts.
332 customer premises: Building(s), grounds and appurtenances (belongings) under the control of the
333 customer.
334 Distributor A: Optional connection facility in a hierarchical star topology that is cabled between the
335 equipment outlet and Distributor B or Distributor C.
336 Distributor B: Optional intermediate connection facility in a hierarchical star topology that is cabled
337 to Distributor C (TIA 568-C.0)
338 Distributor C: Central connection facility in a hierarchical star topology.
339 earth: See ground.
340 earthing: See grounding.
341 electromagnetic compatibility: The ability of electronic systems to operate in their intended
342 electromagnetic environment without suffering performance degradation and without causing
343 performance degradation in other equipment.
344 electromagnetic interference: Radiated or conducted electromagnetic energy that has an
345 undesirable effect on electronic equipment or signal transmissions.
346 entrance facility (telecommunications): An entrance to a building for both public and private
347 network service cables (including antennae) including the entrance point at the building wall and
348 continuing to the entrance room or space.
349 entrance point (telecommunications): The point of emergence for telecommunications cabling
350 through an exterior wall, a floor, or from a conduit.
351 equipment outlet: Outermost connection facility in a hierarchical star topology.
352 equipotential bonding: Properly designed and installed electrical connection(s) putting various
353 exposed conductive parts and extraneous conductive parts at a substantially equal potential,
354 especially during normal (non-transient) conditions.
355 exothermic weld: A method of permanently bonding two metals together by a controlled heat
356 reaction resulting in a molecular bond.
357 grid: A collection of adjacent cells.
358 ground: A conducting connection, whether intentional or accidental, between an electrical circuit
359 (e.g., telecommunications) or equipment and the earth, or to some conducting body that serves in
360 place of earth.
361 grounding: The act of creating a ground.
362 grounding conductor: A conductor used to connect the grounding electrode to the building's main
363 grounding busbar.
364 grounding electrode: A conductor, usually a rod, pipe or plate (or group of conductors) in direct
365 contact with the earth for the purpose of providing a low-impedance connection to the earth.
366 grounding electrode conductor: The conductor used to connect the grounding electrode to the
367 equipment grounding conductor, or to the grounded conductor of the circuit at the service equipment,
368 or at the source of a separately derived system.
369 grounding electrode system: One or more grounding electrodes that are connected together.
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370 grounding equalizer: The conductor that interconnects elements of the telecommunications
371 grounding infrastructure
372 infrastructure (telecommunications): A collection of those telecommunications components,
373 excluding equipment, that together provide the basic support for the distribution of information within
374 a building or campus.
375 Listed: Equipment included in a list published by an organization, acceptable to the authority having
376 jurisdiction, that maintains periodic inspection of production of listed equipment, and whose listing
377 states either that the equipment or material meets appropriate standards or has been tested and
378 found suitable for use in a specified manner.
379 mesh bonding network: A bonding network to which all associated equipment (e.g., cabinets,
380 frames, racks, trays, pathways) are connected using a bonding grid, which is connected to
381 multiple points on the common bonding network.
382 pathway: A facility for the placement of telecommunications cable.
383 primary protector: The protector located at the building telecommunications entrance point.
384 primary protector grounding conductor: The conductor connecting the primary protector to
385 ground.
386 protector: A device consisting of one or more protector units and associated mounting assemblies
387 intended to limit abnormal voltages or currents on metallic telecommunications circuits.
388 secondary protector: A device that protects against electrical transients passed through the primary
389 protector or generated within the customer premises.
390 sheath: See cable sheath.
391 shield: 1) A metallic layer placed around a conductor or group of conductors. 2) The cylindrical outer
392 conductor with the same axis as the center conductor that together form a coaxial transmission line.
393 sleeve: An opening, usually circular, through the wall, ceiling, or floor to allow the passage of cables.
394 splice: A joining of conductors, meant to be permanent.
395 supplementary bonding grid: A set of conductors or conductive elements formed into a grid or
396 provided as a conductive plate that is part of a bonding network.
397 telecommunications: Any transmission, emission, and reception of signs, signals, writings, images,
398 and sounds, that is, information of any nature by cable, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic
399 systems.
400 telecommunications bonding backbone: A conductor that interconnects the telecommunications
401 main grounding busbar (TMGB) to the telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB).
402 telecommunications equipment bonding conductor: A conductor that connects the
403 telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB) or telecommunications grounding
404 busbar (TGB) to equipment racks or cabinets
405 telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB): A common point of connection for
406 telecommunications system and equipment bonding to ground, and located in the
407 telecommunications room or equipment room.
408 telecommunications infrastructure: See infrastructure (telecommunications).
409 telecommunications main grounding busbar: A busbar placed in a convenient and accessible
410 location and bonded by means of the bonding conductor for telecommunications, to the building
411 service equipment (power) ground.
412 wire: An individually insulated solid or stranded metallic conductor.
413
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414 3.3 Abbreviations and acronyms

415 ac alternating current
416 ACEG alternating current equipment ground
417 AHJ authority having jurisdiction
418 ANSI American National Standards Institute
419 AWG American Wire Gage
420 BCT bonding conductor for telecommunications
421 BN bonding network
422 CBC coupled bonding conductor
423 CBN common bonding network
424 dc direct current
425 EIA Electronic Industries Alliance
426 EMI electromagnetic interference
427 ENT electrical nonmetallic tubing
428 EO equipment outlet
429 ESD electrostatic discharge
430 FCC Federal Communications Commission
431 GE grounding equalizer
432 HVAC heating, ventilating and air conditioning
433 IACS International Annealed Copper Standard
434 IBN isolated bonding network
435 ITE information technology equipment
436 mesh-BN mesh bonding network
437 mesh-IBN mesh isolated bonding network
®
438 NEC National Electrical Code
439 NECA National Electrical Contractors Association
®
440 NESC National Electrical Safety Code
441 NFPA National Fire Protection Association
442 NRTL nationally recognized testing laboratory
443 PDU power distribution unit
444 RBC rack bonding conductor
445 RF radio frequency
446 RGB rack grounding busbar
447 SPC single point connection
448 SBG supplementary bonding grid
449 TBB telecommunications bonding backbone
450 TEBC telecommunications equipment bonding conductor
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451 TEF telecommunications entrance facility

452 TGB telecommunications grounding busbar
453 TIA Telecommunications Industry Association
454 TMGB telecommunications main grounding busbar
455
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456 3.4 Units of measure

457 ft feet, foot
458 in inch
459 kcmil thousand circular mil
460 km kilometer
461 m meter
462 mm millimeter
463 ohms-cm ohms centimeter
464 V volt
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465 4 REGULATORY
466 4.1 National requirements

467 The information in this Standard is intended to conform to the National Electrical Code® (NEC®;
468 ANSI/NFPA-70) and the National Electrical Safety Code® (NESC®; ANSI/IEEE C2).
469 4.2 Local code requirements

470 This Standard does not replace any code, either partially or wholly. Local code requirements shall be
471 followed. The local code requirements should be reviewed with the local authority having jurisdiction
472 (AHJ). The review should confirm the currently adopted code and edition and any exceptions to the
473 code that are adopted by the governing authority (the AHJ). If no code has been adopted locally,
474 consult with the fire marshal’s office to determine what agency is responsible for code enforcement in
475 that geographic area.
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476 5 OVERVIEW OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS BONDING AND GROUNDING SYSTEMS
477 5.1 General

478 The basic principles, components, and design of telecommunications bonding and grounding
479 infrastructure specified in this Standard shall be followed amongst buildings of differing design and
480 structure.
481 NOTE – The requirements in this Standard differ from commercial service provider
482 requirements, which are specified in ANSI/T1.313. ANSI/T1.313 specifications
483 support a robust level of service appropriate to a service provider. Users of this
484 Standard are encouraged to refer to ANSI/T1.313 where robust service requirements
485 exist.
486 While the bonding and grounding of the electrical service entrance is outside the scope of this
487 Standard, coordination between electrical and telecommunications bonding and grounding systems is
488 essential for the proper application of this Standard. For example, electrical room and associated
489 electrical panelboard(s) are not part of the telecommunications infrastructure, but they are depicted in
490 this Standard because they are integral to the telecommunications bonding and grounding system.
491 See sections 7.2.1, 7.2.2, 7.3.1 and 7.3.2 for more information regarding bonding to electrical
492 panelboards.
493 Although lightning protection is outside the scope of this Standard, a lightning protection system may
494 be installed. When installed, the lightning protection system should meet the requirements of
495 ANSI/NFPA-780.
496 Where a tower or antenna is installed, the installation should meet the bonding and grounding
497 requirements of ANSI/T1.334. See annex B for information regarding bonding and grounding of
498 towers and antennas.
499 5.2 Overview of the telecommunications bonding and grounding infrastructure

500 5.2.1 General
501 Within a building (see illustrative examples figure 2 and figure 3), the generic telecommunications
502 bonding and grounding infrastructure originates at the electrical entrance facility ground and extends
503 throughout the building. It includes the following major components:
504 a) telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB);
505 b) bonding conductor for telecommunications (BCT);
506 and may also include the following:
507 c) telecommunications bonding backbone (TBB);
508 d) telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB); and,
509 e) grounding equalizer (GE).
510 These telecommunications bonding and grounding components are intended to work with a building’s
511 telecommunications pathways and spaces, its cabling, and administration.
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512
513 Figure 2 – Illustrative example of a large building

514
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515
516 Figure 3 – Illustrative example of a smaller building

517 5.2.2 Telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB)
518 The TMGB serves as the dedicated extension of the building grounding electrode system for the
519 telecommunications infrastructure. The TMGB also serves as the central attachment point for the
520 TBB(s) and equipment. See 6.2.1 and 7.1.3.
521 5.2.3 Bonding conductor for telecommunications (BCT)
522 The BCT bonds the TMGB to the service equipment (power) ground. See 6.3.3 and 7.4.2.
523 5.2.4 Telecommunications bonding backbone (TBB)
524 The TBB is a conductor that interconnects all TGBs with the TMGB. The intended function of a TBB is
525 to reduce or equalize potential differences between telecommunications systems. A TBB is not
526 intended to serve as the only conductor providing a ground fault current return path. The TBB
527 originates at the TMGB extends throughout the building using the telecommunications backbone
528 pathways, and connects to the TGBs in distributors. See 6.3.2 and 7.4.3.
529 5.2.5 Telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB)
530 The TGB is the grounding connection point for telecommunications systems and equipment in the
531 area served by a distributor. See 6.2.2 and 7.3.
532 5.2.6 Grounding equalizer (GE)
533 The GE is typically used in a multistory building and interconnects multiple TBBs on the same floor.
534 See 6.3.4 and 7.4.4.
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535 6 TELECOMMUNICATIONS BONDING AND GROUNDING COMPONENTS
536 6.1 General

