ALLTEC offers Copper Ground Plates for use in electrical grounding systems.

Key uses and Functions:

1.Electrical Safety: It helps in protecting people and equipment from electric shocks by providing a path for fault current to safely dissipate into the ground.

2.Lightning Protection: Copper ground plates are often part of a lightning protection system, helping to safely dissipate lightning strikes to the ground, minimizing damage to structures.

3.Telecommunications: Ground plates are used in telecommunications to ensure a reliable grounding system, which helps in protecting equipment from electrical surges and maintaining signal quality.

4.Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Control: In environments sensitive to electrostatic discharge, copper ground plates help in providing a grounding path to prevent ESD damage to electronic components.

5.Signal Reference: In some electronic systems, a ground plate provides a stable reference point for signals, ensuring accurate and stable operation of the system.

In lightning protection applications – which is ALLTECs specialty - copper ground plates play a crucial role in safely dissipating the immense electrical energy from a lightning strike into the ground.

Part of a Complete System: Copper ground plates are a component of a larger lightning protection system, which typically includes air terminals (lightning rods), conductors, bonding components, and grounding electrodes (including ground plates).

Path of Least Resistance: When lightning strikes, it seeks the path of least resistance to reach the ground. Copper ground plates provide this path due to their high conductivity, ensuring that the lightning current is directed safely into the earth.

Buried in the Ground: Copper ground plates are buried in the soil at a depth and location that ensures effective grounding.

Connection to Down Conductors: The ground plates are connected to the down conductors (cables/wire that run from the air terminals down the sides of the structure) using durable, corrosion-resistant connectors. This connection is critical to ensure the continuity of the grounding system.

Dissipating Energy: When lightning strikes the air terminals, the electrical energy travels down the conductors and reaches the ground plates. The large surface area of the copper ground plates allows the energy to be spread over a wider area, reducing the potential for high temperatures and minimizing the risk of damage or fire.

Reducing Ground Potential Rise: By providing an efficient path for the lightning current, copper ground plates help reduce ground potential rise (GPR), which is the increase in voltage potential of the earth during a lightning strike. This helps protect the structure and any electronic equipment from voltage spikes.

Corrosion Resistance: Copper's natural resistance to corrosion ensures that the ground plates remain effective over a long period, even when buried in moist or acidic soils. This long-term reliability is essential for the ongoing protection of the structure.

ALLTEC manufactures their Copper Ground Plates in their factory in Charlotte, NC USA and offers many sizes and assembly options. There are 3 standard sizes to choose from, two thicknesses, various conductor size and length options as well as the option of mechanical or exothermic connections between the conductor and ground plate. Each assembly comes with ALLTECs TerraFill®, to be placed in the ground with the plates for optimal performance.

You can view assembly options and request a quote here!