Factors Influencing Differences Between Computed and Measured Ground Resistance Values for Horizontal Tape Electrodes

Abstract

This paper investigates the steady-state resistance (RDC) of copper tape electrodes across eight configurations. The study evaluates both field measurements and simulations using CDEGS at two distinct sites with varying soil characteristics. It emphasizes the impact of electrode size, installation sequence, and soil disturbance caused by sequential installations. Specifically, the results reveal that the first configuration, which maintained a 100% tape-to-trench ratio with no disturbance, yielded computed values within the measured range at both sites. Subsequent configurations demonstrated varying degrees of soil disturbance, affecting RDC values, particularly in high-resistivity conditions. At the low-resistivity Site 1, as the tape-to-trench ratio increased, discrepancies between measured and computed RDC values decreased, highlighting a strong dependency on electrode size and soil cohesion after backfilling. In contrast, at the high-resistivity Site 2, RDC values remained relatively stable with increasing tape-to-trench ratio, likely due to lower soil cohesion and higher air void presence. These findings underscore the importance of considering soil disturbance effects in computational models to enhance the accuracy of RDC predictions and optimize grounding performance.

Keywords

• soil resistivity
• steady-state ground resistance (RDC)
• soil disturbance
• CDEGS
• horizontal electrode configuration
• copper tape