537 This clause specifies components of the telecommunications bonding and grounding infrastructure.
538 Where the word “Listed” is used as a requirement for a component, the component shall be Listed to
539 the applicable standard(s) through a nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL).
540 6.2 Busbars

541 6.2.1 Telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB)
542 The TMGB shall:
543 1) be a busbar provided with holes for use with correctly matched Listed lugs and hardware;
544 2) be made of copper, or copper alloys having a minimum of 95% conductivity when
545 annealed as specified by the International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS);
546 3) have minimum dimensions of 6.35 mm (0.25 in) thick x 100 mm (4 in) wide and variable
547 in length; and,
548 4) be Listed.
549 Figure 4 illustrates dimensions typical of a TMGB.
16 mm 8 mm
(5/8 in) (5/16 in) 13 mm 11 mm dia. (7/16 in), typ
typ typ dia. (1/2 in) 25 mm (1 in)
100 mm
(4 in)
min.
50 mm 29 mm
29 mm 11 mm dia.
(2 in) (1-1/8 in)
(1-1/8 in) (7/16 in)
typ
typ mounting holes, typ
550
551 Figure 4 – Typical TMGB

552 6.2.2 Telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB)
553 The TGB shall:
554 1) be a busbar provided with holes for use with correctly matched Listed lugs and hardware;
555 2) be made of copper, or copper alloys having a minimum of 95% conductivity when
556 annealed as specified by the IACS;
557 3) have minimum dimensions of 6.35 mm (0.25 in) thick x 50.8 mm (2 in) wide and variable
558 in length; and,
559 4) be Listed.
560 Figure 5 illustrates dimensions typical of a TGB.
561
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562 Figure 5 – Typical TGB
563 6.3 Conductors

564 6.3.1 General
565 All bonding and grounding conductors shall be copper and may be insulated. When conductors are
566 insulated, they shall be Listed for the application. The size of the conductor is not intended to account
567 for the reduction or control of electromagnetic interference (EMI).
568 6.3.2 Sizing the telecommunications bonding backbone (TBB)
569 The minimum TBB conductor size shall be a No. 6 American Wire Gauge (AWG). The TBB should be
570 sized at 2 kcmil per linear foot of conductor length up to a maximum size of No. 3/0 AWG.
571 Table 1 – Sizing of the TBB

TBB/GE linear length TBB/GE Size
m (ft) (AWG)
less than 4 (13) 6
4 – 6 (14 – 20) 4
6 – 8 (21 – 26) 3
8 – 10 (27 – 33) 2
10 – 13 (34 – 41) 1
13 – 16 (42 – 52) 1/0
16 – 20 (53 – 66) 2/0
greater than 20 (66) 3/0
572
573 6.3.3 Sizing the bonding conductor for telecommunications (BCT)
574 The BCT shall be, as a minimum, the same size as the largest TBB.
575 6.3.4 Sizing the grounding equalizer (GE)
576 The GE shall be, as a minimum, the same size as the largest TBB.
577 6.4 Connectors

578 All bonding and grounding connectors shall be Listed for the application.
579 NOTE – Connectors are Listed for the application (e.g., above ground, direct buried,
580 bonding to the metal frame of a building)
581 The surface of all bonding and grounding connectors used on a TMGB and a TGB shall be of a
582 material that provides an electro-chemical potential of <30x10-2 V between connector and grounding
583 busbar.
584 6.5 Identification

585 6.5.1 Conductors
586 The BCT, each TBB, and each GE, shall be green or marked with a distinctive green color.
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587 6.5.2 Labels

588 Labels shall be nonmetallic and include the information depicted in figure 6.
589
590 Figure 6 – Label for bonding and grounding conductors

591
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592 7 DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
593 7.1 General

594 All exposed cables in a telecommunications facility shall be bonded to ground as close as practicable
595 to the point of entrance. This includes bonding to ground the cable shields and metallic sheath
596 members according to manufacturer’s installation instructions.
597 Where the building backbone telecommunications cabling incorporates a shield or metallic member,
598 this shield or metallic member shall be bonded to the telecommunications main grounding busbar
599 (TMGB) or the telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB) where the cables are terminated or
600 where pairs are “broken out” from the cable sheath.
601 When secondary protection is provided, the secondary protector grounding conductor shall be
602 connected to the nearest TMGB or TGB using the shortest grounding conductor practicable.
603 Grounding through the equipment alternating current (ac) power cord does not meet the intent of this
604 standard. It is intended that the information technology equipment (ITE) be provided a supplementary
605 and specific ground path for the equipment over and above the required ac or direct current (dc)
606 power ground path. While the ac or dc powered equipment typically has a power cord that contains a
607 grounding/bonding wire, the integrity of this path to ground cannot be easily verified. Rather than
608 relying wholly on the ac or dc power cord grounding/bonding wire, it is desirable that equipment be
609 grounded in a verifiable “supplementary” manner as described in this Standard.
610 NOTE – Many types of equipment do not require individual bonding conductors and
611 as such do not have an attachment point for bonding conductors. Equipment that
612 does not have attachment points for bonding conductors may be bonded either
613 through the equipment rail or the power cord. Refer to the manufacturer’s
614 documentation for guidelines.
615 Short metallic pathways (e.g., wall and floor sleeves, J-hooks) are not required to be bonded.
616 Additionally, this Standard does not require bonding of the steel bars of a reinforced concrete
617 building.
618 See ANSI/NECA/BICSI-607 for installation information on telecommunications bonding and
619 grounding.
620 7.1.1 Telecommunications entrance facility (TEF)
621 The TEF is the entrance point (room or space within a building) where:
622 1) the telecommunications facilities enter,
623 2) the joining of campus and building backbone facilities takes place, and
624 3) the grounding of these facilities is accomplished.
625 The TEF may also include antenna cable entrances (see annex B), and electronic equipment serving
626 telecommunications functions.
627 It is desirable that all utilities enter the building in close proximity to each other.
628 7.1.2 Distributors (see ANSI/TIA-568-C.0)
629 Distributor C shall contain either a TMGB or a minimum of one TGB. Distributor A and Distributor B
630 shall contain a minimum of one TGB. The TMGB and the TGB shall be located within the Distributor
631 so as to provide the greatest flexibility and accessibility for telecommunications system grounding
632 (minimizing lengths and number of bends of bonding conductors to the TGB).
633 7.1.3 Computer rooms
634 Each computer room shall contain a TGB (or TMGB when specified in the design) and should also
635 contain a supplementary bonding network that is bonded (and thus becomes grounded) to the TGB or
636 TMGB. This supplementary bonding network may be in a form as identified in section 7.7 but is
637 typically a mesh-bonding network (mesh-BN).
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638 Typically, the ITE cabinets and racks within the computer room are arranged into a holistic (single
639 system block) mesh-BN by manufacturer’s equipment design, user deployment guidelines, or both.
640 For computer rooms, the holistic mesh-BN is a recommended practice since it simplifies installation
641 procedures, most ITE is powered by ac branch circuits, and most ITE employed for a computer room
642 is suitable for placement directly into the common bonding network (CBN).
643 However, under certain circumstances such as a manufacturer’s requirement or access provider
644 recommendations, the ITE may also be arranged into certain segregated “functional system blocks”
645 of either mesh-BN, mesh isolated bonding network (mesh-IBN), or other form of bonding network
646 (BN), within the same room. The supplementary bonding conductor network for the holistic or any
647 segregated mesh-BN, mesh-IBN or other BN must also be directly bonded to the room’s TGB or
648 TMGB since the BN must always be grounded. The BN may also provide for electromagnetic
649 shielding in varying degrees based upon its design and installation.
650 A recommended augmentation to a BN (especially a mesh-BN) is a supplementary bonding grid
651 (SBG). Upon installation and connection of the SBG to the BN (primary components are cabinets,
652 racks and frames), the SBG becomes part of the overall BN. The SBG typically covers the entire
653 computer room or a local area within a room.
654 The historical spacing for the SBG pattern is between 0.61 m to 1.22 m (2 ft to 4 ft) and was
655 historically stated in Guideline on Electrical Power for ADP Installations, 1983 (USA Federal
656 Information Processing Standards Publications - FIPS PUBS 94) to aid in reducing the effect of
657 resonance on ac branch circuit equipment grounding conductors.
658 The minimum density of the bonding grid is 3 m (9.8 ft) centers or one that corresponds to the
659 computer room cold-or-hot aisles and the aisles running perpendicular to the cold-and-hot aisles.
660 7.1.4 Cabinets and racks
661 Metallic enclosures, including telecommunications cabinets and racks, shall be bonded to the mesh-
662 BN, TGB, or TMGB using a minimum sized conductor of No. 6 AWG.
663 Cabinets, racks, and other enclosures in computer rooms shall not be bonded serially; each shall
664 have their own dedicated bonding conductor to the mesh-BN, TGB, or TMGB.
665 Equipment containing metallic parts in cabinets and racks shall be bonded to the telecommunications
666 grounding system in accordance with the manufacturer instructions. Where instructions are not given,
667 all bonding jumpers that ground installed equipment shall be a minimum sized conductor of
668 No. 12 AWG. Rack grounding busbars (RGBs) are recommended for cabinets and racks that need to
669 support multiple unit bonding conductors. There are three methods to bond the equipment located in
670 the equipment rack or cabinet to the telecommunications bonding system, see figure 7.
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671
672 Figure 7 – Example of three methods to bond equipment and racks to ground
673 7.1.5 Cable ladders, cable runways, conduits, pipes, and building steel
674 In order to limit the potential difference between telecommunications conduits, and
675 telecommunications conduits and power conduits, the telecommunications conduits shall be bonded
676 to the TMGB/TGB. Additionally, to achieve the objectives of potential equalization, ensure that cable
677 runway/ladder sections are bonded together and that they are bonded to the TMGB/TGB.
678 Where building steel is accessible and in the same room as the TMGB/TGB, the TMGB/TGB shall be
679 bonded to building steel using a minimum sized conductor of No. 6 AWG. When practicable because
680 of shorter distances and where horizontal steel members are permanently electrically bonded to
681 vertical column members, the TMGB/TGB may be bonded to these horizontal members in lieu of the
682 vertical column members. When the building steel is external to the room, but readily accessible, it
683 should be bonded to the TMGB/TGB using a minimum sized conductor of No. 6 AWG. Building steel
684 should be tested to verify its ground conductivity to earth.
685 NOTE – Modern building construction techniques will ground building steel to the
686 main ac power entrance or another grounding source. Ensure that when working in
687 existing buildings that the building steel is bonded to a suitable ground source (e.g.,
688 electrical power grounding electrode[s], building ground ring).
689 7.2 Telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB)

