Earth Tapes

Earth Tapes – Bare & Covered Copper Tapes

Bare Copper Tapes

Copper is used for most earthing installations due to its high conductivity, anti-corrosive properties and its flexibility for use in-air, in-earth and in-concrete –  bare copper tape is available in a range of conductor sizes to meet differing current ratings

Thorne & Derrick stock and distribute the most extensive range of Copper Earth Tapes – this includes bare copper and covered tapes in a selection of coloured oversheathing used to provide earthing protection and connect metalwork, switchgear and transformers within LV, MV & HV substation buildings and outdoor compounds.

Typically, copper earth tapes are used as LV-HV electrodes for standard earthing arrangements on ground mounted LV MV HV substations – the earth tape functions as a perimeter electrode installed to the outer edges of the foundation in direct contact with the soil and connected to the switchgear earth bars. The earthing will provide protection to exposed and normally un-energised conductive metalwork  within the substation perimeter fence including panels, kiosks, lighting towers and oil tanks.

Within substation buildings, metal trench covers are indirectly earthed typically using bare copper earth tape (25mm x 3mm) installed along one edge of the trench top edge.

Where copper tape within the site is to be buried under proposed cable routes care should be taken to ensure it is buried deep enough into the ground or protected in cable duct to avoid damage during cable installation.

Earth Tapes – extensive range of cross section areas for all fault current ratings

Copper Earth Tapes

Selection Table

The table below enables the selection of AN Wallis bare copper earth tapes when specifying copper conductors for earthing and lightning protection systems according to the copper cross section are (CSA) required:

Copper Earth Tapes & Earth Bars

• Bare Copper Earthing Tapes
• PVC Covered Copper Earthing Tapes
• Green & Yellow PVC Copper Earthing Tapes
• LSF Low Smoke Zero Halogen Covered Copper Earthing Tapes
• Lead Covered Copper Earthing Tapes
• Tinned Copper Earthing Tapes
• Tinned Hard Drawn Copper Earth Bars
• Hard Drawn Copper Bars

Substation EarthING Tapes

Common aluminium and copper tapes used for LV-HV earthing and bonding of electrical substations, switchgear, panels, pillars and cabinets are 25mm x 3mm, 25mm x 6mm, 38mm x 6mm, 40mm x 4mm and 50mm x 6mm – usually connected to the substation main earth bars.

To deter the theft of copper conductors the earthing tapes can be stamped or embossed with the owners name as a precautionary measure.

When jointing conductors and establishing earthing equipment connections tape to tape connections can be brazed or jointed by exothermic welding.

Some examples of substation earth tape installations.

• Fig 1 – 3 copper earth cables (green/yellow insulated) connected to main aluminium substation earth tape
• Fig 2 – Copper earth tape connected to main aluminium tape
• Fig 3 – Aluminium to aluminium tape connection

Earth Tapes | custom embossed copper earth tapes are available to National Grid and all UK DNO specifications to deter copper theft from substations.

The copper equivalent cross-sectional areas of supply neutral conductors for typical UK DNO cables are as follows:

• 35sqmm Aluminium CNE – 22sqmm
• 95sqmm Aluminium CNE – 60sqmm
• 185sqmm Aluminium CNE – 116sqmm
• 300sqmm Aluminium CNE – 116sqmm
• 300sqmm Copper CNE – 150sqmm

♦ CNE Combined Neutral & Earth refers to a network where the earth return and neutral return are provided by the same conductor

The aluminium equivalent for copper earth tapes or conductors are as follows:

• 4mm x 2mm Copper Earth Tape – 6mm x 25mm Aluminium Tape
• 4mm x 40mm Copper Eath Tape – 6mm x 40mm Aluminium Tape
• 70sqmm | 95sqmm PVC Covered Copper Conductor – 120sqmm Aluminium PVC Covered Conductor
• 32sqmm PVC Covered Copper – 50sqmm PVC Covered Aluminium

Due to the escalating occurrence of copper theft users often specify aluminium earth tapes connected to the underground copper tape using bi-metallic joints or connectors for above ground earthing or bonding of buildings and substations.

➡ View the complete range of earth tapes in copper and aluminium with optional plastic covering, green/yellow earth identification sheathing, lead cover or LSF low smoke zero halogen properties.

Data Sheets

• Bare Copper Earthing Tapes
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• AN Wallis – Earthing & Lightning Protection
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