TCG G&B Sample Assessment

8/7/2019 TCG G&B Sample Assessment

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ACOOPERATIVE EFFORT IN GROUNDING &BONDING

Main & West Side Server Room & IDF

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

GROUNDING &BONDING ASSESSMENT

P R E P A R E D F O R

June 8, 2010

Included sites:

San Francisco

The single most cost-effective way to protect your people,

your equipment, and ensure business continuity.


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Grounding & Bonding Assessment Sample Report Confidential Information

2

contents

Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................................ 3

Project Overview ................................................................................................................................................................ 4

Project Objectives ............................................................................................................................................................... 4

Assessment Methodology ................................................................................................................................................... 4

PANDUIT Philosophy .............................................................................................................................................................. 5

Project Team and Contact Information .............................................................................................................................. 6

Current-State Assessment .................................................................................................................................................. 7

Assessment findings summary table ................................................................................................................................... 8

Detailed assessment findings: Telecommunications Rooms.............................................................................................. 9

Detailed assessment findings: Racks and Cabinets .......................................................................................................... 11

Detailed assessment findings: Active Equipment ............................................................................................................ 12

Best Practices ................................................................................................................................................................... 14

Integrated Facilities and Network Infrastructure .............................................................................................................. 14

Purpose of Telecommunications Bonding Systems .......................................................................................................... 14

The Importance of Standards ........................................................................................................................................... 14

Complete System Bonding ................................................................................................................................................ 15

Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................................... 16

Recommendations summary ............................................................................................................................................ 16

Detailed recommendations: Telecommunications Rooms .............................................................................................. 16

Detailed recommendations: Racks and Cabinets ............................................................................................................. 18

Detailed recommendations: Active Equipment ............................................................................................................... 20

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................................ 21

Report History and Revisions ............................................................................................................................................ 22

Document Acceptance and Sign-Off ................................................................................................................................. 23

Appendix A: Room-by-Room Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 24

Server Room ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24

Main IDF, Other Server Room........................................................................................................................................ 41

MPOE ................................................................................................................................................................................ 49

Expansion IDF .................................................................................................................................................................... 53

West Side IDF .................................................................................................................................................................... 57


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Executive Summary

This report is the result of an assessment of TECHCO Incorporateds telecommunications bonding networks

conducted by PANDUIT Global Professional Services in partnership with TCG Technical Consulting Group on May

1st, 2010.

Telecommunications bonding systems are active, functioning networks designed to create a robust path for strayVoltages and resulting surge currents, allowing them to bypass critical, expensive telecommunications, network, and

computer equipment and safely return to ground. These systems help enterprises maximize network uptime,

maintain system performance, and protect equipment and personnel. Poorly designed or improperly applied

grounding, bonding, and shielding techniques are known to adversely affect network performance and can increase

threats to worker health and safety.

This assessment reports on current state practices found in the SAMPLE facilities, highlights best practices for

implementation of a telecommunications bonding network that is reliable, standards compliant, and professional in

appearance, and suggests areas for improvement at SAMPLEs site. All suggestions and recommendations are

based on industry standards, best practices, and Panduit engineering expertise and are the professional opinions of

PANDUIT Global Professional Services.

Key Findings:A detailed assessment of each site can be found in Section III of the report, Current State Assessment. An

overview of observed telecommunications bonding practices yields the following:

Telecommunications Bonding is minimal to non-existent within the Main, and West Side facilities

Over 62% of evaluated areas and racks have no telecommunications bonding system whatsoever and therefore

are completely out-of-compliance with telecommunications bonding standards

36% of evaluated areas and racks exhibit minimal compliance with telecommunications bonding standards as a

result of improperly deployed telecommunications bonding systems and components

Only 2% of evaluated areas, racks, and equipment exhibit proper compliance to telecommunications bonding

standards and best practices

Recommended Practices:

A detailed recommendation of telecommunications bonding system Best Practices can be found in Section IV of thereport, Recommendations. Based upon on-site assessments and Panduit experience in telecommunications

bonding best practices, the following recommendations are made:

Active Equipment: Bond each piece of active network equipment to a grounding strip or grounding bus bar

installed in compliance with US and International grounding requirements

Racks and Cabinets: Provide a dedicated grounding and bonding system comprised of purpose-built

components (bonded frames, paint-piercing hardware, grounding bards, lugs, ground conductors, etc.) which are

engineered to comply with US and International grounding requirements.

