Grounding for Cable Trays

aelec84

Member
Location
Los Angeles
Occupation
Electrical Engineer
Hello,

If a carbon steel cable tray/zinc plated (either in ceiling or wall mounted) that carries only non-power conductors (ethernet, HDMI, audio etc.) does it require grounding to building steel or other electrodes? Which NEC code section permits it?

Thank you.
 
Permits this? You are permitted to do anything you want unless there is something prohibiting it. You can certainly ground it if you want to as there is no prohibition on that.

NEC 392.60(A) applies to your question. The second part says "Metal cable trays containing only non-power conductors shall be electrically continuous through approved connections or the use of a bonding jumper." So I don't think it has to be grounded if it only has CL2/CL3 type conductors in it, just electrically continuous.

That being said, many would tend to ground it to something (an equipment ground, not a ground rod and not necessarily a ground electrode conductor) for liability reasons knowing that someone is likely to toss a power cable in that tray at some point. When you don't know the size of a possible future power cable that could energize the cable tray, many choose to run a #6 copper to it because that size seems to be the minimum where it can be exposed and not need much additional protection from damage. That #6 would come from the nearest panelboard or possibly building steel. If the cable tray is being supported by a strut rack and that rack is also supporting metal power circuit conduits, then I would deem it sufficiently bonded because of all the metal raceways attached to it.
 
I though there was something in Chapter 7 or 8 that required a bonding/grounding connection to cable trays, but I can't find it. It may have been removed.
 
I frequently work on these types of cable trays the standards for grounding these and other RF / data / audio / video / telecommunications rack systems are bonding and grounding for performance, not safety, since systems operate at much higher frequencies and low voltages its not a Electrical Code issue, the EE's that get involved in this prefer it not be in the code also.
Personally I wont pretend to understand how what or why they want half of what I install, its 'above my pay grade'
Unfortunately there is a salad of standards ANSI, TIA , IEEE , IEC, BICSI, Motorola, AT&T, Bell Atlantic-Verizion all have their own standards, If I am lucky a EE picks just one. Usually its a #6 Green to everything.
 
Last edited:
Top