ground ring for pipline, pig launch, dog houes'

[T-Rope]

So im on several locations installing and wiring these dog houses located where the pipeline protrudes from the earth and has an mov, up n downstream instruments, along with a pig sig. now the pipelines head electrician is having me bond the building at two corners. there is a fence about 25 ft sq which is also bonded to a ground ring 3ft away with 2 ground rods at opposite corners . the building corners are bonded to this as well as the the mov which is attached to the pipeline. listening to mikeholts grounding video on youtube, i am confused on levels of is this necessary, is it right , and or is it dangerous the way i am doing it . any input is appreciated

 

[ActionDave]

Welcome to the forum.

There is some slang terms in your post that I don't recognize. From what I can gather none of what you are being told to do is dangerous.

What is it that you are working on exactly?

 

[Smart $]

mov = motor-operated valve???

sig = signal???

 

[sparkyrick]

So im on several locations installing and wiring these dog houses located where the pipeline protrudes from the earth and has an mov, up n downstream instruments, along with a pig sig. now the pipelines head electrician is having me bond the building at two corners. there is a fence about 25 ft sq which is also bonded to a ground ring 3ft away with 2 ground rods at opposite corners . the building corners are bonded to this as well as the the mov which is attached to the pipeline. listening to mikeholts grounding video on youtube, i am confused on levels of is this necessary, is it right , and or is it dangerous the way i am doing it . any input is appreciated

Remember, the NEC is a bare minimum. If you are asked to provide grounding beyond the requirements of the NEC, that's up to you. But more is always better.

 

[T-Rope]

yes mov is motor operated valve controlled by a plc and dc inverter system located in a 8x8 dog house or building. basically its just a new set up that allows the company to open n shut there valve and/or monitor there flow and the pig signal instrument lets them know when the pig has arrived when they are clearing a line. im aware of how the nec doesnt really govern this, however it really bothers me when im told to do something and no one invloved has any reason or method as to why i am doin it. just by following mike holts posted youtube videos i really dont believe that more grounding is better. on the other hand i dont really see a huge problem with what im being asked to do . my only thought is that instead of bonding the building at multiple points to the ground ring i would bond the building to the itself or the skid it sits on n take it to the ground ring via the ssbj, having my service ground rod bonded the ground ring n possibly bond the fence to the building instead of mulitple points to the ground ring, basically everything above ground bonded to itself and everything underground bonded to itself and only bringing the connection between the two too one point. i know this isnt right but seeing how my theory is better than the no theory im getting from this master electrician i would hope someone could point me in the right direction as to what the theory behing this is. sorry for the novel length post

 

[Smart $]

I don't see what you are being asked/told how to bond the facility as a departure from typical utility-facility-type grounding... as long as the electrical system grounded conductor to grounding system connection is only at one point.

 

[epimetheus]

Are these pipelines in a power transmission line right of way? That might explain the need for additional grounding. By the way, the grounding you're describing is standard for electrical substations. A phase to ground fault on the transmission line can cause increased GPR in the soil. The grounding you're describing is likely to protect the pipeline facility in that case.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

That is very typical for industrial installations, especially in the oil and gas and chemical industrials. It goes well beyond the minumum required by the code, but it is not dangerous. I have not been convinced it serves any real function, but if the specs call for it, we will make money on doing the extra work. There is no reason to question it as long as you are not creating a safety hazard.

 

[petersonra]

for whatever reason, there is this myth out there that more grounding is better. IMO, for the most part this is not the case. However, it won't hurt anything.

it is like painting galvanized conduit. in most cases it serves no purpose safety or installation wise, but it won't hurt anything either.

 

[tom baker]

just by following mike holts posted youtube videos i really dont believe that more grounding is better.

I under stand Mikes position, but there are often good reasons for increased grounding and bonding requirements particularly
on the industrial side for lightning. Cell towers are a good example of very intense grounding but they can often withstand a direct lighting hit.

However, industry often requires ground rods at metal street lighting poles for no documented reason.

Most electricians would agree that an EGC in EMT is important, but the NEC does not require, as the EMT mfgs rightly state that EMT is an adequate EGC path if installed correctly, but we have all seen it damaged by forklifts, or fittings not tightened.