What is meant by soil resistivity?
Soil resistivity is a measure of how much the geology resists a given flow of electrons (electricity). It is a critical factor in the HV Earthing design. Soil Resistivity measurements are usually the very first step in the electrical earthing procedure. So it is absolutely vital to get accurate data at this early stage. This first step is safety-critical. For calculations like touch and step potential hazard assessment. Get the first building block wrong and the entire set of design assumptions that follow will be wrong. As a consequence could put lives at risk!
Here’s a link to a recent blog giving you more detail. Understanding geology and testing methods.
The Soil Resistivity Tester
Before working with us, you may have seen the typical instrument below, a DET2/2 or similar:
These units are a great all-around general-purpose Soil Resistivity Tester and they’re reasonably inexpensive. Therefore, you’ll see these around quite a bit… So what’s the catch?
Signal strength. Unless the site under test is in a greenfield site, there is likely to be in-ground noise present. If the earthh tester used has an insufficient signal to dominate these local sources of electrical noise, then this signal will be influenced by this in-ground noise. Therefore, result in inaccurate measurements, leading to an error in the electrical earthing procedure.
Obtain reliable soil resistivity data
For example, a typical general-purpose type unit usually outputs around <2.5W of test signal power; Whereas, when you work with us. Your GreyMatters team will be working with proprietary single purpose Soil Resistivitytesters that push out a whopping 250W-400W. That’s x100+ times more than the generic 2.5W Soil Resistivity testers that are commonly in circulation. Which means there isn’t geology in the world that we can’t obtain reliable soil resistivity data. Furthermore, this comes back to the in-ground noise and completely dominating it by the instrument’s applied signal.
There isn’t a geology in the world we can’t obtain reliable soil resistivity data from. Using… proprietary… testers that push out a whopping 250-400W signal.
When you work with us
Better decisions can be made with more insight when you use the right equipment and tools. This is why at GreyMatters we prioritise building certainty for our clients. By applying the concept of marginal gains in everything we do. Using only the Top 1% equipment. The top 1% of software tools by the top 1% minds in the business. All forms part of this policy-making us incredibly easy to deal with. And with no nasty surprises, by getting things right the first time.