IEC 60364-5-54

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2006
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Electrical installations of buildings - Part 5-54: Selection and erection of electrical
equipment - Earthing arrangements, protective conductors and protective bonding
conductors
Installations électriques des bâtiments - Partie 5-54: Choix et mise en oeuvre des
matériels électriques - Mises à la terre,  conducteurs de protection et conducteurs
d'équipotentialité de protection
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: IEC 60364-5-54
ICS:
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.

INTERNATIONAL IEC
STANDARD
60364-5-54
Second edition
2002-06
BASIC SAFETY PUBLICATION
Electrical installations of buildings –
Part 5-54:
Selection and erection of electrical equipment –
Earthing arrangements, protective conductors
and protective bonding conductors
 IEC 2002 Copyright - all rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from the publisher.
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International Electrotechnical Commission
Международная Электротехническая Комиссия
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60364-5-54 © IEC:2002 – 3 –
CONTENTS
FOREWORD.5
INTRODUCTION.9
541 General.11
541.1 Scope .11
541.2 Normative references .11
541.3 Definitions .13
542 Earthing arrangements.15
542.1 General requirements.15
542.2 Earth electrodes .15
542.3 Earthing conductors .19
542.4 Main earthing terminal .21
543 Protective conductors.21
543.1 Minimum cross-sectional areas.21
543.2 Types of protective conductors .25
543.3 Electrical continuity of protective conductors.27
543.4 PEN conductors .27
543.6Arrangement of protective conductors.29
543.7Reinforced protective conductors for protective conductor currents
exceeding 10 mA.29
544 Protective bonding conductors (equipotential bonding conductors).29
544.1 Protective bonding conductors for the connection to the main earthing
terminal.29
544.2 Protective bonding conductors for supplementary bonding .29
Annex A (normative) Method for deriving the factor k in 543.1.2 (see also IEC 60724
and IEC 60949).31
Annex B (informative) Illustration of earthing arrangements, protective conductors and
protective bonding conductors .37
Bibliography .41
Table 54.1 – Minimum size requirements for earth electrodes of commonly used
material from the point of view of corrosion and mechanical strength where embedded
in the soil for commonly used material.17
Table 54.2 – Minimum cross-sectional areas of earthing conductors buried in the soil.19
Table 54.3 – Minimum cross-sectional area of protective conductors .23
Table A.54.1 – Value of the parameters for different materials .31
Table A.54.2 – Values of k for insulated protective conductors not incorporated in cables,
and not bunched with other cables .33
Table A.54.3 – Values of k for bare protective conductors in contact with cable covering
but not bunched with other cables .33
Table A.54.4 – Values of k for protective conductors as a core incorporated in a cable, or
bunched with other cables or insulated conductors .33
Table A.54.5 – Values of k for protective conductors as a metallic layer of a cable
e.g. armour, metallic sheath, concentric conductor, etc.35
Table A.54.6 – Value of k for bare conductors where there is no risk of damage to any
neighbouring material by the temperature indicated .35

60364-5-54 © IEC:2002 – 5 –
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
___________
ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS OF BUILDINGS –
Part 5-54: Selection and erection of electrical equipment –
Earthing arrangements, protective conductors
and protective bonding conductors
FOREWORD
1) The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of the IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, the IEC publishes International Standards. Their preparation is
entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with may
participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. The IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization
for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two
organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of the IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an
international consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation
from all interested National Committees.
3) The documents produced have the form of recommendations for international use and are published in the form
of standards, technical specifications, technical reports or guides and they are accepted by the National
Committees in that sense.
4) In order to promote international unification, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC International
Standards transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional standards. Any
divergence between the IEC Standard and the corresponding national or regional standard shall be clearly
indicated in the latter.
5) The IEC provides no marking procedure to indicate its approval and cannot be rendered responsible for any
equipment declared to be in conformity with one of its standards.
6) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this International Standard may be the subject
of patent rights. The IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
protection against electric shock.
This second edition replaces the first edition, published in 1980, its amendment 1 (1982), as
well as some clauses of IEC 60364-5-548, published in 1996, and its amendment (1998), and
constitutes a technical revision.
The text of this standard is based on the following documents:
FDIS Report on voting
64/1231/FDIS 64/1249/RVD
Full information on the voting for the approval of this standard can be found in the report on
voting indicated in the above table.
It has the status of a basic safety publication in accordance with IEC Guide 104.
This publication has been drafted, as close as possible, in accordance with the ISO/IEC
Directives, Part 3.
Annex A forms an integral part of this standard.
Annex B is for information only.