690 7.2.1 General
691 The length of the TMGB is not specified within this Standard. It is desirable that the busbar be
692 electrotin-plated for reduced contact resistance. The busbar shall be cleaned and an anti-oxidant
693 should be applied prior to fastening connectors to the busbar.
694 The desirable location of the TMGB is in the TEF. However, the TMGB should be located to minimize
695 the length of the bonding conductor for telecommunications (BCT). Typically, there should be a single
696 TMGB per building.
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697 NOTE – For buildings with more than one electrical service entrance, each of which
698 serves telecommunications equipment, the user is urged to consult with a licensed
699 engineer.
700 The TMGB shall be as close as practicable to the panelboard and shall be installed to maintain
701 clearances required by applicable electrical codes. A practical location for the TMGB is to the side of
702 the panelboard (where provided). The vertical location of the TMGB should be determined by
703 considering whether the bonding conductors are routed in an access floor or overhead cable support.
704 Its placement should provide for the shortest and straightest routing of the BCT and the primary
705 protector grounding conductor (see annex C for more information on telecommunications electrical
706 protection – primary protector grounding). Additionally, the TMGB shall be insulated from its support
707 using an insulator that is Listed for the purpose by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL).
708 A minimum of 50.8 mm (2 in) separation from the wall is recommended to allow access to the rear of
709 the busbar.
710 Where a panelboard for telecommunications equipment is not installed in the TEF, the TMGB should
711 be located near the backbone cabling and associated terminations. In addition, the TMGB should be
712 located so that the BCT is as short and straight as possible.
713 The TMGB should serve telecommunications equipment that is located within the same room or
714 space. The TMGB is intended to be the location for connecting grounding busbars incorporated in
715 telecommunications equipment located in the TEF. Extensions of the TMGB (i.e., other
716 telecommunications busbars in other telecommunications spaces) shall be TGBs.
717 7.2.2 Bonds to the TMGB
718 Where a panelboard (electrical power panel) is located in the same room or space as the TMGB that
719 panelboard’s alternating current equipment ground (ACEG) bus (when equipped) or the panelboard
720 enclosure shall be bonded to the TMGB.
721 The primary protector grounding conductor shall be connected to the TMGB. This conductor is
722 intended to conduct lightning and ac fault currents from the telecommunication primary protectors. A
723 minimum of 0.3 m (1 ft) separation shall be maintained between this conductor and any dc power
724 cables, switchboard cable, or high frequency cables, even when placed in metal conduit.
725 When the outside plant cables in the TEF incorporate a cable shield isolation gap, the cable shield on
726 the building side of the gap shall be bonded to the TMGB.
727 All metallic raceways for telecommunications cabling located within the same room or space as the
728 TMGB shall be bonded to the TMGB. However for metallic pathways containing grounding
729 conductors where the pathway is bonded to the grounding conductor, no additional bond to the
730 TMGB is required.
731 7.2.3 Connections to the TMGB
732 The connections of the BCT and the telecommunications bonding backbone (TBB) to the TMGB shall
733 utilize exothermic welding, Listed compression two-hole lugs, or two-hole exothermic lugs.
734 The connection of conductors for bonding telecommunications equipment to the TMGB shall utilize
735 exothermic welding, Listed compression two-hole lugs, or two-hole exothermic lugs.
736 7.3 Telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB)

737 7.3.1 General
738 The length of the TGB is not specified within this Standard. It is desirable that the busbar be
739 electrotin-plated for reduced contact resistance. The busbar shall be cleaned and an anti-oxidant
740 should be applied prior to fastening connectors to the busbar.
741 The TGB shall be as close as practicable to the panelboard and shall be installed to maintain
742 clearances required by applicable electrical codes. A practical location for the TGB is to the side of
743 the panelboard (where provided). The vertical location of the TGB should be determined by
744 considering whether the bonding conductors are routed in an access floor or overhead cable support.
745 Additionally, the TGB shall be insulated from its support using an insulator that is Listed for the
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746 purpose by a NRTL. A minimum of 50.8 mm (2 in) separation from the wall is recommended to allow
747 access to the rear of the busbar.
748 Where a panelboard for telecommunications equipment is not installed in the same room or space as
749 the TGB, that TGB should be located near the backbone cabling and associated terminations.
750 The bonding conductor between a TBB and a TGB shall be continuous and routed in the shortest
751 possible straight-line path.
752 Multiple TGBs may be installed within the same Distributor to aid in minimizing bonding conductor
753 lengths and minimizing terminating space.
754 7.3.2 Bonds to the TGB
755 Where a panelboard (electrical power panel) is located in the same room or space as the TGB that
756 panelboard’s ACEG bus (when equipped) or the panelboard enclosure shall be bonded to the TGB.
757 Where a panelboard for telecommunications equipment is not in the same room or space as the TGB,
758 that TGB should be bonded to the panelboard that feeds the distributor.
759 The TBBs and other TGBs within the same space shall be bonded to the TGB with a conductor the
760 same size as the TBB. In all cases, multiple TGBs within a room shall be bonded together with a
761 conductor the same size as the TBB or with splice bars.
762 Where a GE is required, it shall be bonded to the TGB.
763 All metallic pathways for telecommunications cabling located within the same room or space as the
764 TGB shall be bonded to the TGB. However, for metallic pathways containing grounding conductors
765 where the pathway is bonded to the grounding conductor, no additional bond to the TGB is required.
766 7.3.3 Connections to the TGB
767 The connection of the TBB to the TGB shall utilize exothermic welding, Listed compression two-hole
768 lugs, or two-hole exothermic lugs.
769 The connection of conductors for bonding telecommunications equipment to the TGB shall utilize
770 exothermic welding, Listed compression two-hole lugs, or two-hole exothermic lugs.
771 7.4 Conductors

772 7.4.1 General
773 Bonding and grounding conductors should not be placed in ferrous metallic conduit. If it is necessary
774 to place bonding and grounding conductors in ferrous metallic conduit the conductors shall be bonded
775 to each end of the conduit using a grounding bushing or using a minimum sized conductor of
776 No. 6 AWG at both ends of the conduit. Bonding and grounding conductors shall not be passed
777 through ferrite filters unless all other power conductors share the same ferrite filter.
778 7.4.2 Bonding conductor for telecommunications (BCT)
779 The BCT shall bond the TMGB to the service equipment (power) ground. Figure 8 schematically
780 depicts this connection to the service equipment (power) ground.
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781
782 Figure 8 – Bonding to the service equipment (power) ground

783 7.4.3 Telecommunications bonding backbone (TBB)
784 The type of building construction, building size, general telecommunications requirements, and the
785 configuration of the telecommunications pathways and spaces should be considered when designing
786 the TBB. Specifically, the design of a TBB shall:
787 a) be connected to the TMGB;
788 b) be consistent with the design of the telecommunications backbone cabling system (e.g.,
789 follow the backbone pathways);
790 c) permit multiple TBBs as necessary (e.g., multiple distributors per floor; see figure 2); and,
791 d) minimize, to the extent practicable, the lengths of the TBB(s).
792 TBB conductors shall be protected from physical and mechanical damage. The TBB conductors
793 should be installed without splices, however, where splices are necessary, there should be a
794 minimum number of splices and they shall be accessible and be located in telecommunications
795 spaces. Joined segments of a TBB shall be joined by means of an exothermic weld, irreversible
796 compression-type connectors, or equivalent. All joints shall be adequately supported and protected
797 from damage.
798 Metallic cable shield(s) shall not be used as a TBB nor shall water piping systems be used as a TBB.
799 7.4.4 Grounding equalizer (GE)
800 Whenever two or more TBBs are used within a multistory building, the TBBs shall be bonded together
801 with a GE at the top floor and at a minimum of every third floor in between to the lowest floor level
802 (see figure 2).
803 7.4.5 Coupled bonding conductor (CBC)
804 CBCs provide protection against electromagnetic interference (EMI) through close proximity and may
805 be integral to the cabling system. The CBC:
806 a) may be part of a cable’s shield;
807 b) may separate conductors that are tie wrapped to communication cables; and,
808 c) are typically sized at No. 10 AWG, although No. 6 AWG is recommended.
809 7.4.6 Bonding conductors for connections to the mesh-BN or RGB
810 Bonding conductors used to bond components to the mesh-BN or RGB shall:
811 a) be stranded copper conductors;
812 b) be neatly routed and no longer than required to bond the component to the mesh-BN or
813 RGB;
814 c) be secured at no greater than 0.9 m (3 ft) intervals.
815 d) not be routed where it creates a tripping hazard, impairs access to equipment, nor
816 attached with staples or other method that could damage the conductors;
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817 e) be Listed as suitable for grounding applications;

818 f) be available for use in the space in which they will be placed, have a green jacket or
819 green jacket with yellow stripe. Where bare conductors are deployed, they must be
820 supported by standoff insulators at intervals no greater than 0.61 m (2 ft) or be contained
821 in electrical nonmetallic tubing (ENT). Bare bonding conductors shall not be in contact
822 with metallic surfaces or other conductors that are not part of the telecommunications
823 grounding system.
824 g) be installed using low-emission exothermic welds, where exothermic welds are specified
825 and within a room with electronics; and,
826 h) where placed in ferrous metallic conduit that is greater than 0.9 m (3 ft), be bonded to
827 each end of the conduit using a grounding bushing or with a minimum sized conductor of
828 No. 6 AWG.
829 7.4.7 Telecommunications equipment bonding conductor (TEBC)
830 7.4.7.1 General
831 The TEBC connects the TMGB/TGB to equipment racks/cabinets. More than one TEBC may be
832 installed from the TMGB/TBG (e.g., a separate TEBC per rack). The TEBC shall be a continuous
833 copper conductor that is sized not less than a No. 6 AWG or as the largest size equipment grounding
834 conductor in the ac branch power circuit(s) serving the racks/cabinet lineup.
835 NOTE – Cable shields do not satisfy the requirements for a TEBC.
836 Connections to the TEBC shall be made with irreversible compression connectors and with the rack
837 bonding conductors (RBCs) routed toward the TMGB/TGB, see figure 9.
838
839 Figure 9 – Example TEBC to rack bonding conductor connection

840 The TEBCs may be routed within cable trays, on the outside of ladder rack, tray supported at no
841 greater than 0.9 m (3 ft) intervals, or along equipment platforms, see figure 10. Examples of
842 acceptable means of supporting the TEBCs include the use of lay-in lugs, cable brackets, and other
843 brackets designed for this purpose.
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844
845 Figure 10 – Example of a TEBC routed on cable tray

846 An alternative method to running TEBCs overhead is to route them under an access floor. All
847 requirements set forth for running the bonding conductors mentioned in this Standard shall apply.
848 7.4.7.2 Separation
849 TEBCs shall be separated a minimum of 50 mm (2 in) from conductors of other cable groups such as
850 power or telecommunications cables. For example, TEBC’s may be suspended 50 mm (2 in) under or
851 off the side of a cable tray. TEBCs may come in contact with other cable groups if they cross at a
852 90 degree angle and the crossing angle can be maintained. An exception may be when conductors
853 are grouped together to enter or exit a cabinet or enclosure. Grouping only at this point is acceptable,
854 provided the conductors are suitably separated on either side of the opening.
855 TEBCs shall be separated from ferrous material by a distance of at least 50 mm (2 in) where
856 achievable, or be effectively bonded to the ferrous material.
857 7.5 Bonding equipment cabinets/equipment racks to the TEBC

