How to ground the cable tray
Grounding a cable tray involves connecting it to the facility's grounding system using either the tray itself or dedicated equipment grounding conductors to ensure safety and compliance with NEC standards.
Purpose of Grounding
Proper cable tray grounding provides a low-impedance path for fault currents, protecting personnel and equipment from electric shock, fire hazards, and damage due to overvoltage or insulation failure. It also helps minimize electromagnetic interference (EMI) and can dissipate energy from lightning strikes, improving system reliability and operational efficiency .
Methods of Grounding
- Using the Cable Tray as the Equipment Grounding Conductor (EGC)
- Metal cable trays can serve as the EGC if they meet NEC conductivity and strength requirements.
- All metallic trays must be grounded according to NEC Article 250.96, even if not used as an EGC .
- Bonding connections should be made with tin- or zinc-plated connectors to ensure electrical continuity and prevent corrosion, especially in aluminum trays .
- Installing a Dedicated Grounding Conductor
- A bare or insulated copper conductor can run along or inside the tray.
- The conductor should be mechanically secured to the tray using grounding clamps at each or alternate tray sections to maintain continuity under fault conditions .
- Avoid bare copper in aluminum trays in moist environments; use insulated conductors with exposed ends for bonding .
- Bonding at Joints and Equipment Connections
- Ensure all tray sections are electrically continuous by bolting, welding, or using approved bonding clamps.
- Connect the grounding conductor to equipment enclosures, raceways, and other conductive parts to maintain a complete grounding path .
Material Considerations
- Copper Wire: Excellent conductivity and corrosion resistance.
- Hot-Dip Galvanized Steel: Durable and corrosion-resistant, suitable for industrial environments.
- Stainless Steel: Ideal for harsh or corrosive environments .
Installation Best Practices
- Maintain low grounding resistance, ideally 4 ohms or less, to ensure effective fault current dissipation .
- Keep grounding conductors clear of flammable or corrosive materials.
- Verify electrical continuity along the entire tray length after installation.
- Follow NEC Table 250.122 for minimum conductor sizes and NEC Table 392.60(A) for metal area requirements if using the tray as an EGC . By following these methods and best practices, cable trays can be safely grounded, ensuring personnel safety, equipment protection, and compliance with electrical codes.
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