60364-5-54 © IEC:2002 – 7 –
The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged until
2007. At this date, the publication will be
• reconfirmed;
• withdrawn;
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
60364-5-54 © IEC:2002 – 9 –
INTRODUCTION
Clause numbering is sequential, preceded by the number of this part (e.g. 541). Numbering of
figures and tables takes the number of this part followed by a sequential number, i.e. Table
54.1, 54.2, etc. Numbering of figures and tables in annexes takes the letter of the annex,
followed by the number of the part, followed by a sequential number, e.g. A.54.1, A.54.2, etc.

60364-5-54 © IEC:2002 – 11 –
ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS OF BUILDINGS –
Part 5-54: Selection and erection of electrical equipment –
Earthing arrangements, protective conductors
and protective bonding conductors
541 General
541.1 Scope
This part of IEC 60364 addresses the earthing arrangements, protective conductors and
protective bonding conductors in order to satisfy the safety of the electrical installation.
541.2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For
dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of
the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
IEC 60050(195), International Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV) – Part 195: Earthing and
protection against electric shock
IEC 60287-1-1, Electric cables – Calculation of the current rating – Part 1-1: Current rating
equations (100 % load factor) and calculation of losses – General
IEC 60364-4-41, Electrical installations of buildings – Part 4-41: Protection for safety –
Protection against electric shock
IEC 60364-4-43, Electrical installations of buildings – Part 4-43: Protection for safety –
Protection against overcurrent
IEC 60364-4-44, Electrical installations of buildings – Part 4-44: Protection for safety –
Protection against voltage disturbances and electromagnetic disturbances
IEC 60364-5-52, Electrical installations of buildings – Part 5-52: Selection and erection of
electrical equipment – Wiring systems
IEC 60724, Short-circuit temperature limits of electric cables with rated voltages of 1 kV (U =
m
1,2 kV) and 3 kV (U = 3,6 kV)
m
IEC 60853-2, Calculation of the cyclic and emergency current rating of cables – Part 2: Cyclic
rating of cables greater than 18/30 (36) kV and emergency ratings for cables of all voltages
IEC 60909-0, Short-circuit currents in three-phase a.c. systems – Part 0: Calculation of
currents
IEC 60949, Calculation of thermally permissible short-circuit currents, taking into account non-
adiabatic heating effects
60364-5-54 © IEC:2002 – 13 –
IEC 61024-1, Protection of structures against lightning – Part 1: General principles
IEC 61140, Protection against electric shock – Common aspects for installation and equipment
IEC Guide 104, The preparation of safety publications and the use of basic safety publications
and group safety publications
541.3 Definitions
For the purposes of this part of IEC 60364, the definitions of IEC 61140, together with the
following definitions taken from IEC 60050(195), apply.
Definitions used for earthing arrangements, protective conductors and protective bonding
conductors are illustrated in annex B and listed here as follows:
541.3.1
exposed-conductive-part
conductive part of equipment which can be touched and which is not normally live, but which
can become live when basic insulation fails
[IEV 195-06-10]
541.3.2
main earthing terminal
(main earthing busbar)
terminal or busbar which is part of the earthing arrangement of an installation enabling the
electric connection of a number of conductors for earthing purposes
[IEV 195-02-33]
541.3.3
earth electrode
conductive part, which may be embedded in a specific conductive medium, e.g. concrete or
coke, in electric contact with the earth
[IEV 195-02-01]
541.3.4
protective conductor
conductor provided for purposes of safety, for example protection against electric shock
[IEV 195-02-09]
541.3.5
protective bonding conductor
protective conductor provided for protective-equipotential-bonding
[IEV 195-02-10]
60364-5-54 © IEC:2002 – 15 –
541.3.6
earthing conductor
conductor which provides a conductive path, or part of the conductive path, between a given
point in a system or in an installation or in equipment and an earth electrode
[IEV 195-02-03]
NOTE For the purposes of this part of IEC 60364, an earthing conductor is the conductor which connects the earth
electrode to a point in the equipotential bonding system, usually the main earthing terminal.
541.3.7
extraneous-conductive-part
conductive part not forming part of the electrical installation and liable to introduce an electric
potential, generally the electric potential of a local earth
[IEV 195-06-11]
542 Earthing arrangements
542.1 General requirements
542.1.1 The earthing arrangements may be used jointly or separately for protective and
functional purposes according to the requirements of the electrical installation. The
requirements for protective purposes shall always take precedence.
542.1.2 Where provided, earth electrodes within an installation shall be connected to the main
earthing terminal using an earthing conductor.
542.1.3 Consideration shall be given to the earthing arrangements which are used in high-
voltage and low-voltage systems (see IEC 60364-4-44, clause 442).
542.1.4 The requirements for earthing arrangements are intended to provide a connection to
earth:
– which is reliable and suitable for the protective requirements of the installation;
– which can carry earth fault currents and protective conductor currents to earth without
danger from thermal, thermo-mechanical and electromechanical stresses and from electric
shock arising from these currents;
– which, if relevant, is also suitable for functional requirements.
542.2 Earth electrodes
542.2.1 Materials and dimensions of the earth electrodes shall be selected to withstand
corrosion and to have adequate mechanical strength.
For commonly used materials, the common minimum sizes from the point of view of corrosion
and mechanical strength for earth electrodes where embedded in the soil are given in
table 54.1.
NOTE If a lightning protection system (LPS) is present, the IEC 61024-1 applies.