858 The TEBC shall be connected to the cabinets/equipment racks, to a RBC or to a vertical/horizontal
859 RGB. Each cabinet or equipment rack shall have a suitable connection point to which the bonding
860 conductor can be terminated. Properly sized Listed two-hole compression lugs or ground terminal
861 blocks with internal hex screw or equivalent torque characteristics shall be used at this connection
862 point, see figure 11.
863
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864
865 Figure 11 – Illustration of connection point to a rack from a TEBC
866 7.6 Structural bonding of equipment cabinets/equipment racks

867 For a welded cabinet/equipment rack, the welded construction serves as the method of bonding the
868 structural members of the cabinet/rack together.
869 For a bolted cabinet/equipment rack, ground continuity cannot be assumed through the use of normal
870 frame bolts used to build or stabilize equipment cabinets and racks. Bonding hardware, such as bolts,
871 washers, nuts and screws, specifically designed to accomplish integral bonding of the cabinet and
872 rack assembly, frame and support, and tested to meet applicable NRTL requirements are an
873 acceptable bonding means. However, bolts, nuts and screws used for cabinet and rack assembly and
874 support are not specifically designed for grounding purposes. In this case, paint shall be removed
875 from all bonding contact areas. In any case, removal of the paint from all bonding contact areas is
876 recommended.
877 All detachable, metallic parts of equipment cabinets (e.g. frame, door, side panel, top panel) shall be
878 connected to ground, either directly by means of grounding/bonding jumpers or through the cabinet
879 frame, to the connection point on the cabinet where the cabinet bonding conductor connects to the
880 cabinet.
881 When a detachable, metallic part of an equipment cabinet is connected to ground by a grounding
882 bonding jumper, the jumper should be a minimum sized conductor of No. 12 AWG stranded, high
883 strand count, insulated copper conductor with green or green with yellow stripe jacket. Also, the
884 grounding/bonding jumper should have an easily visible quick connect to facilitate detaching and
885 attaching the panel or door, see figure 12.
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886
887 Figure 12 – Illustration of a bond connection from a cabinet to the cabinet door
888 7.7 Supplementary bonding networks

889 The supplementary bonding network is supplementary to the equipment grounding/bonding
890 conductors. These conductors are required for safety (regulatory) purposes from the serving power
891 system circuits to the ITE. The supplementary bonding network provides for a greater degree of
892 equipotential bonding to that provided by the required grounding/bonding conductors. Supplementary
893 bonding networks are always grounded to the CBN within the building. Equipotential bonding may
894 help mitigate issues caused by steady-state and transient voltages and currents generated by
895 lightning, power systems, power circuit ground faults and EMI.
896 Supplementary bonding networks are described in detail in ITU-T K.27, ANSI T1.333 and
897 ANSI/IEEE 1100 and identified for ITE as the following primary topologies:
898 • mesh-BN – Generally, the default topology as most ITE has intra/inter intentional and
899 unintentional metallic interconnections. A mesh-BN augments the CBN by increasing the local density
900 of conductors and functions by attempting to diversify and limit the radio frequency (RF) capture-loop
901 area of the current paths such that the current density on any conductor or conductive loop is reduced
902 to an acceptable level.
903 NOTE – ANSI/IEEE 1100 uses the terms “mesh common bonding network” (M-CBN)
904 “signal reference grid” (SRG) and “mesh-BN” as somewhat interchangeable,
905 depending on application and context. However, within this Standard, the term
906 mesh-BN is used.
907 • mesh-isolated bonding network (IBN) – Generally can be described as a mesh-BN functional
908 system block that is arranged into a single point bonding and grounding entity that is isolated from the
909 CBN except for at one controlled location – a single point connection (SPC) window . The IBN
910 topology is known to provide high robustness to building lightning and power fault currents. The star
911 topology is amenable to “current mapping” for troubleshooting within the IBN. The IBN topology
912 functions by attempting to block extraneous currents (such as lightning) from flowing within the CBN
913 and then entering and traversing through the IBN. This topology is especially robust to transients
914 occurring in the CBN.
915 • Star IBN – An IBN deployed into a star network instead of a mesh network.
916 NOTE – Earthing networks are described in a draft of EN 50310 – 2009 and include
917 CBN, Mesh-BN, Mesh-IBN, Local Mesh, Star and Ring.
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918 7.7.1 Mesh-BN

919 A mesh-BN is a bonding network to which all associated equipment cabinets, frames and racks and
920 cabling pathways are bonded together as well as at multiple points to the CBN (see figure 13).
921
922 Figure 13 – A mesh-BN with equipment cabinets, frames, racks and CBN bonded together
923 If the mesh-BN is constructed from flat conductors, the mesh-BN should be prefabricated of minimum
924 0.4 mm (0.0159 in; 26 gauge) x 50.8 mm (2 in) wide copper strips with all crossings and joined
925 sections properly welded.
926 Where the mesh-BN is constructed from standard, bare round wire, the conductors shall be a
927 minimum sized conductor of No. 6 AWG stranded copper conductors joined together via proper
928 welding, brazing, listed compression connectors, or listed grounding clamps at each of the crossing
929 points.
930 If the mesh-BN is constructed using the access-floor pedestals, the flooring system must be
931 electrically continuous and must be bonded together every 4 to 6 pedestals in each direction using a
932 minimum sized conductor of No. 6 AWG stranded copper conductors and listed pedestal grounding
933 clamps.
934 The mesh-BN shall have the following connections:
935 a) No. 1/0 AWG or larger bonding conductor to the TMGB or TGB in the computer room:
936 b) No. 6 AWG or larger bonding conductor to each ITE cabinet and rack – cabinets and
937 racks shall not be bonded serially.
938 c) A bonding conductor to the ground bus for each power distribution unit (PDU) or panel
939 board serving the room, sized per NEC 250.122 and per manufacturers’
940 recommendations;
941 d) No. 6 AWG or larger bonding conductor to heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning
942 (HVAC) equipment – HVAC equipment shall not be bonded to the bonding mat/grid
943 serially, each must have its own connection to the mesh-BN;
944 e) No. 4 AWG or larger bonding conductor to each building steel column in the computer
945 room;
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946 f) No. 6 AWG or larger bonding conductor to each metallic cable tray and cable runway in
947 the room – they may be bonded in series;
948 g) No. 6 AWG or larger bonding conductor to each metallic conduit, water pipe, metallic air
949 duct in the room – they may be bonded in series;
950 h) No. 6 AWG or larger bonding conductor to every 4 to 6 access floor pedestal in each
951 direction.
952 7.7.2 Mesh-IBN
953 A mesh-IBN is a mesh-topology bonding network that has a SPC to either the CBN or another IBN
954 (see figure 14). The mesh-IBN is typically limited to a restricted area within a building such as in a
955 computer room. The mesh-IBN is not typical (but can be utilized) for a commercial environment or
956 computer room but is recognized and sometimes utilized in the access provider central office and
957 computer room. The primary benefit of the IBN is the blocking of building currents, such as lightning
958 and power faults, from entering into the IBN.
959 NOTE – Other topological versions of IBNs (such as “star” and “sparse-mesh”) are
960 described in ITU-T K.27 and ANSI/IEEE 1100.
961 The mesh-IBN components such as associated equipment cabinets, frames and racks and cabling
962 pathways are insulated from the CBN except for one controlled SPC location (window) to the CBN.
963 The SPC location applies to all grounding conductors (including power circuits) entering or exiting the
964 mesh-IBN. Due to insulation from the CBN, except at the controlled SPC, the mesh-IBN is said to be
965 “insulated or isolated” from the CBN.
966 For a mesh-IBN, an under-access-floor, the SBG is typically only directly connected to the serving
967 TMGB or TGB in order to not violate the insulation requirements for the mesh-IBN. An above
968 cabinet/rack SBG can be more easily incorporated where desirable into the mesh-IBN by means of
969 insulating devices between the bonding grid and any nearby CBN components.
970
971 Figure 14 – A mesh-IBN having a single point of connection

972 7.7.3 Bonding conductor for connections to the supplementary bonding network
973 Bonding conductors used to bond components to the supplementary bonding network shall:
974 a) Be stranded copper conductors;
975 b) Be neatly routed in a straight a line as practical and be no longer than required to bond the
976 component to the supplementary bonding network;
977 c) Be secured at no greater than 0.9 m (3 ft) intervals;
978 d) Not be routed where it creates a tripping hazard, impairs access to equipment, nor attached
979 with staples or other methods that could damage the conductors;
980 e) Be Listed as suitable for bonding/grounding applications;
981 f) As available for use in space in which they will be placed, have a green jacket or green jacket
982 with yellow stripe. Where bare conductors are deployed, they must be supported by standoff
983 insulators at intervals no greater than 0.61 m (2 ft) or be contained in electrical nonmetallic
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984 tubing (ENT). Bare bonding conductors shall not be in contact with metallic surfaces that are
985 not part of the telecommunications grounding system;
986 g) Be installed using low-emission exothermic welds, where exothermic welds are specified and
987 within a room with electronics; and,
988 h) Where placed in ferrous metallic conduit that is greater than 0.9 m (3 ft), be bonded to each
989 end of the conduit using a grounding bushing or with a minimum No. 6 AWG conductor.
990 7.8 Administration

991 Each telecommunications bonding and grounding conductor shall be labeled at its points of
992 termination (see ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-A). Labels shall be located on conductors as close as practicable
993 to their points of termination in a readable position. Refer to ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-A for additional
994 labeling requirements.
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995 8 PERFORMANCE AND TEST REQUIREMENTS
996 8.1 Two-point ground/continuity testing

997 This procedure will help determine if there is an acceptable minimum level of resistance between any
998 point in the telecommunications bonding and grounding system and the building’s electrical grounding
999 electrode system. The test is performed using an earth ground resistance tester that is configured for
1000 a continuity test, otherwise known as a two-point test or a “dead earth” test.
1001 The earth ground resistance tester generates a specific alternating current (ac) test current; this
1002 current is less susceptible to the influences of stray currents in the grounding system. This makes the
1003 ground resistance test a more accurate testing device than a standard volt-ohm-milliammeter.
1004 Prior to two-point ground testing, a visual inspection shall be performed to verify that the bonding and
1005 grounding system is installed according to the guidelines in this Standard. Due to the possibilities of
1006 ground faults traveling through the telecommunications bonding and grounding system, a voltage test
1007 should be performed prior to conducting the two-point continuity test and verified with the test
1008 equipment manufacturer’s instructions. Consult with other contractors to ensure other electrical work
1009 does not interfere with this test.
1010 It is recommended that this test be performed in the following areas:
1011 1. TMGB/TGB to the electrical ground in Distributors
1012 2. TMGB/TGB to the building steel (if present)
1013 3. TMGB to TGB
1014 4. Building steel (if present) to the electrical ground.
1015 In order for this test to be valid it must be done before the telecommunications equipment is installed
1016 otherwise parallel paths may invalidate test results.
1017 The test is typically performed by connecting one meter lead to the nearest building’s electrical
1018 grounding electrode and a specific point on the telecommunications bonding and grounding system
1019 such as the TMGB. This same test can also verify continuity between any two points of the
1020 telecommunications bonding and grounding system such as between the TMGB and a TGB.
1021 The recommended maximum value for resistance between any point in the telecommunications
1022 bonding and grounding system and the building’s electrical grounding electrode system is
1023 100 milliohms. In the case of long TBB and GE conductor runs, the resistance of the conductor must
1024 be factored into the total resistance. For example 1 km of a No. 3/0 conductor has a resistance of
1025 0.2028 ohms. (0.06180 ohms per 1000 ft).
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1026 ANNEX A (INFORMATIVE) GROUNDING ELECTRODES
1027 This annex is informative and is not part of this Standard.

1028 A.1 General
1029 Grounding electrodes connect electrical systems and equipment to earth. Grounding electrodes
1030 maybe ground rods, metal plates, concrete encased electrodes, ground rings, electrolytic ground
1031 rods, the metal frame of the building or structure, and metal underground water pipes. Metallic
1032 underground gas piping is not used as a grounding electrode, but is bonded upstream from the
1033 equipment shutoff valve to the grounding electrode (see ANSI/NFPA-70 [NEC®] and
1034 ANSI/NFPA-780).
1035 A.2 Ground rods
1036 Ground rods should be constructed from copper clad steel, solid copper, hot-dipped galvanized steel
1037 or stainless steel and be Listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL). The rods should
1038 be a minimum of 2.4 m (8 ft) in length and 12.7 mm (0.5 in) in diameter. For areas highly prone to
1039 lightning, a minimum rod length of 3 m (10 ft) should be used. Ground rods should not have a non-
1040 conductive coating. Typical ground rods are illustrated in figure 15.
1041
1042 Figure 15 – Illustrative views of typical ground rods

1043 A.3 Electrolytic ground rods
1044 Electrolytic ground rods are Listed products that are available in vertical and horizontal configurations
1045 (see figure 16) and in various lengths, typically 3 m (10 ft) to 6.1 m (20 ft) but may be longer.
1046 Electrolytic ground rods are constructed of 54 mm (2.125 in) diameter hollow (tube) copper or
1047 stainless steel. This tube is filled with a mixture of hygroscopic electrolytic salts, typically 60-percent
1048 sodium chloride and 40-percent calcium chloride. Electrolytic grounds rods help lower soil resistance
1049 by absorbing moisture out of the air and form an electrolytic solution within the tube, then leaching out
1050 the rod into the surrounding soil. Additionally, the rod is encased in a conductive non-corrosive
1051 carbon based backfill material.
1052 Electrolytic ground rods should be considered for use where standard ground rods do not produce an
1053 acceptable grounding electrode system resistance, typically 5 ohms in telecommunications
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1054 applications. Unacceptable grounding electrode system resistance may be found at sites where there
1055 is high soil resistivity, (i.e., above 25,000 ohms-cm), areas with limited space or areas where the
1056 grounding electrode system is covered by non-porous materials such as concrete or asphalt. In all
1057 cases, manufacturer recommendations should be followed when installing electrolytic ground rods.
COVERED COVERED
TEST WELL TEST WELL
FINISHED
GRADE FINISHED GRADE
BREATHER HOLES 35 mm² csa (#2 AWG)

35 mm² csa (#2 AWG) OR COARSER COPPER
EXOTHERMIC OR COARSER COPPER CONDUCTOR
CONNECTION CONDUCTOR
BREATHER HOLES
BACKFILL
EXOTHERMIC
WEEP HOLES CONNECTION
BACKFILL
WEEP HOLES
1058
1059 Figure 16 – Illustrations of a vertical and horizontal electrolytic ground rod

1060 A.4 Ground plate electrodes
1061 Ground plate electrodes are Listed products that are constructed from copper having a minimum
1062 thickness of 1.5 mm (0.06 in) or from steel having a minimum thickness of 6.35 mm (0.25 in).
1063 The ground plate electrode should be installed 0.76 m (2.5 ft) below grade and below permanent
1064 moisture level if practicable. If soil conditions do not allow the ground plate electrode to be buried at
1065 this depth, they should be buried as deep as possible.
1066 Ground plate electrodes should only be used if soil conditions prohibit the use of standard ground
1067 rods, or is specifically engineered into the grounding electrode system.
1068 A.5 Wire mesh
1069 Wire mesh is a Listed product typically fabricated from solid copper or copper clad steel wire, ranging
1070 from No. 6 AWG to No. 12 AWG. The wires are brazed together in a grid form with spacing between
1071 conductors ranging from 50.8 mm (2 in) through 1.22 mm (4 ft). All joints should be silver brazed or
1072 equivalent.
1073 Wire mesh should be used where ground rod electrodes cannot be driven or are ineffective because
1074 of soil conditions, or where it is desirable to establish a superior ground plane.
1075 A.6 Concrete encased electrode
1076 A concrete encased electrode is an electrode encased by at least 50.8 mm (2 in) of concrete and
1077 located horizontally or vertically near the bottom of a concrete foundation or footing that is in direct
1078 contact with the earth. It consisting of at least 6.1 m (20 ft) of one or more bare or zinc galvanized or
1079 other electrically conductive coated steel reinforcing bars or rods of not less than 12.7 mm (0.5 in)
1080 diameter, or consisting of at least 6.1 m (20 ft) of bare copper conductor not smaller than No. 4 AWG.
1081 (See figure 17). See ANSI/NFPA-70 (NEC®) Section 250.
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1082
1083 Figure 17 – Illustrative view of a concrete-encased electrode

1084 A.7 Ground ring electrodes
1085 Ground ring electrodes encircle the building or structure and are in direct contact with the earth. They
1086 should be installed to a depth of 0.76 m (2.5 ft) below grade or below the frost line, whichever is
1087 deeper. The ground ring conductor should be No. 2 AWG or larger bare, solid, tinned or un-tinned
1088 copper conductors (see ANSI/T1.313 and ANSI/T1.334). For areas with high lightning events, larger
1089 conductors such as No. 1/0 AWG or larger should be considered (see MIL-HDBK-419A). Stranded
1090 conductors should be used with these larger sizes; tinned conductors are recommended. Ground
1091 rings encircling a building should be installed just beyond the drip line of the roof.
1092 Ground ring electrodes may also incorporate the use of driven ground rods. When used, driven
1093 ground rods should have a minimum separation of at least one ground rod length not to exceed two
1094 ground rod lengths along the ground ring.
1095 A.8 Ground radial electrodes
1096 Radial grounding conductors should be a bare solid tinned or un-tinned copper No. 2 AWG conductor
1097 or bare tinned or un-tinned copper conductor not smaller than No. 1/0 AWG. There should be a
1098 minimum of three conductors of different lengths, equally spaced from one another as much as
1099 practicable. The minimum length of each radial should be 7.6 m (25 ft) and a maximum of 24.4 m
1100 (80 ft). Radial grounding conductors should be installed in direct contact with the earth and should be
1101 installed to a depth of 0.76 mm (2.5 ft) below grade or below the frost line, whichever is deeper.
1102 Radial grounding conductors may also incorporate the use of driven ground rods. When used, driven
1103 ground rods should have a minimum separation of at least one ground rod length not to exceed two
1104 ground rod lengths along the ground ring.
1105 Radial grounding conductors should be installed horizontally in the ground and radiate away from the
1106 building or structure (see figure 18).
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1107
1108 Figure 18 – Illustrative view of a ground radial electrode

1109 A.9 Enhanced grounding materials
1110 Enhanced grounding materials are high conductivity materials which lower ground system resistance
1111 in high resistance soil conditions. These materials should be manufactured from a high quality
1112 relatively sulfur-free carbon source. Many lower grade carbons contain sulfur which is very corrosive
1113 especially when encased in concrete. Enhanced grounding materials should be environmentally safe
1114 and approved by the authority having jurisdiction.
1115 Enhanced grounding materials should be considered for use around ground rod electrodes and
1116 grounding electrode rings in high soil resistance conditions (see figure 19).
1117
1118
1119 Figure 19 – Illustrative example of ground enhancement materials surrounding a grounding

1120 conductor and a ground rods
1121 A.10 Grounding conductors
1122 Grounding conductors are used to connect equipment or the grounded circuit of a wiring system to a
1123 grounding electrode of a grounding electrode system. These conductors should connect grounding
1124 electrodes together, form buried ground rings and connect objects to the grounding electrode system.
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1125 Grounding conductors should be solid, stranded, tinned, and bare or insulated. Above ground
1126 conductors should be jacketed with green or green with yellow striping insulation.
1127 Unless otherwise stated, all below-ground ground electrode conductors should be a bare solid copper
1128 conductor not smaller than No. 2 AWG or bare stranded copper conductor not smaller than
1129 No. 1/0 AWG, tinned conductors are recommended. See ANSI/T1.313, ANSI/T1.334 and
1130 MIL-HDBK-419A for reference.
1131 When installing grounding electrode conductors they should be installed in one continuous length
1132 without splices unless using exothermic connections or Listed irreversible compression-type
1133 connectors. The conductor runs should be as short and straight as possible. Bends in the conductor
1134 should be made toward the ground location and do not have a radius bend less than 203 mm (8 in)
1135 (see figure 20).
1136
1137 Figure 20 – Radius bend illustration

1138
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1139 ANNEX B (INFORMATIVE) TOWERS AND ANTENNAS

1141 B.1 General
1142 This section describes specific electrical protection considerations for antenna support structures
1143 (towers).
1144 B.2 Grounding electrode system
1145 B.2.1 External grounding
1146 Figure 21 illustrates an example view of a tower and antenna site grounding electrode system.
1147
1148 Figure 21 – Illustrative example view of a site grounding electrode system

1149 B.2.2 Grounding busbars
1150 The purpose of a grounding busbar is to provide convenient grounding points for various elements of
1151 a telecommunications system and ancillary support apparatus. There are several types of grounding
1152 busbars:
1153 a) External grounding busbar
1154 The purpose of the external grounding busbar is to provide convenient ground termination
1155 points for the sheath (shield) of antenna transmission lines and other communications cables
1156 prior to their entry into a building or shelter.
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1157 b) Internal grounding busbar