Each site/area: Deploy a telecommunications bonding solution that meets J-STD-607-A, TIA-942, and IEEE Std

1100TM-2005 (The Emerald Book) requirements and utilizes UL-Listed or CSA-Certified products.

It is possible to retrofit and remediate existing installations at the TECCHO sites by deploying telecommunications

bonding backbones (TBBs), telecommunications grounding busbars (TGBs), bonding hardware, equipment jumpers,common bonding network (CBN) jumpers, and other grounding and bonding system components. PANDUIT offers

robust, standards-compliant telecommunications bonding solutions, provides a network of Panduit certified installers

to perform remediation work, and can evaluate the effectiveness of the site upgrade(s).

The PANDUIT team enjoyed the challenge and opportunity presented by TECHCO Incorporated. PANDUIT and TCG

look forward to working closely with TECHCO on subsequent projects and serving an advisory role where appropriate

on other TECHCO Incorporated physical infrastructure deployments and assessments.


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Project Overview

This Telecommunications Bonding Assessment is intended to identify current-state conditions and opportunities for

improvement, if needed, in the telecommunications bonding network(s) and common bonding network(s) for

TECHCO Incorporateds Main and West Side facilities located in San Francisco, CA.

Project Objectives

The purpose of the assessment is to determine if the existing telecommunications bonding network(s) conform to

industry standards, best practices, and Panduit recommended deployment methodologies. This assessment includes

an in-depth analysis of each telecommunication area (data center, telecommunications room, or entrance facility) with

a rack-by-rack (or cabinet-by-cabinet) and component-by-component review of the telecommunications bonding

network(s). Panduit will on a best-effort basis take all data communications and telecommunications equipment into

consideration for the assessment. Specifically excluded from the assessment is all Service-Provider (Public Carrier)

equipment, POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) equipment, and any other non-client owned/operated premises

equipment.

The assessment provides:

Analysis of the current-state of the telecommunications bonding network(s)

Detailed findings for each type of telecommunications room, entrance facility, and data center area site

Site-by-site analysis for every telecommunications bonding deployment

Examination of Telecommunications Bonding standards and best practices

Gap analysis between bonding best practice and current-state infrastructure capabilities

Recommendations for remediation to bring the telecommunications bonding network in-line with best practices

The recommendations presented in this document are based upon standards body documents (TIA, EIA, NEMA,

ANSI, IEEE), industry best-practices, and Panduit engineering expertise. Each section of this document focuses on

specific aspects of the overall Telecommunications Bonding Network deployment.

Assessment Methodology

This assessment is based mainly on the information collected on-site by the Panduit Global Professional Services

consultant through direct examination, measurement, and observation of the telecommunications bonding

infrastructure system deployment.

The assessment methodology is comprised of seven (7) key steps:

1. Determine XYZ Corporation top-of-mind issues and scope overall project requirements

2. Conduct pre-assessment discussions and information gathering

3. Perform telecommunication bonding on-site assessment(s)

4. Capture site layouts, critical data, key measurements, and deployment practices

5. Analyze data based on industry standards, best practices, and Panduit expertise

6. Develop recommendations and conclusions

7. Present final report


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Initial pre-assessment discussions and information gathering was done via teleconference on September 28th, 2009.

The on-site assessment was performed on October 1st. The post-assessment analysis and report was completed on

October 26th

, 2009.

The resulting analysis and recommendations are not based upon any detailed application specific information or use

case scenarios but are primarily focused on conformance with industry standards and Panduit best practices.

Implementation of the recommendations provided in this report will require the services of a Panduit certified installer(PCI) to perform the actual remediation work.

Philosophy

Unified Physical Infrastructure: A Guiding Vision for a Smarter, Unified Business Foundation

The growing interdependence of systems and applications, and the increased demands that they place on physical

infrastructures, requires the integration of traditionally disparate and proprietary systems. This trend is dramatically

changing infrastructure design, management strategies and effective synchronization of critical systems, opening the

door for seamless convergence and interoperability of all core business systems. Panduit provides flexible, end-to-

end solutions for the physical infrastructure that drive operational and financial advantages, allowing businesses tominimize risk and heighten agility. Tailored by industry and customized by application, Panduit solutions span the

core systems necessary to transform a business, from data center to facility operations, to next generation intelligent

buildings.

Panduit has developed the industrys most comprehensive and holistic approach to a Unified Physical Infrastructure

and can help enterprises align, converge, and optimize critical systems communication, computing, control, power

and security to build a smarter, unified business foundation. This approach enables the use of an open standards-

based, service-oriented architecture framework and is designed to deliver tangible infrastructure and business

process improvements for increased functionality, interoperability and manageability of mission critical operations

across the enterprise.

Based upon the Unified Physical Infrastructure vision, Panduit Global Professional Services provides a systematic

approach to Assess, Design, and Maintain critical elements within SAMPLE Corporations physical infrastructureincluding the Telecommunications Bonding Network.

Step one is a Bonding Assessment. The bonding assessment evaluates existing or new facilities, collects information

about current or anticipated operations, visually inspects the grounding and bonding deployment practices, and

measures and documents key electrical characteristics. The post-assessment report generates telecommunications

bonding system improvement suggestions to facilitate the equalization of electrical potentials and provide a

supplemental return path for electrical transients.

Step two is Site Remediation. A strategy is formulated for improving the existing telecommunications bonding

network to meet established minimum functionality requirements. Best practice installation advice that meets the

intent of the design standards (J-STD-607-A, TIA-942, and IEEE Std 1100TM-2005) is considered for future

telecommunications bonding systems remediation and expansion. A PANDUIT Certified Installer (PCI) is engaged to

perform the actual site remediation work.

Step three is Lifecycle Management. Periodic health checks or re-commissioning services are performed. These

ensure that moves, adds, and changes (MACs) and additional deployments have been performed in a manner

consistent with industry standards and best practices.


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Project Team and Contact Information

This assessment and report would not be possible with the input and contributions of key members of the TECHCO

Incorporateds team, the Remediation team, the TCG team, and Panduit Global Professional Services assessment

team. The list of personnel involved in the project and critical to the success of this assessment includes:

Client team Role/Team Phone e-mail

Joe Smith Facilities Manager* 415-222-9999 [email protected]

Sally Vasquez Project Lead 408-343-4444 [email protected]

Bill George Partner* 415-990-2320 [email protected]

Panduit team Role/Team Phone e-mail

Frank Summers On-site Assessor 744-323-2323 [email protected]

Chris Wilson On-site Assessor 454-222-1234 [email protected]

Carlos Ramirez Project Manager 245-787-4888 [email protected]

Jonathan Peterson Professional Services Sales 333-676-2145 [email protected]


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Current State Assessment

This Telecommunications Bonding Assessment surveyed current-state conditions and recorded opportunities for

improvement for the telecommunications bonding network(s) and common bonding network(s) for TECHCO

Incorporateds Main and West Side facilities located in San Francisco, CA.

Overall Findings:

Over 90% of evaluated areas, racks, and equipment have no bonding system whatsoever and therefore are out-

of-compliance with all telecommunications bonding standards

Under 10% of evaluated areas, racks, and equipment are in minimal compliance as a result of improperly

deployed telecommunications bonding systems and components although some effort has been made to comply

with telecommunications bonding standards and best practices

Assessment Findings Summary

This section uses a graphical nomenclature to categorize the assessment of each focus area of theTelecommunications Bonding Assessment. The table below lists each area and highlights the overall findings of the

assessment for the given area based upon the following color scheme:

FullyComplies

Green is assigned when full conformance to industry standards and bestpractices exists and no threat or risk condition is found

PartiallyComplies

Yellow is assigned when partial conformance to industry standards and bestpractices exists and/or a minor threat or lower-level risk condition is found.These areas should be remediated and upgraded to best practice.

Does NotComply

Red is assigned when little or no conformance to industry standards and bestpractices exists. This condition represents a major threat and high-level riskcondition and should be remediated immediately.

Not Assessed Blue is assigned when the particular area was not assessed.

The focus areas are assessed in terms of current-state status and short-term opportunities for improvement (i.e.,

remediation to compliance with industry standards and best practices that can be accomplished with limited efforts,

costs, or rework). Findings that may require more extensive changes, substantial rework, or complete redesign in

order to bring the systems into compliance with industry standards and best practices are considered long -termopportunities and will require additional investigations and remediation recommendations beyond the scope of this

assessment.


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SummaryofTelecommunicationsBondingAssessm

ent:

WestSide

IDF

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

Partially

Complies

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

Partially

Complies

WestSide

Exp.IDF

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

Partially

Complies

Partially

Complies

DoesNot

Comply

Partially

Complies

Fully

Complies

DoesNot

Comply

Partially

Complies

MPOE

Partially

Complies

DoesNot

Comply

Partially

Complies

Partially

Complies

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

Partially

Complies

DoesNot

Comply

Partially

Complies

MainIDF

OtherServer

Room

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

Partially

Complies

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

Partially

Complies

DoesNot

Comply

Partially

Complies

MainServer

Room

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

Partially

Complies

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

DoesNot

Comply

Partially

Complies

AssessmentArea

Solidcoppergrou

ndingbusbar(s)present

Busbar(s)drilled

withholesperNEMAstandards

Telecommunicationsequipmentgroundedto

busbarswithinra

cksorcabinets

Telecommunicationsracksandcabinets

groundedtobusb

ars

BusbarsconnectedbybackboneorCommon

BondingNetwork

ofinsulated,solidcoppercable

betweenallclose

ts,rooms,andbusbars

BackboneorCom

monBondingNetwork

connectedtogroundingbusbartoearthground

andstructuralste

el

Bondingconductorcablecoloredgreenor

appropriatelylabeled

ACandDCcurre

ntsatacceptablelevels

DCresistancebe

tweenrackorcabinetand

bondingsatacce

ptablelevels


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Detailed Assessment Findings: Telecommunications Rooms

Approximately 98% of TECHCOs rooms, racks, and equipment were non-compliant with basic telecommunications

bonding network requirements.

The Main Server Roomand Main IDF Other Server Room do not have any room-level telecommunications

bonding system or components in place. In these rooms, no telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB) is presentand therefore none of the racks are properly connected to the room-level busbar. In the MPOE Room, the Main Exp.

IDF Room, and the West Side IDF Room, a telecommunications ground busbar (TGB) does exist; however, in the

West Side Exp IDF Room and the West Side IDF Room, this TGB is painted-over, prohibiting proper electrical

contact and thus defeating the purpose of the busbar. The busbar in the MPOE Room is a proper thickness,

unpainted busbar. However, the absence of pre-drilled NEMA standard holes and the use of 1-hole mechanical lugs

with multiple bonding connectors per lug prevent this deployment from being in full compliance.

Figure 1: Telecommunications Grounding Busbar practices at TECHCO Main Server and IDF rooms showing

painted-over busbar (top left, top right), use of one-hole mechanical lugs (top right, bottom), and absence of

pre-drilled mounting holes throughout.


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Both the Main and West Side rooms use single-hole mechanical lugs throughout. Where deployed, these 1-hole

mechanical lugs do provide a degree of telecommunications bonding but do not represent best practice installations

as the industry standards TIA-607-A and IEEE Standard 1100 call for two-hole compression-style lugs for all

grounding and bonding terminations.

Best practices are adhered to in the MPOE Room, the West Side Exp. IDF Room, and the Main IDF Room by

using green jacketed copper conductors where these components are deployed. Conversely, foil strips or other non-copper-cable conductors are installed in these rooms to act as bonding or grounding systems. These components

do not conform to any industry standards or best practices and are not capable of carrying the currents and Voltages

found in telecommunications bonding systems. Furthermore, these non-standard conductors can result in a false

sense of security for equipment and personnel protection, giving the appearance of a supplemental bonding system

while being unable to function as such.

In general, the telecommunications bonding network within TECHCOs Main and West Side facilities is not labeled,

tagged, or otherwise clearly marked.

Figure 2: Telecommunications Bonding Network busbar-to-building steel jumpers improperly installed

using single-hole mechanical lugs. Also note that lugs are attached to painted steel, resulting in no

electrical bonding


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Detailed Assessment Findings: Racks and Cabinets

Approximately 80% of TECHCOs racks and cabinets are non-compliant with basic telecommunications bonding

network requirements. The remaining racks and cabinets are in partial compliance with industry standards as the

bonding provisions installed do not cover all parts of the rack nor is all equipment in the rack properly bonded to the

rack itself. This effectively allows spurious currents to run across all of the racks, cabinets, and active equipment

instead of isolating the currents and routing them to the bonding network. In situations where the racks themselves

are properly bonding, this measure is often defeated by improper room-level bonding practices, typically by the

absence of a Telecommunications Bonding Busbar (TGB), lack of connection to the busbar, improper termination of

the bonding network jumper (using single-hole mechanical lugs), or the painting-over of bonding system components

so no low-impedance electrical bond could be made. The vast majority of TECHCOs racks and cabinets are not

integrally (self) bonded and therefore will require supplement equipment bonding provision via the use of individual

equipment jumpers, rack-level busbars, and bonding network jumpers.

Figure 3: Rack level Telecommunications Bonding Network installation practices in TECHCO Main and West Side

rooms. Non-compliant practices observed include unused single-hole mechanical lug (top left), cage-nut style

mounting points "floating" in painted equipment rack rails (top right), no thread forming screws used for any

equipment mounting points and unmounted equipment (bottom left) , and adhesive foil strip grounding tape run

on top of rack rail (bottom right)


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Detailed Assessment Findings: Active Equipment

Approximately 88% of TECHCOs active equipment (switches, routers, servers, appliances, PBXs, MUXs, UPSs,

etc.) housed in the sites surveyed did not have any form of visible grounding aside from the third conductor on the AC

power supply. Throughout the Main and West Side rooms, the telecommunications and networking equipment is

typically mounted in racks or cabinets that do not have integral self-bonding; therefore, equipment would require a

discrete equipment bonding jumper connecting to a rack-level bonding busbar. These busbars and bonding jumpers

were not present on any of the installed active equipment. Some PBX equipment did have bonding jumpers installed

to the equipment chassis; however, these jumpers remained unterminated and unused.

Figure 4: Active equipmentTelecommunications Bonding installation practices in TECHCO Main and West

Side rooms. Practices observed include not using equipment manufacturer provided system ground

attachment pads (top left), un-bonded, un-racked stacked equipment (top right), and not installingmanufacturer provided equipment bonding jumpers (bottom).


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Two pieces of key networking and computing gear a Cisco Systems Catalyst 6513 switch and an HP C7000 blade

center, both located in the Main Server Room are placed directly on the floor. There are no provisions for

grounding or bonding this gear to an appropriate telecommunications bonding network. Additionally, there is no cable

management or cabling pathway for this equipment. This represents a significant operational risk as all data cabling

runs are completely unprotected and run haphazardly on the floor.

