EN 50310:2010

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-januar-2011
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SIST EN 50310:2006
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Application of equipotential bonding and earthing in buildings with information technology
equipment
Anwendung von Maßnahmen für Erdung und Potentialausgleich in Gebäuden mit
Einrichtungen der Informationstechnik
Application de liaison équipotentielle et de la mise à la terre dans les locaux avec
équipement de technologie de l'information
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 50310:2010
ICS:
35.020 Informacijska tehnika in Information technology (IT) in
tehnologija na splošno general
91.140.50 Sistemi za oskrbo z elektriko Electricity supply systems
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD
EN 50310
NORME EUROPÉENNE
October 2010
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 29.120.50; 91.140.50 Supersedes EN 50310:2006

English version
Application of equipotential bonding and earthing in buildings with
information technology equipment

Application de liaison équipotentielle et de Anwendung von Maßnahmen für Erdung
la mise à la terre dans les locaux avec und Potentialausgleich in Gebäuden mit
équipement de technologie de Einrichtungen der Informationstechnik
l'information
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2010-10-01. CENELEC members are bound to comply
with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard
the status of a national standard without any alteration.

Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on
application to the Central Secretariat or to any CENELEC member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified
to the Central Secretariat has the same status as the official versions.

CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus,
the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

CENELEC
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung

Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B - 1000 Brussels

© 2010 CENELEC - All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC members.
Ref. No. EN 50310:2010 E
Foreword
This European Standard was prepared by the Technical Committee CENELEC TC 215,
Electrotechnical aspects of telecommunication equipment. The text of the draft was submitted to the
formal vote and was approved by CENELEC as EN 50310 on 2010-10-01.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN and CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent
rights.
The following dates were fixed:
– latest date by which the EN has to be implemented

at national level by publication of an identical

national standard or by endorsement
(dop) 2011-10-01
– latest date by which the national standards conflicting

with the EN have to be withdrawn
(dow) 2013-10-01
This European Standard supersedes EN 50310:2006.
In the course of the revision of EN 50310:2006, some elements from EN 50174-2:2000 have been
moved to this European Standard for reasons of clarity.
This European Standard has been produced within the framework of the following considerations.
a) With the ongoing growth of the liberalised telecommunication market, the increasing advent of
private telecommunication network operators, and the flourishing use of networking computers,
the amount of Information Technology equipment installed in buildings and the complexity of
these Information Technology installations are permanently growing.
b) Information Technology equipment is generally installed either as stand-alone equipment (e.g.
personal or network computers, small PBXs), or held in racks, cabinets or other mechanical
structures (e.g. switching systems, transmission systems, mobile base stations).
c) CENELEC/SC 64B „Electrical installations and protection against electric shock – Protection
against thermal effects“ had decided during their meeting in November 1997 not to harmonize
IEC 60364-5-548:1996 “Electrical installations of buildings – Part 5: Selection and erection of
electrical equipment – Section 548: Earthing arrangements and equipotential bonding for
information technology installations”.
d) This European Standard shall give guidance to network operators, equipment providers and
building owners to agree on a standardised bonding configuration that facilitates
– compliance of the Information Technology Equipment installation with functional
requirements including Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) aspects of emission and
immunity,
– compatible building installation and equipment provisions,
– installation of new equipment in buildings as well as expansion or replacement of
installations in existing buildings with equipment coming from different suppliers,
– a structured installation practice,
– simple maintenance rules,
– contracting on a common basis,
– harmonisation in development, manufacturing, installation and operation.

– 3 – EN 50310:2010
Contents
Introduction . 5
1 Scope and conformance . 8
1.1 Scope . 8
1.2 Conformance . 8
2 Normative references . 9
3 Terms, definitions, abbreviations and symbols . 9
3.1 Terms and definitions . 9
3.2 Abbreviations .11
3.3 Symbols .11
4 General requirements .12
4.1 Co-ordination .12
4.2 Safety from electrical hazards .12
4.3 Segregation between information technology cabling and power supply cabling .12
4.4 Main earthing terminal (MET) .12
4.5 Signal reference .12
5 Application of earthing networks .12
5.1 General .12
5.2 Requirements and recommendations .13
5.3 Hierarchy of earthing network performance .13
6 Earthing networks.17
6.1 General .17
6.2 Star earthing networks .20
6.3 Ring earthing networks .21
6.4 Local mesh earthing networks .21
6.5 Meshed earthing networks .23
6.6 SRPP .25
7 Bonding .25
7.1 Equipotential bonding conductors .25
7.2 System Reference Potential Plane (SRPP) .28
7.3 Corrosion .30
8 DC power distribution systems .30
8.1 DC distribution system of secondary supply .30
8.2 DC distribution system of tertiary supply .31
9 Power supply distribution systems .32
Annex A (informative) Rationale about common bonding network (CBN) co-ordination .33
Annex B (informative) Rationale for the integration of DC distribution systems into the
merging of common bonding network (CBN) and meshed bonding network (MESH-BN) .34
Bibliography .35

Figures
Figure 1 – Schematic relationship between EN 50310 and other relevant standards . 6
Figure 2 – Examples of earthing networks .15
Figure 3 – Examples of area-specific earthing networks within premises .16
Figure 4 – Example of a simple common bonding network (CBN) configuration (installation of
network termination) .17
Figure 5 – Example of a common bonding network (CBN) configuration for an information
technology installation inside a building .18
Figure 6 – Example of an improved bonding network (CBN/MESH-BN) installation inside a building .19
Figure 7 – Example of high common impedance and large loop .20
Figure 8 – Example of low common impedance and small loop .21
Figure 9 – Local mesh earthing network .22
Figure 10 – Mesh earthing network (multi-floor).24
Figure 11 – Mesh-BN example .26
Figure 12 – Example of bonding straps .27
Figure 13 – Example of raised floor .29
Figure 14 – Example of installation details for an under floor transient suppression plate .29

Tables
Table 1 – Contextual relationship between EN 50310 and other relevant standards . 7
Table 2 – Survey of DC electricity distribution system configurations with respect to EMC .31
Table 3 – Survey of AC electricity distribution system configurations with respect to EMC .32

– 5 – EN 50310:2010
Introduction
This European Standard specifies requirements and recommendations for connections (bonds) to
earthing networks in buildings in which information technology (IT) equipment is intended to be
installed in order to:
a) minimise the risk to that equipment and interconnecting cabling from electrical hazards,
b) provide the information technology installation with:
– a reliable signal reference;
– adequate immunity from electromagnetic interference carried by the earthing network.
Different minimum requirements are specified depending on the intended use of the building with
regard to information technology.
The requirements of this European Standard are applicable when information technology cabling
installations are planned (including, for example, during the refurbishment of buildings).
This document is intended for:
1) building architects, owners and managers;
2) designers and installers of electrical and information technology cabling installations.
Figure 1 and Table 1 show the schematic and contextual relationships between the standards
produced by TC 215 for information technology cabling, namely:
• installation specification, quality assurance, planning and installation
...