1158 The purpose of the internal grounding busbar is to provide convenient termination points all
1159 metallic items within a building or shelter in an effort to provide potential equalization.
1160 c) Tower grounding busbar
1161 The purpose of the tower grounding busbar is to provide a convenient termination point on
1162 the tower for multiple transmission lines with metallic sheaths (i.e. coaxial cable) grounding
1163 conductors.
1164 Grounding busbars are sized to meet immediate application requirements while taking into
1165 consideration future growth.
1166 The external grounding busbar is installed at the point where the antenna transmission lines and
1167 other communications cables enter the building or shelter. It is connected directly to the grounding
1168 electrode system using a downward run of No. 2 AWG or larger bare, solid or stranded, tinned or un-
1169 tinned copper conductor. This conductor is installed in a direct manner with no sharp bends or narrow
1170 loops. Larger conductor sizes such as No. 4/0 AWG are recommended in high lightning prone areas.
1171 Connection of the grounding electrode conductor to the external grounding busbar is by an
1172 exothermic process or Listed irreversible compression connections.
1173 The tower grounding busbar is installed below the transmission line ground kits, near the area of the
1174 tower at the point where the antenna transmission lines go from the tower to the building or shelter. It
1175 is connected to the tower grounding electrode system with a No. 2 AWG or larger bare, solid tinned
1176 copper conductor. For reduced impedance to earth, the tower grounding busbar is directly bonded to
1177 the tower, thereby utilizing the tower as a down conductor. Care is also taken to select the proper
1178 materials so as to prevent a dissimilar metal reaction. To maintain equal potential between the
1179 transmission lines and the tower, busbars are installed at the top and bottom of the tower, providing
1180 termination points for bonding the transmission lines cable shields to the tower. If the tower is greater
1181 than 60.1 m (200 ft) in height, busbars are installed every 15.2 m (50 ft), they are bonded to the tower
1182 and to the transmission line cable shields.
1183 B.2.3 Bonding connections
1184 Bonding connections are made by means of exothermic welding or irreversible compression
1185 connectors or mechanical connectors.
1186 Exothermic welding is a method of making permanent welded electrical connections without external
1187 power, such as electricity or gas. It is an exothermic chemical reaction (exothermic means to release
1188 heat). The temperature of the molten metal created during the reaction is sufficient to fuse the metal
1189 of the conductors, resulting in a welded molecular bond. Exothermic welding can be used to produce
1190 welded connections of copper to copper and copper to steel. The advantage of exothermic
1191 connections over compression and mechanical connections is that exothermic connections produce a
1192 molecular bond with all the strands of the conductors, while compression or mechanical connectors
1193 do not. All underground connections are made following manufacturer recommendations with the
1194 exothermic welding process that use the proper mold and weld metal materials.
1195 An irreversible compression connection is made by using specific fittings and a high tonnage
1196 compression tool. These connections are considered maintenance free; however they are not used
1197 underground. When making an irreversible compression connection, all surfaces must be properly
1198 cleaned and the components properly sized for the conductors being bonded.
1199 Mechanical connections are only to be used above ground and in areas where it is impractical to use
1200 either an exothermic or irreversible high compression connection. When making an irreversible
1201 compression connection, all surfaces must be properly cleaned and the components tighten to the
1202 correct torque rating of the hardware. Additionally, the correct material is used so as not to form a
1203 galvanic couple.
1204 B.2.4 Grounding systems
1205 B.2.4.1 Type 1 sites
1206 Type 1 sites are considered non-critical to the operation of the telecommunications system.
36
SP-3-4351-RV2
1207 NOTE – The owner of the telecommunications equipment or the authority having
1208 jurisdiction (AHJ) determines whether or not the system is a Type 1 or Type 2
1209 system.
1210 Type 1 sites may not have a tower on the site, may be located in a commercial office or residence,
1211 and may not be part of a larger system. Type 1 sites should have a grounding system resistance of
1212 25 ohms or less, (NEC®; Article 250). If 25 ohms or less cannot be achieved with one grounding
1213 electrode, another ground electrode should be installed no closer than 1.8 m (6 ft) (see figure 22). It is
1214 recommended to install at least two grounding electrodes even if the 25 ohms objective is achieved
1215 with one. In the case of new construction the rebar in the foundation should be bonded to the
1216 grounding electrode system.
To Communication Site
Exothermic Welds or
Irreversible High Compression
Fittings
Not Less Than 1.8m (6ft)
Ground Rod
1217
1218 Figure 22 – Illustration of a parallel ground rod installation

1219 B.2.4.2 Type 2 sites
1220 Type 2 sites are considered critical to the operation of the telecommunications system.
1221 NOTE – The owner of the telecommunications equipment or the AHJ determines
1222 whether or not the system is a Type 1 or Type 2 system.
1223 Type 2 sites may have a tower on the site, may have a communications dispatch center, may have a
1224 base station/repeater site, and may be critical to public safety or on a military installation. Type 2 sites
1225 should have a grounding system resistance of 5 ohms or less.
1226 NOTE – Equal-potential bonding and grounding is the most important consideration
1227 when designing a grounding electrode system to protect against lightning events.
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1228 B.2.5 Tower grounding

1229 The tower grounding electrode system helps disperse lightning energy before it is able to enter the
1230 associated communications structure and its related equipment. See figure 21.
1231 There are several types of towers. Typical tower types include:
1232 a) Guyed metallic towers
1233 These are structures with upright support members (legs) mounted on a foundation or pier
1234 that require multiple anchors and down guys.
1235 b) Self-supporting metallic towers
1236 These are free-standing structures with upright support members (legs) mounted on a
1237 foundation or pier that need no other supporting elements.
1238 c) Wooden structures (poles)
1239 These are either free-standing or guyed structures either mounted on a foundation or partially
1240 buried.
1241 The tower ground ring consists of a bare solid tinned or un-tinned copper No. 2 AWG conductor or
1242 bare tinned or un-tinned copper conductor not smaller than No. 1/0 AWG that is buried to a depth at
1243 least 0.76 m (2.5 ft) or 152 mm (6 in) below the frost line, whichever is deeper. It should be installed
1244 at least 0.61 m (2 ft) away from the tower base or footing using at least two ground rods, 2.4 m (8 ft)
1245 minimum length and 16 mm (0.625 in) diameter, driven to a depth of not less than 3 m (10 ft) below
1246 the depth of the tower ground ring and attached to the ground ring using an exothermic weld. The
1247 ground rods should be made from copper, copper clad steel, stainless steel or galvanized steel and
1248 be Listed for the purpose. The ground rods should be located at opposite ends of the ground ring.
1249 The tower ground ring should bonded to the equipment building/cabinet ground ring in at least two
1250 points using the same size conductor and buried to the same depth as the tower and equipment
1251 building/cabinet ground ring. The tower’s support piers (concrete footings) should have the rebar
1252 electrically connected to the tower holding bolts.
1253 B.2.5.1 Guyed metallic towers
1254 The bottom plate of a guyed tower should be bonded to the tower ground ring using three equally
1255 spaced conductors, or each leg should be bonded to the tower grounding ring using a conductor of
1256 the same size as the tower ground ring (see figure 23). These conductors should be short and
1257 straight as practicable. The connections should be made exothermically unless specifically directed
1258 otherwise by the tower manufacturer.
38
SP-3-4351-RV2
Ground
Ring
Exothermic Welds
or Irreversible
High Compression
Concrete
Fittings
Ground
Rod
1259
1260 Figure 23 – Illustration of a guyed tower grounding example

1261 A ground rod should be installed at each anchor point and connected to each guy wire using
1262 materials that help prevent the formation of a galvanic couple (See figure 24).
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SP-3-4351-RV2
1263
1264 Figure 24 – Illustration of guy wire grounding

1265 B.2.5.2 Self-supporting metallic towers
1266 For towers not exceeding 1.5 m (5 ft) in base width (including monopoles), the tower ground ring
1267 should consist of at least two ground rods and grounding conductor sized and installed in accordance
1268 with section B.2.3.
1269 For towers equal to or exceeding 1.5 m (5 ft) in base width, the tower ground ring should consist of at
1270 least one ground rod per tower leg and a grounding conductor sized and installed in accordance with
1271 section B.2.3. Each tower leg should be connected to the tower ground ring using the same size
1272 conductor as the tower ground ring. These conductors should be installed to be as short and straight
1273 as practicable. The connections should be made exothermically unless specifically directed otherwise
1274 by the tower manufacturer.
1275 For monopole towers equal to or exceeding 1.5 m (5 ft) in base width, the tower ground ring should
1276 consist of at least four equally spaced ground rods and a grounding conductor sized and installed
1277 according to section B.2.3. There should be four equally spaced bonding conductors connected to the
1278 monopole tower and to the tower ground ring using the same size conductor as the tower ground
1279 ring. These conductors should be installed to be as short and straight as practicable. The connections
1280 should be made exothermically unless specifically directed otherwise by the tower manufacturer (see
1281 figure 25).
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SP-3-4351-RV2
Exothermic Welds
or Other Suitable
Means
Ground
Ring
Exothermic Welds Concrete

or Irreversible
High Compression
Fittings
Ground
Rod
1282
1283 Figure 25 – Illustration of a monopole tower grounding example

1284 B.2.5.3 Wooden structures (poles)
1285 Wooden poles should be installed using a No. 2 AWG or larger solid bare tinned or un-tinned copper
1286 vertical down conductor for its entire length. This down conductor should be connected to two ground
1287 rods or a grounding radial conductor using exothermic welding or other fittings that are Listed for that
1288 purpose. These ground rods and conductors should be sized and installed according to section B.2.3
1289 (see figure 26).
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SP-3-4351-RV2
Wooden Antenna
Pole
35mm2 CSA (#2AWG) or

Larger Bare Copper
Conductor Routed From
Opposite Side From
Transmission Line
Ground Transmission
Kits Line to Shelter
Grade
Ground
Rods
1290
1291 Figure 26 – Illustrative view of a wooden pole grounding example

