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How to ground a wire mesh cable tray

Grounding a wire mesh cable tray involves creating a continuous, low-impedance path to the building grounding system using proper bonding, grounding conductors, and secure connections.

Key Principles

Safety and NEC Compliance: Metallic wire mesh cable trays must be grounded to protect personnel and equipment from electrical faults. NEC Article 392 and Article 250.96 govern grounding requirements, ensuring that the tray provides a reliable path for fault currents . Improper grounding can lead to shock hazards, equipment damage, and failed inspections . Electrical Continuity: All tray sections and fittings must maintain conductive continuity. Mechanical connections alone may not guarantee this, so bonding jumpers are often used at splice points to ensure a continuous path .

Steps to Ground a Wire Mesh Cable Tray

  1. Select the Grounding Method:
    • Using the Tray as the Grounding Conductor: If the tray is metallic and meets conductivity requirements, it can serve as the equipment grounding conductor (EGC) for the system .
    • Separate Grounding Conductor: Run a continuous grounding wire along the tray, especially if the tray supports data or control cables. This wire should be bonded to each or alternate tray sections using grounding clamps .
  2. Bonding at Splice Points:
    • Use bonding jumpers or clamps at tray joints, bends, and fittings to maintain electrical continuity. This is mandatory where mechanical connections do not ensure a reliable conductive path .
  3. Connection to Building Ground:
    • Securely connect the tray or grounding conductor to the building grounding electrode system. This completes the fault current path and ensures low resistance to ground .
  4. Grounding Conductor Sizing:
    • Follow NEC Table 250.122 to select the appropriate size for the grounding conductor, ensuring it can safely carry potential fault currents .
  5. Material Considerations:
    • Use corrosion-resistant materials such as copper, stainless steel, or hot-dip galvanized steel for grounding conductors and connectors. Avoid bare copper in aluminum trays to prevent electrolytic corrosion .
  6. Installation Best Practices:
    • Keep grounding wires clear of flammable or corrosive materials.
    • Ensure all connections are mechanically secure to prevent dislodging under fault conditions.
    • Verify continuity along the entire tray length using a low-resistance measurement, ideally below 4 ohms .

Additional Considerations

  • EMI Reduction: Proper grounding minimizes electromagnetic interference, which is critical in data centers or installations with sensitive electronics .
  • Inspection and Maintenance: Periodically check all bonding and grounding connections for corrosion, looseness, or damage to maintain system reliability . By following these steps, a wire mesh cable tray system can be safely grounded, ensuring compliance with NEC standards, protecting personnel, and maintaining reliable operation of electrical and data systems.

How to ground a wire mesh cable tray - TKMM Photonics Systems Sp. z o.o. [PDF]

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