Ground area can refer to the land around a structure or the area where electricity is grounded. Construction and utility regulations impact placement, and power surges can create a raised ground potential that poses safety risks.
Ground area generally refers to one of two things; the footprint of a ground-level structure or the area around a large power system where electricity pours into the ground. When talking about a structure, the land area is often much larger than the structure itself. Many buildings have gardens, parking lots, driveways, or other similar things that increase the size of the structure at ground level. A power-based grounding area is often found around substations and large transformers. During a power surge, these systems will send a lot of power to ground, causing the ground potential to rise.
In construction, land area is often a point of major concern for builders. There are the obvious points, like making sure there’s enough parking, the look of the facility, and so on; but this is only the beginning of the importance of land area. There are many much more subtle factors that influence a structure’s ground placement.
Two of the most important points to consider are zoning and utility issues. Most places have laws governing building placement. These laws aren’t just about the building itself; they also speak of built portions of a complex. For example, a paved driveway may need to be a certain number of feet or yards from a neighbor’s property line.
When it comes to utilities, providers may require building wiring to be within a certain distance from the main system. This is especially true with above ground systems, as you need to be some distance away for safety but within some distance to keep costs down. All of these factors influence the overall shape and construction of the final structure and, therefore, its ground area.
The electrical grounding area refers to the grounding of the power supply during a surge. This area is especially common in and around electrical substations where energy is converted and transported. A wire fence, which keeps people away from dangerous machines and makes it less likely that a person will be on their land area, surrounds most large substations. Even so, in the event of a large surge, the area the electricity fills when grounded can be larger than the protected area.
This grounding creates something called a raised ground potential. In extreme cases, a person can be electrocuted because their two feet touching the ground complete a circuit. Also, power can build up between the ground and large metal objects, such as cars or buildings. Finally, nearby metal objects such as railroad tracks or house pipes can become electrified and cause painful or even life-threatening shocks.
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