1292 Common bonding and grounding principles used on separate building and tower sites should also
1293 apply in this case. In addition, the following should apply to this type of installation.
1294 a) Any electric power conduit should extend and terminate above any telephone attachment
1295 (cable, wire, or drop) at a point where the weatherhead is near the power circuit attachments
1296 or warning light.
1297 b) The conduit from the weatherhead to the power meter should be at least 6.1 m (20 ft) long.
1298 This aids the operation of the power arrester at the weatherhead (poles).
1299 B.2.6 Building/shelter and outdoor cabinet grounding
1300 All dedicated communications shelters and outdoor cabinets should have a properly installed external
1301 grounding electrode system that meet the ground resistance requirements listed in section B.2.2.1 or
1302 B.2.2.2 depending on what type of structure it is. Figure 27 illustrates an example of a cabinet
1303 grounding system.
1304 The building/shelter and outdoor cabinet should be encircled by a ground ring consisting of a bare
1305 solid tinned or un-tinned copper No. 2 AWG conductor or bare tinned or un-tinned copper conductor
1306 not smaller than No. 1/0 AWG buried to a depth at least 0.76 m (2.5 ft) or 152 mm (6 in) below the
1307 frost line, whichever is deeper. It should be installed at least 0.9 m (3 ft) away from the building.
1308 Ground rods, 2.4 m (8 ft) minimum length and 16 mm (0.625 in) diameter should be driven to a depth
1309 of not less than 3 m (10 ft) below the depth of the ground ring and attached using exothermic
1310 connections. These ground rods should be made of copper, copper clad steel, stainless steel or
1311 galvanized steel and be Listed for the purpose. There should be a minimum of four grounding rods
1312 located at each corner of the building/shelter or outdoor cabinet. The building/shelter and outdoor
1313 cabinet ground ring should be bonded to the tower ground ring in at least two points using the same
42
SP-3-4351-RV2
1314 size conductor and buried to the same depth as the tower and equipment building/cabinet ground
1315 ring. Also, the building’s foundation (concrete footings) should have the rebar electrically connected to
1316 the building ground ring.
Concrete-Encased
Electrode (Ufer Ground)
Ground
Ring
Exothermic Welds
or Irreversible
High Compression
Fittings
Ground
Rod
1317
1318 Figure 27 – Illustrative view of a cabinet grounding system

1319 B.2.7 Rooftop sites grounding system
1320 When the antenna support or tower is mounted on the roof of a building, a grounding system should
1321 be designed to:
1322 a) use regular lightning protection cables and hardware following the recommendations of
1323 ANSI/NFPA-780;
1324 b) place a wire ring (roof ring) around the antenna support or tower;
1325 c) connect the tower base footings to the:
1326 1) tower ground ring;
1327 2) waveguide, or coaxial, outer conductor;
1328 3) lighting alternating current (ac) branch circuit metallic conduit and green wire alternating
1329 current equipment ground (ACEG);
1330 4) lightning arrester ground.
1331 d) connect:
1332 1) antenna metal members to the tower or antenna support structure;
1333 2) antenna support structure to ring;
1334 3) lightning protection system perimeter wires;
1335 4) ring to any other metallic object on the roof within flashover range.
1336 NOTE – Coordinate the lightning protection system of the building and the grounding
1337 system for the tower.
43
SP-3-4351-RV2
1338 See figure 28, figure 29, and figure 30 for examples of rooftop site grounding systems.
1339 B.2.7.1 Down conductors
1340 A roof-mounted tower or antenna mast of any size should have at least two down conductors from
1341 opposite sides of the roof ground ring down the building wall to connect to either a buried ground ring
1342 around the building (preferred), or two or more rods.
1343 Additional down conductors should be used for each 30.5 m (100 ft) of building length.
1344 NOTE – These down conductors are in addition to the ones used in the lightning
1345 protection system.
1346 B.2.7.2 Roof conductors
1347 Roof conductors should be supported every 0.9 m (3 ft) using either no-nail paste-down cable
1348 fasteners, or pan-type base ridge cable supporters.
1349
1350
1351 Figure 28 – Illustrative rooftop tower example

1352
44
SP-3-4351-RV2
Transmission
Line Ground Kit
Antenna
35mm2 CSA
(#2AWG) or Larger Antenna Support Structure
Bare Copper
Conductors
Electrical Service
Ground Rods
1353
1354 Figure 29 – Illustrative view of roof-mounted antenna mast grounding with a supplemental
1355 grounding electrode system
1356
45
SP-3-4351-RV2
Antenna
Antenna Mount
35mm2 CSA (#2AWG)

or Larger Bare Copper
Transmission Line Ground Kit
Conductors
EGB
Electrical
Service
Ground Rods
508mm (2 in.) Strap
(Recommended)
35mm2 CSA (#2AWG)
Minimum
1357
1358 Figure 30 – Illustrative view of side-mounted antenna grounding using copper strap down
1359 conductor
1360 B.2.8 Transmission line grounding at antenna locations
1361 Antennas can be mounted on wood or metal supports. In some cases, the antenna support structures
1362 (towers) are mounted on the roof of a building. Mounting towers or antennas on a roof could damage
1363 the structural integrity of the building and/or void the warranty of the roof.
1364 Occasionally, the antenna might be mounted on the side wall of a building or on a parapet wall using
1365 special braces or supports.
1366 The presence of an antenna and its supporting structure on the roof of a building is not expected to
1367 significantly increase the probability of lightning striking the building. However, if lightning does strike,
1368 the antenna and its supporting tower may be the focal point of the strike.
1369 Where antenna cables enter a building, the point of entry should be treated as an entrance facility.
1370 Where an entrance facility is located at the roof, a TGB should be provided.
1371 Waveguide and coaxial cable shields should be bonded to the tower at the top and bottom of the
1372 tower. If the tower is greater than 60.1 m (200 ft) in height, the waveguide or coax shield should also
1373 be bonded at the tower midpoint or every 15.2 m (50 ft).
1374 Where the waveguide or coaxial cable enters the building, the waveguide or coaxial shield should be
1375 bonded to the building’s external grounding electrode system with a No. 2 AWG conductor. Once
1376 inside the building, the waveguide or coaxial cable shield should be bonded to the building’s interior
1377 grounding electrode system, using a No. 2 AWG conductor, as close as practicable to the entrance.
1378 If there is a metallic waveguide or coaxial cable entrance plate, the entrance plate should be bonded
1379 to both the exterior and interior grounding system with a No. 2 AWG conductor. The waveguide or
46
SP-3-4351-RV2
1380 coaxial cable shield should be bonded to the metallic entrance plate on both the outside and inside of
1381 the building with a No. 2 AWG conductor.
1382 The coaxial cable should be protected by a lightning surge arrester, which is bonded to the exterior
1383 grounding electrode system with the proper size grounding conductor specified by the manufacturer.
1384 If the tower is lighted, the conduit for the lighting power conductors should be bonded to ground as
1385 described for waveguide and coaxial cable shields.
1386 B.2.9 Ancillary objects requiring bonding and grounding
1387 B.2.9.1 Fence grounding
1388 If there is a metal fence within 1.8 m (6 ft) of the building, the building ground ring should be bonded
1389 to the fence with a No. 2 AWG solid bare copper conductor. Similar rules apply for bonding a
1390 monopole or satellite-mounting ground ring to the equipment building ground ring or fence (see figure
1391 31, figure 32, and figure 33).
1392
1393
1394 Figure 31 – Illustration of a fence bonding example
47
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1395
1396 Figure 32 – Illustrative view of a fence fabric and deterrent wiring bonding example
1397 B.2.9.2 Generators
1398 Generators installed outside and within 1.8 m (6 ft) of the structure shall be bonded to the nearest
1399 point on the building's grounding electrode system using a No. 6 AWG copper conductor, see figure
1400 33. If this conductor is placed underground the minimum conductor size shall be No. 2 AWG or larger.
1401 Generators installed more than 1.8 m (6 ft) away from the structure shall have a ground rod driven
1402 near the generator and bonded to the generator and to the building's grounding electrode system
1403 using a No. 2 AWG or larger bare, solid, tinned or un-tinned copper conductor.
48
SP-3-4351-RV2
Additional Ground Rod
Generator Less Than 1.8m Generator More Than 1.8m

(6 ft.) From Building (6 ft.) From Building
1404
1405 Figure 33 – Illustrative view of a generator grounding example

1406 B.2.9.3 Satellite dishes
1407 Satellite dish mountings should have a grounding electrode system consisting of a ground ring and
1408 ground rods. The metallic frame supporting a satellite dish should be bonded to the ground ring with a
1409 No. 2 AWG conductor, which should be as short and straight as practicable.
1410 B.2.10 Internal bonding and grounding
1411 B.2.10.1 Components
1412 B.2.10.2 Installation requirements
1413 Radio equipment buildings with nonmetallic walls should have an interior ground ring consisting of a
1414 No. 2 AWG conductor mounted, with nonmetallic connections, to the interior wall within 0.3 m (1 ft) of
1415 the ceiling.
1416 Radio equipment buildings with metallic walls should have an interior ground ring consisting of a
1417 No. 2 AWG conductor mounted directly to the interior wall within 0.3 m (1 ft) of the ceiling.
1418 B.2.10.3 Bonding to the external ground electrode system
1419 The interior ground ring should be bonded to the exterior ground ring with No. 2 AWG conductor,
1420 routed as straight as practicable, using exothermic connections or Listed connectors.
49
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1421 ANNEX C (INFORMATIVE) TELECOMMUNICATIONS ELECTRICAL PROTECTION

1423 Telecommunications circuit protectors are used in telecommunications facilities to mitigate voltage
1424 and current transients. There are three basic types of telecommunications circuit protectors:
1425 1) primary protectors;
1426 2) secondary protectors; and,
1427 3) data and fire alarm protectors.
1428 Telecommunications network plant is often subject to electrical disturbances arising from lightning
1429 and commercial alternating current (ac) power line disturbances. To help safeguard persons and
1430 property from the effects of these disturbances, primary telecommunications electrical protection is
1431 placed at the telecommunications entrance to the building or structure by the network
1432 telecommunications utility access provider. The National Electrical Code (NEC®) specifies the
1433 minimum primary protection requirements, and states that “the primary protector shall be located in,
1434 on or immediately adjacent to the structure or building served and as close as practicable to the point
1435 at which the exposed conductors enter or attach.” The network telecommunications utilities, in
1436 addition to conforming to the NEC® requirements, also provide primary telecommunications electrical
1437 protection where they deem their network plant potentially exposed to lightning or commercial ac
1438 power disturbances. An exception to this may be in urban areas where tall, steel-framed buildings
1439 may provide shielding from lightning, the large mass of underground metallic structures dissipates
1440 lightning energy, and power conductors are placed underground in conduit separate from
1441 telecommunications conductors. In such areas, primary telecommunications electrical protection is
1442 generally not necessary as there may be limited lightning or power exposure.
1443 A critical consideration when placing the primary protector is the length of the primary protector
1444 grounding conductor. The primary protector grounding conductor provides the grounding path
1445 between the primary protector ground terminal and the building or structure power grounding
1446 electrode system. During a lightning event to the network telecommunications plant, substantial
1447 voltages can be developed in the primary protector grounding conductor. The magnitude of the
1448 voltage is dependent both on the waveshape of the disturbance and the impedance of the grounding
1449 conductor which is directly proportional to conductor length. For this reason, network
1450 telecommunications utility practices recommend:
1451 1) locating the telecommunications entrance as close as practicable to the power entrance
1452 to minimize the length of the primary protector grounding conductor. The NEC®
1453 emphasizes this by requiring a means for intersystem bonding between power and other
1454 systems, such as telecommunications systems.
1455 2) placing the primary protector to allow for the shortest and most direct routing of the
1456 primary protector grounding conductor.
1457 While the telecommunications network is only one means by which lightning voltages can be
1458 introduced into a building or structure (power phase conductors, the power neutral conductor, and a
1459 strike to the building itself are others), consideration should also be given to providing surge
1460 protection devices at the electrical entrance and direct strike lightning protection to the facility. The
1461 requirements for and the need to provide this broader protection is contained in ANSI/NFPA-780.
1462 Maximum effort should be made to keep the primary protector grounding conductor as short as
1463 possible. This may be accomplished by locating the primary protector in close proximity to the power
1464 service entrance at the building or structure. In addition to the primary protector grounding conductor,
1465 the overall conductor path between the primary protector and the power service ground should be
1466 kept as short as possible. This path may include the bonding conductor for telecommunications (BCT)
1467 as illustrated in figure 2 and figure 3 of this Standard. The length of the BCT may be minimized by
1468 locating the telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB) as close as practicable to the
1469 electrical entrance facility.
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SP-3-4351-RV2
1470 Requirements for telecommunications electrical protection, bonding and grounding at building or
1471 structure entrances are contained in the NEC®, Chapter 8. Additional detailed electrical protection,
1472 bonding and grounding considerations and criteria are contained in ANSI/T1.318. The reader is
1473 directed to these documents for guidance regarding the primary protector, and the placement,
1474 routing, and length of the primary protector grounding conductor.
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1475 ANNEX D (INFORMATIVE) ELECTRICAL PROTECTION FOR OPERATOR-TYPE EQUIPMENT

