IEEE Std 80-2013 is primarily concerned with providing guidance and information for safe grounding practices in AC substation design. A grounding system designed to these principles will provide some degree of protection against steep wave-front surges.
IEEE 80-2013 serves as the essential guide for safe grounding practices in outdoor alternating-current (AC) substations, covering conventional air-insulated and gas-insulated (GIS) substations. Its scope includes distribution, transmission, and generating plant substations. With proper caution, the methods described are also applicable to indoor portions of these substations or wholly indoor substations. The standard is confined to power frequencies of 50 Hz or 60 Hz; problems unique to DC substations and quantitative analysis of lightning surges are beyond its scope.
The standard also covers practical aspects of grounding system construction, including the selection of suitable materials (e.g., copper, copper-clad steel) and proper installation techniques for conductors and ground rods. Why the 2013 Revision Matters ieee standard 80-2013 pdf
, the design is unsafe. The layout must be modified by decreasing conductor spacing, adding vertical ground rods at peripheral corners, or extending the grid perimeter. The modified design is then re-evaluated in a loop until safety compliance is achieved. Crucial Technical Updates in the 2013 Edition
The 2013 revision of IEEE Standard 80 introduced several updates and refinements to the grounding design process. Here are some of the most important aspects covered in the standard: Safety Criteria and Body Impedance IEEE Std 80-2013 is primarily concerned with providing
The standard itself is often dense theoretical text, but the annexes are where the practical engineering work happens:
The 2013 edition was approved by the IEEE Standards Board on , and was published on May 15, 2015 following the integration of Corrigendum 1. As of March 21, 2024 , the standard’s status was changed to “Inactive-Reserved,” meaning that while it is no longer an active standard, it has been reserved for potential future reactivation or supersession. The standard also covers practical aspects of grounding
Due to the inactive status, copies may become harder to obtain over time. IEEE recommends checking directly with authorized distributors or monitoring the IEEE SA website for updates on the revised edition.
Soil resistivity is a fundamental parameter that significantly impacts the performance of a grounding system. IEEE 80-2013 provides detailed procedures for measuring and modeling soil resistivity, including the Wenner four-pin method. Accurate soil data is essential for calculating the resistance of the grounding grid. Ground Grid Design and Analysis
The grounding grid conductor must withstand the maximum symmetrical fault current without melting or suffering mechanical degradation. The required cross-sectional area ( Akcmilcap A sub kcmil end-sub ) is determined using the thermal sizing formula: