Example NEC: 100A breaker → 8 AWG copper ground (approx 8.4 mm²).
: Common sizes for lighting and sockets range from 2.5 mm2m m squared mm2m m squared
: For office power distribution, sizes usually fall between 10 mm2m m squared mm2m m squared .
Selecting the correct size for an earthing (grounding) cable is a critical safety requirement in electrical installations. The earth cable must be capable of carrying fault current without overheating until the protective device (like a circuit breaker or fuse) trips and disconnects the supply.
In installations close to large transformers or substations, the fault current ($I$) is extremely high. This generates heat very quickly. You may need to upsize the earth cable significantly compared to the phase cable to survive the fault until the breaker trips.
Using the table from Section 3:
. Main protective bonding for gas or water pipes typically requires at least .
: Heavy machinery and motors often require cables from 25 mm2m m squared mm2m m squared , or even larger depending on the transformer rating.