1476 POSITIONS

1478 High technology devices are increasingly being implemented at the equipment outlet (EO), including
1479 one or more computers, phones, printers, etc. In communications-intensive operations, personnel
1480 may wear voice headsets connected to headset interface equipment in addition to the typical EO
1481 devices.
1482 At these locations, personnel use a variety of electronic equipment including a headset, headset
1483 interface equipment, other electronic equipment such as a computer keyboard and video display
1484 terminal, and the work station furniture. Frequently, workstations are arranged in clusters consisting
1485 of several positions. These positions are typically used at reservation bureaus, telemarketing
1486 agencies, and such.
1487 Operator-type equipment positions (workstations) should be bonded to ground in accordance with
1488 ANSI/T1.321.
1489 Electrical disturbances may appear at operator-type equipment positions arising either from
1490 electrostatic discharge (ESD), or from sources that are internal or external to the building such as
1491 lightning or alternating current (ac) power disturbances.
1492 ANSI/T1.321 covers new installations of network operator-type equipment positions in which
1493 personnel are required to access a computer terminal keyboard while continually wearing a headset.
1494 This standard presents measures that are intended to help to control ESD in the network operator-
1495 type environment. ANSI/T1.321 also presents additional measures that are intended to help minimize
1496 the effects of lightning, surges from commercial alternating current (ac) power lines, and power
1497 switching operations, both at the facility (building) level and at the network operator-type equipment
1498 position. These measures provide for equipotential bonding and grounding at the telecommunications
1499 entrance facility (TEF) and the power entrance facility, as well as for equipotential bonding and
1500 grounding, where necessary, and electrical protection at the network operator-type equipment
1501 positions. Although ANSI/T1.321 deals specifically with network locations, the measures outlined in
1502 the standard are applicable to non-network installations, as well as at existing installations.
1503 The electrical protection measures included in ANSI/T1.321 are intended to minimize potential
1504 differences at the network operator-type equipment position (work station) but are not intended to
1505 guarantee against damage or injury that may result from ESD or other similar occurrences. Refer to
1506 figure 34.
1507 General electrical safety and protection requirements that may be applied to work areas are
1508 contained in the NEC®.
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ACEG provided in
supply cords.
branch circuit outlet box
Video
Electrical External surge
closet protective device
Processor/
Telecommunications controller
Room
Headset
Equipment interface
Position bonding
TGB terminal
External
secondary
Telecommunications protector unit
Room Bond to
furniture
TBB
Bond to
building steel
Electrical
service Telecommunications
entrance entrance facility
TC equipment
TMGB
Bonding conductor
for telecommunications
Metal Frame of Building

1509
1510 Figure 34 – Electrical protection for operator-type equipment positions

1511
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1512 ANNEX E (INFORMATIVE) CROSS REFERENCE OF TERMS
Preferred terms Other industry terms

used in this Standard
Building Principal Ground (BPG)
CO GRD Bus
COG
Facility Ground
Main Earthing Terminal (MET)
Telecommunications Main Grounding
Master Ground Bar (MGB)
Busbar (TMGB)
OPGPB
PGP Bus
Principal Ground Point (PGP)
Reference Point 0 (RP0)
Zero Potential Reference Point)
Extended Reference Point 0 (Extended RP0)
Telecommunications Grounding
Floor Ground Bar (FGB)
Busbar (TGB)
Approved Floor Ground
Equalizer
Equalizing Conductor
Telecommunications Bonding
Grounding Equalizer (GE)
Backbone (TBB)
Vertical Equalizer
Vertical Ground Riser
Horizontal Equalizer
Grounding Equalizer (GE)
1514
54
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1515 ANNEX F (INFORMATIVE) REFERENCES

1517 The following is a list of some generally applicable basic standards and guides that are relevant to the
1518 requirements of this Standard. Other American National Standards also may be relevant.
1519 • ANSI/IEEE 1100, Recommended Practice for Power and Grounding Sensitive Electronic
1520 Equipment in Industrial and Commercial Power Systems (also known as IEEE Emerald
1521 Book), Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
1522 • ANSI/T1.313, Electrical Protection for Telecommunications Central Offices and Similar Type
1523 Facilities
1524 • ANSI/T1.318, Electrical Protection Applied to Telecommunications Network Plant at
1525 Entrances to Customer Structures or Buildings
1526 • ANSI/T1.321, Telecommunications – Electrical Protection For Network Operator-Type
1527 Equipment Positions
1528 • ANSI/T1.334, Electrical Protection Of Communications Towers And Associated Structures
1529 • MIL-HDBK-419A, Grounding, Bonding, And Shielding For Electronic Equipments And
1530 Facilities Basic Theory
1531 • MIL-STD-188-124B, Grounding, Bonding And Shielding
1532 • The National Communications System (NCS), Technical Information Bulletin (TIB) 92.15,
1533 Bonding and grounding for Commercial and Government Buildings Conforming to
1534 Telecommunications Infrastructure Standards - A Background Report.
1535 • International Special Committee on Radio Interference (CISPR) Publication 22.
1536
1537 The organizations listed below can be contacted to obtain reference information.
1538 ANSI
1539 American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
1540 11 W 42 St.
1541 New York, NY 10032
1542 USA
1543 (212) 642-4900
1544 www.ansi.org
1545
1546 ATIS
1547 Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS)
1548 1200 G Street, NW
1549 Suite 500
1550 Washington, DC 20005
1551 USA
1552 (202) 628-6380
1553 www.atis.org
1554
55
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1555 EIA
1556 Electronic Industry Alliance (EIA)
1557 2500 Wilson Blvd., Suite 400
1558 Arlington, VA 22201
1559 USA
1560 (703) 907-7500
1561 www.eiaonline.org
1562
1563 IEEE
1564 The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc (IEEE)
1565 IEEE Service Center
1566 445 Hoes Ln., PO Box 1331
1567 Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331
1568 USA
1569 (732) 981-0060
1570 www.ieee.org
1571
1572 Motorola
1573 1301 E. Algonquin Rd.
1574 Schaumburg, IL 60196
1575 (800) 422-4210
1576 www.motorola.com
1577
1578 NFPA
1579 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
1580 Batterymarch Park
1581 Quincy, MA 02269-9101
1582 USA
1583 (617) 770-3000
1584 www.nfpa.org
1585
1586 TIA
1587 Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
1588 2500 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300
1589 Arlington, VA 22201-3836
1590 USA
1591 (703) 907-7700
1592 www.tiaonline.org
1593
56

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NOTICE OF DISCLAIMER AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE DISCLAIMED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION,

Generic Telecommunications Bonding and Grounding (Earthing) for Customer Premises

OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE FOREGOING NEGATION OF DAMAGES IS A

1 Generic Telecommunications Bonding and Grounding (Earthing) for Customer Premises

51 7.4 Conductors..................................................................................................................................... 20

105 B.2.10.2 Installation requirements ............................................................................................................49

177 Relationship to other TIA standards and documents

Common Premises Component

197 Figure 1 – Relationship between TIA cabling standards

199 The following documents may be useful to the reader:

243 Specification of criteria

263 2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES

286 3.1 General

289 3.2 Definition of terms

414 3.3 Abbreviations and acronyms

451 TEF telecommunications entrance facility

456 3.4 Units of measure

466 4.1 National requirements

469 4.2 Local code requirements

476 5 OVERVIEW OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS BONDING AND GROUNDING SYSTEMS

477 5.1 General

499 5.2 Overview of the telecommunications bonding and grounding infrastructure

513 Figure 2 – Illustrative example of a large building

516 Figure 3 – Illustrative example of a smaller building

535 6 TELECOMMUNICATIONS BONDING AND GROUNDING COMPONENTS

536 6.1 General

540 6.2 Busbars

551 Figure 4 – Typical TMGB

562 Figure 5 – Typical TGB

563 6.3 Conductors

571 Table 1 – Sizing of the TBB

577 6.4 Connectors

584 6.5 Identification

587 6.5.2 Labels

590 Figure 6 – Label for bonding and grounding conductors

592 7 DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

593 7.1 General

689 7.2 Telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB)

736 7.3 Telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB)

771 7.4 Conductors

782 Figure 8 – Bonding to the service equipment (power) ground

817 e) be Listed as suitable for grounding applications;

839 Figure 9 – Example TEBC to rack bonding conductor connection

845 Figure 10 – Example of a TEBC routed on cable tray

857 7.5 Bonding equipment cabinets/equipment racks to the TEBC

865 Figure 11 – Illustration of connection point to a rack from a TEBC

866 7.6 Structural bonding of equipment cabinets/equipment racks

888 7.7 Supplementary bonding networks

918 7.7.1 Mesh-BN

971 Figure 14 – A mesh-IBN having a single point of connection

990 7.8 Administration

995 8 PERFORMANCE AND TEST REQUIREMENTS

996 8.1 Two-point ground/continuity testing

1026 ANNEX A (INFORMATIVE) GROUNDING ELECTRODES

1027 This annex is informative and is not part of this Standard.

1042 Figure 15 – Illustrative views of typical ground rods

BREATHER HOLES 35 mm² csa (#2 AWG)

1059 Figure 16 – Illustrations of a vertical and horizontal electrolytic ground rod

1083 Figure 17 – Illustrative view of a concrete-encased electrode

1108 Figure 18 – Illustrative view of a ground radial electrode

1119 Figure 19 – Illustrative example of ground enhancement materials surrounding a grounding

1137 Figure 20 – Radius bend illustration

1139 ANNEX B (INFORMATIVE) TOWERS AND ANTENNAS