Earthing is a science and needs to be designed for a location, depending on the soil resistivity value of the location; it is advised to design the Earthing solutions at the very beginning of the project by placing the earth electrodes in the basement, says Charanjeet Singh, Founder, Inter-tech

In India, 13 lives are lost almost every day due to electrocution, whereas in UK, the number is 8 per year. We give low priority to earthing, even though it should be a serious consideration at the project design stage itself. Frequent breakdowns in the electronic machinery are directly linked with a poor Earthing system.

One should be aware that Earthing cannot be a standard solution. A single rod of 3 meters is a misguided standard solution prevailing in the industry. Earthing design varies as per the soil resistivity of the site. For example, a site having soil resistivity of 10 ohm-m would require a different solution as compared to a site having 65 ohm-m soil resistivity.

So, an Earthing designer would ask two questions: What is your Soil Resistivity and what Earth Resistance do you require? You might ask, why do you want to measure the Soil Resistivity when all the electrodes go below the ground? This is because the earth is not uniform throughout. Every place has different terrains, moisture levels and water tables. Soil Resistivity Test determines the resistive capacity of the soil to accept the faulty current. For example, rock soil is more resistive as compared to soft soil. Therefore, Earthing solution for rock soil would be different from that of soft soil. For instance, for a soft soil, a 3-m rod is required for the need of 1 Ohm, but in some rocky places, a 30-m rod might be used to meet the 1 ohm requirement. Now the question is, what Ohmic value do we need for the earth electrode? The answer lies in the kind of application and voltage levels of the system.

4 key steps in the design of an earthing system:

• Soil Resistivity checking is the first and foremost
• Understanding the application and selecting the Earth Resistance value to be obtained.
• Designing the Earthing system as per the above two points.
• Sufficient space must be provided between the two adjacent earth electrodes for an effective earthing system

Apart from the design issue, it has been found that due to paucity of space, Earthing is often confined to a lesser space which is not sufficient enough for effective conduction of fault current to the ground. An Earthing electrode works on the principle of the ‘Sphere of Influence’ and disburses the fault current in this sphere. When Earthing is confined to a lesser space, this Sphere of Influence shrinks and the performance of Earthing system degrades. In order to resolve the space challenges, it is advised to design the Earthing needs in an optimum manner at the very beginning of the project by placing the earth electrodes in the basement.

The reason why an earthing electrode fails is only due to corrosion - be it Conventional Earthing or Chemical Earthing. One corroded, their performance becomes unstable. Marconite Earthing System is the only corrosion-free solution. It is an advanced conductive concrete aggregate that provides permanent, stable as well as Low Resistance Earthing Solutions that are workable in several complex ground conditions. It enables the electrical engineer to get a stable, permanent and low resistance earthing solution that helps him to handle the most complex soil conditions and get correct earthing solutions.

At Inter-tech, our aim is to create more awareness of Earthing, especially its design by the architects, electrical consultants and earthing designers like us. We hope that with their support our vision of a Surakshit Bharat will help us safeguard more and more lives and properties

Charanjeet Singh

Marconite is manufactured by specialists in the field. It is packed in UV-resistant value topped poly sacks and palletized. Marconite Earth Electrodes have a better track record and are utilized for important Earthing Solutions in a variety of soils. The USP of Marconite is that it can perform in rocky soil where no other earthing material performs.

Today, conductive concrete technology is replacing the conventional technology. Since Chemical Earthing cannot stop corrosion, its life is limited to 6-8 years and performance of the earth electrode degrades due to the corrosion. Marconite Earthing is a conductive concrete technology that offers 50 years of life due to its non-corrosive property. Even from the environment point of view, Marconite is better. In Chemical Earthing, several chemicals such as Bentonite deeply impact the sub-soil of the location of Earthing, through leaching as well as polluting water tables. Marconite Earthing does not leach and it is chemically inert too, which makes it an environment friendly product.

A decade ago, seeing the kind of Earthing Solutions being used in India, we thought of bringing Marconite to India in 2011. Convincing users in residences, factories and institutes. of correct design, soil resistivity test, and the cost-effectiveness of Marconite solutions over a life span of 50 years, was very challenging in the beginning. Being the only corrosion free solution, zero maintenance requirement, it is the only product which can offer permanent stable solution for a space between the electrodes. Sufficient space can be provided between two adjacent earth electrodes for an effective earthing system.

Marconite conductive concrete being non-polluting and having a life of over 50 years can be used for earthing below the basement of the buildings to accommodate the required and effective earthing system, as shown in the pictures below:

Like the soil bearing capacity values are found in the early stage of a project, steps must be taken to know the soil resistivity values at requisite locations of the plot for designing an effective earthing solution.


Earthing is a much-neglected issue in India. People spend on luxuries willingly but have little or no awareness of the importance of Earthing, until there is an accident or fatal fault. Today, Inter-tech is spreading the vision of Surakshit Bharat. We are creating more awareness for the design needs of Earthing, which cannot be of a standard design. So far, we have installed more than 30,000 electrodes pan India.