Figure 5: Critical networking and computing equipment placed on floor in Main Server Room. Note

Cisco Catalyst 6513 switch (top left) and HP C7000 Blade Center (top right, bottom left) not

mounted in any equipment rack and absence of Telecommunications Bonding Network, proper

cable management, cable pathways, or cable patching organization (bottom right).


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Best Practices

The telecommunications bonding system is more than just an insurance policy against a lightning strike or other

surge event. It is an active, functioning system that provides protection for personnel and equipment. The use of

best practices for proper telecommunications bonding deployment is essential for efficient network performance in

telecommunications spaces, computer rooms, and data centers.

Integrated Facilities and Network Infrastructure

Decisions regarding network design and deployment increasingly center on integrating facilities elements with the

networking physical layer. The collective management of these elements, often in the same spaces, allows networks

to meet aggressive uptime goals and scale and expand as required.

A reliable network infrastructure is comprised of sufficient power and cooling capacity, effective telecommunications

bonding and proper grounding of system elements (active and passive), and pathways that route, manage, and

protect electrical and data cabling. Effectively managed cabling also maximizes the accessibility of other facilities

elements by enabling faster moves, adds, and changes (MACs) and by reducing required administration and

maintenance work.

By using robust systems comprised of quality components and materials, deployed according to industry standards

and best practices, network stakeholders can minimize network interruptions and maximize uptime and business

continuity.

Purpose of Telecommunications Bonding Systems

The telecommunications bonding system is an active, functioning network designed to maximize equipment uptime,

maintain system performance, and protect equipment and personnel.

The primary purpose of this system is to create a suitable path for the equalization of stray Voltages and theirresultant surge currents, allowing them to safely return to their source. Lightning, power system fault currents, circuit

switching (motors starting and stopping), activation of surge protection devices, and electrostatic discharges (ESD)

are common causes of transient Voltages and electrical surges.

Poorly designed or improperly implemented grounding, bonding, and shielding techniques often adversely affect the

performance of electronic equipment, from the circuit board level all the way up to and including the overall network

system. IT budgets can be quickly stressed when the additional cost to maintain and replace damaged equipment is

factored in especially so when maintenance and replacement is due to an easily preventable cause such as

improper grounding and bonding. Moreover, personal injury from electric shock due to lack of grounding and bonding

systems or inappropriately deployed grounding and bonding can cause both immeasurable suffering and significant

expense.

The Importance of Standards

Proper grounding and bonding is essential to minimize or eliminate the detrimental effects of transient Voltages and

electrical surges. Industry standards such as J-STD-607-A, TIA-942, and IEEE Std 1100TM-2005 (The Emerald

Book) guide the design and deployment of grounding and bonding systems. Use of UL Listed or CSA Certified

products ensures the long term reliability and safety of those products.


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According to these standards, reliable and effective grounding and bonding systems have the following general

characteristics:

1. Intentional design each connection must be engineered and installed to properly handle the

anticipated surge currents.

2. Bonds all metallic components to the grounding system (e.g., equipment, racks, cabinets, access floors,

ladder racks, cable trays, water pipes, electrical conduit, building steel, etc.).3. Visually verifiable and generally arranged for ease of inspection and testing.

4. Provides equalization paths and ports for ESD protection wrist straps.

5. Supports the proper operation of surge protection devices for equipment and power circuits.

6. Promotes electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) with the telecommunications closet, entrance facility, or

data center environment.

7. Adheres to all local electrical codes and utilizes components listed with a nationally recognized test lab

(such as Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., or similar).

Complete System BondingIn addition to the above items, the telecommunications bonding and grounding standards make the following specific

recommendations to ensure that complete system bonding is observed over the entire network:

1. Create electrical continuity throughout the rack or cabinet.

2. Bond equipment and patch panels to the racks or cabinets.

3. Deploy copper telecommunications grounding busbars (TGBs) in each telecommunications room (sized

thick x 2 high x variable length) and copper telecommunications main grounding busbars (TMGBs)

in the telecommunications entrance facility (sized thick x 4 high x variable length).

