PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-725
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 725
APRIL 2013
52
PS 725
APR 13
CECOM Directorate
for Safety
ATTN: AMSEL-SF
3200 Raritan Avenue
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
21005-1850
Ground Plates
Because sand is easy to move, ground plates are well-suited for use in the desert.
They give you a large, metallic area in contact with the soil. Use two to four ground
plates and space them at least 10 feet apart.
To make a ground plate, start with a clean, bare steel plate or sheet that’s
1
/
4
inch thick. Cut the plate so that it measures at least 1
3
/
4
feet x 1
3
/
4
feet.
Do not
use aluminum.
It quickly oxidizes, corrodes and increases resistance to earth. The
plate should have at least 3 square feet of surface contact with the ground. The
larger the plate, the lower the resistance and the better the ground.
Along with the plate, you’ll
need a metal bolt, nut and lock
washer to attach the ground
wire. Drill a hole in the center
of the plate just large enough
for the bolt.
Bury
the
plate
standing
upright
with
the
top
edge
about 5 feet below the sand’s
surface.
Burying
the
plate
upright
ensures
good
soil
contact on both sides of the
plate. Pour your mixture of
water and salt into the soil
around the plate to make the
soil more conductive.
Soil Preparation
One way to get a good ground in the desert is by preparing the soil. You can make
the soil more conductive by keeping it moist and by adding a salt-and-water mixture
to the area around the ground rod.
Mix a pound of salt with each gallon of water. NSN 6810-00-227-0439 brings an
80-lb bag of salt. Start with 5 gallons of the mixture.
Slowly pour the mixture into the hole you dug for the ground rod so it soaks in.
Use the salt-and-water mixture often. It may take a daily 5-gal mix and several
pours.
Ground Rod Assembly
NSN
Item
3 couplings
1 clamp
1 driving bolt
1 terminal lug
No.6 AWG wire
issued by the foot
ground rod
assembly, nsn 59
7
5-
00-8
7
8-3
7
91, comes
with a three-section
ground rod and…
for more
information, get
cecom pamphlet
tr 98-6,
earth grounding
and bonding.
contact cecom
directorate for safety
at dsn 648-3812, (443)
395-3812, fax (443)
395-3836 or email:
usarmy.APG.cecom.mbx.
amsel-sf@mail.mil
you
can also
mail your
request
to…
Three section ground rod
Coupling
Clamp
Terminal lug
Bury plate upright 5 feet below surface
725 52-53.indd
1-2
3/6/13
11:37 AM
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