60364-5-54 © IEC:2002 – 17 –
Table 54.1 – Common minimum sizes for earth electrodes of commonly used material
from the point of view of corrosion and mechanical strength where embedded in the soil
Minimum size
Thickness of
Cross-
coating/sheathing
Material Surface Shape Diameter sectional Thickness
area Individual Average
mm mm
value value
mm
μm μm
c
Steel Hot-dip Strip 90 3 63 70
a
galvanized
or
a, b
Stainless
Sections 90 3 63 70
Round rod 16 63 70
for deep
earth
electrodes
e
Round wire 10 50
for surface
g
electrode
Pipe 25 2 47 55
Copper- Round rod 15 2 000
sheathed for deep
earth
electrode
With Round rod 14 90 100
electro- for deep
deposited earth
copper electrode
coating
a
Copper Bare Strip 50 2
f
Round wire
for surface
g
electrode
Rope 1,8 for 25
individual
strands of
wire
Pipe 20 2
Tin-coated Rope 1,8 for 25 1 5
individual
strands of
wire
d
Zinc-coated Strip 50 2 20 40
a
Can also be used for electrodes to be embedded in concrete.
b
No coating applied.
c
As rolled strip or slit strip with rounded edges.
d
Strip with rounded edges.
e
In the case of continuous bath-coating, only 50 μm thickness is technically feasible at present.
f
Where experience shows that the risk of corrosion and mechanical damage is extremely low, 16 mm² can
be used.
g
An earth electrode is considered to be a surface electrode when installed at a depth not exceeding 0,5 m.

60364-5-54 © IEC:2002 – 19 –
542.2.2 The efficacy of any earth electrode depends upon local soil conditions. One or more
earth electrodes suitable for the soil conditions and the value of resistance to earth required,
shall be selected.
542.2.3 The following are examples of earth electrodes which may be used:
– underground structural networks embedded in foundations (foundation earthing);
– plates;
– metal reinforcement of concrete (except pre-stressed concrete) embedded in the earth;
– rods or pipes;
– tapes or wires;
– metal sheaths and other metal coverings of cables according to local conditions or
requirements;
– other suitable underground metalwork according to local conditions or requirements.
NOTE 1 In Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK, water pipes are not
permitted as earth electrodes.
NOTE 2 In Italy it is permitted to use a water pipe system, but only with the consent of the water distributor.
542.2.4 When selecting type and embedded depth of earth electrode, consideration shall be
given to local conditions and regulations so that soil drying and freezing will be unlikely to
increase the earth resistance of the earth electrode to such a value that would impair the
protective measures against electric shock (see IEC 60364-4-41).
NOTE In Germany, there is an obligation to erect in every new building a foundation earth electrode according to
National Standard DIN 18014.
542.2.5 Consideration shall be given to electrolytic corrosion when using different materials in
an earthing arrangement.
542.2.6 A metallic pipe for flammable liquids or gases shall not be used as an earth
electrode.
NOTE This requirement does not preclude the protective bonding of such pipes for compliance with IEC 60364-4-41.
542.3 Earthing conductors
542.3.1 Earthing conductors shall comply with 543.1 and where buried in the soil, their cross-
sectional areas shall be in accordance with table 54.2.
In TN systems, where no noticeable fault current is expected to pass in the earth electrode, the
earthing conductor may be dimensioned according to 544.1.1
Table 54.2 – Minimum cross-sectional areas of earthing conductors buried in the soil
Mechanically protected Mechanically unprotected
Protected against corro
...