Earthing – Material Selection, Life and Corrosion

(Ref: IS 3043, IS/IEC 62305-3, IEC 62561-2 & IEC 60364-5-54)

An ideal earthing system especially the earth electrodes From the chart it is clear that Copper surface is cathodic in
shall offer long life almost equal to the life of a building or nature, where as GI is anodic. GI dissolves (or corrodes
at least 30 to 40 years. But often the system degrades and and disappear) after some time if it is in contact with
need maintenance, replacement or improvement. In copper. Steel inside concrete foundation is also cathodic
general maintenance of earthing is a difficult task for the like copper. Hence corrosion of GI happen due to steel in
engineer especially in an industrial and commercial foundation. Galvanic corrosion is one of the main reason
installation. In most of the cases corrosion is the main for deterioration of GI earth electrodes reducing the life,
reason for deterioration of earthing system. which need frequent maintenance or replacement.

IS 3043-Code practice of earthing explains: The possibility The corrosion due to electrolytic action is well know for
on damage to cables and other underground services and decades. Often sacrificial anodes are installed to protect
structural metalwork in the vicinity of earth-electrode due buried steel electrodes.
to electrolytic action between dissimilar materials should
not be overlooked when the material for earth-electrodes IS/IEC 62305 further explains: The behavior of a
is selected. Materials compatible with other metal galvanized layer on steel in concrete is very complicated,
structures in the vicinity should be selected or other particularly in concrete with chlorides, the zinc will
remedial action taken corrode quickly on contact with the reinforcement, and
can under certain conditions cause damage to the
IS 62305 – 3 elaborates the subject as: It should also be concrete. Galvanized steel should therefore not be used in
remembered that reinforcing steel rods in concrete coastal areas and where there may be salt in the ground
generate the same magnitude of galvanic potential as water. As the use of galvanized steel in concrete requires
copper conductors in soil. A further problem arises from evaluation of many external factors this material should
electrochemical corrosion due to galvanic currents. be used only after careful analysis.
Therefore, when steel in concrete is connected to steel in
soil, a driving galvanic voltage of approximately 1 V New generation International standards recommend to
causes a corrosion current to flow through the soil and the use an isolation device such as a spark gap to connect GI
wet concrete dissolve steel in soil. Earth electrodes in soil earth electrodes with other metals and foundation to
should use copper, copper coated steel or stainless steel avoid galvanic corrosion. How ever the use of such spark
conductors where these are connected to steel in concrete. gap devices will isolate the GI electrode and increases the
effective Earth resistance.
Earth electrodes in a large building consists of vertical and
horizontal conductors interconnected, foundation steel, Further evaluation of the explanations in Indian standards
buried pipes etc. It is a common practice in India to use such as IS 3043 as well as IS/IEC 62305 provide the
Copper for some application (eg transformer neutral) and following conclusions
GI for other (eg transformer body). Often these electrodes
are interconnected. Due to the awareness of bimetallic • Use of GI in concrete need careful analysis. Don’t use
corrosion the interconnections are made with BI-Metals. GI in concrete in place where salt water is present in
But the corrosion due to galvanic effect is never soil. Zinc coating in GI can damage concrete.
considered or neglected due to un awareness • GI in soil will corrode due to steel inside concrete
• GI in soil will corrode if material of copper surface is
Corrosion is an electrochemical process in which one used together
metal corrodes preferentially to another when both • Copper, SS or copper coated steel are recommended
metals are in electrical contact, in the presence of an by IS/IEC 62305 to avoid galvanic corrosion and for
electrolyte. long life

Metals and alloys have different electrode potentials, and Out of these 3 recommended materials, copper is
when two or more come into contact in an electrolyte, expensive but its strength is less compared to steel, SS is
one metal acts as anode and the other as cathode. The less expensive than copper, but it is very difficult to work
electro potential difference between the dissimilar metals due to high tensile strength. Copper coated material is
is the driving force for an accelerated attack on the anode cheaper compared to copper and SS. Copper coated steel
member of the galvanic couple. The anode metal is stronger than copper and its corrosion resistance is
dissolves into the electrolyte, and deposit collects on the almost equal to copper. This is the reason copper coated
cathodic metal. materials are widely accepted now a days in the industry.

Conclusion:
Electro Potential of metals (Anodic Index)
as per DIN VDE 0151 / 06.86 GI (Galvanised steel) earth electrode both in soil as well
as in concrete corrodes due to galvanic effect, hence the
Copper, solid or plated 0.0 to - 0.1 V
life is limited and it need maintenance.
Steel in concrete - 0.1 to - 0.4 V
Copper Coated Steel is used as earth electrode for long
Hot-dip, galvanized steel (GI) - 0.9 to - 1.1 V life & maintenance free installation

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