4. Each busbar is drilled with rows of holes according to J-STD-607-A for attachment of bolted

compression fittings and should be installed with insulated standoffs. All connections to busbars should

be made with two-hole compression lugs mounted with stainless steel hardware and Belleville washers.5. Bond each rack or cabinet to a telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB). This may be done via a

conductor known as a telecommunication equipment bonding conductor (TEBC) typically deployed in a

telecommunications closet of via a mesh common bonding network (MCBN) commonly found in

computer rooms and data centers.

6. Bond each telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB) to the AC service panel serving the active

equipment in the telecommunications space or room. Such bonding promotes equalized ground

potential between the power system(s) serving the equipment and the equipment itself.

7. Connect telecommunications grounding busbars (TBGs) with a backbone of insulated solid copper

cable between all telecommunications space and/or rooms. Minimum size requirement is #6 AWG;

#3/0 AWG is required by J-STD-607-A for distances of 20m or more. Connect this backbone to the

telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB) in the telecommunications entrance facility, to an

earth ground in the electrical service entrance facility, and to structural steel on each floor of the facility.

8. Deploy proper grounding and bonding elements (e.g., clear covers, ID labeling, green color-coded

conductors, etc.) to aid in visual verification of the system.


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Recommendations Summary

To bring TECHCO Incorporateds Main and West Side, San Francisco, CA, telecommunications bonding networks

into conformance with industry standards and best practices, we recommend each room be retrofitted using UL-

Listed products to meet J-STD-607-A, TIA-942, and IEEE Std 1100TM-2005 requirement. For racks and cabinets,

this translates to providing a dedicated bonding system comprised of dedicated bonding network jumpers, busbars,

and paint-piercing hardware. Each piece of active equipment should then be attached to this bonding system via

equipment bonding jumpers and bonding hardware. More specific recommendations for each of these areas the

telecommunications rooms, racks, and active equipment are detailed below.

Detailed Recommendations: Telecommunications Rooms

Where deployed, the majority of TECHCOs sites currently use single-hole mechanical lugs to make connections with

the telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB). These connectors can easily become loose, leading to faults in the

grounding system. In addition, verification of the integrity of these types of connections requires physically touching

and inspecting them. The single-hole mechanical lugs should be replaced with two-hole compression lugs to ensure

a secure, durable, and low-impedance connection with the telecommunications bonding. All non-compliant

telecommunications grounding busbars (as found in the Main MPOE room, Main Exp. IDF room, and West Side IDF

room) should be replaced with solid copper telecommunications grounding busbars (TGBs) that are 1/4 thick by 2

high uncoated and unpainted copper. Rooms without a telecommunications grounding busbar (Main Server room

and Main IDF other server room) should have a TGB should be installed per industry best practice. These TGBs

must feature rows of holes drilled to NEMA standards. See below illustration for best-practice installation.

Figure 6: Best practice layout and installation for Telecommunications Room bonding network


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The bonding system should be connected with suitable wiring that is consistently sized, terminated, and visually

verifiable to ensure safety and ease of management. Industry standards recommend green or green-with-yellow-

stripe cable jacketing. Additionally, all bonding and grounding connections should be labeled and tagged at both

ends for clear identification and network continuity verification (traceability).

All telecommunications grounding busbars (TGBs) should then be grounded to the Telecommunications Main

Grounding Busbar (TMGB). The TMGB itself should be bonded to uncoated and unpainted building steel andgrounded to the electrical service ground according to J-STD-607-A guidelines. Each TGB within each room should

be bonded to uncoated and unpainted building steel and to the electrical panel serving equipment in the room.

The gauge of the connecting ground/earth cable, known as the Telecommunications Bonding Backbone (TBB) should

follow J-STD-607-A guidelines, as outlined in the table below.

Sizing of the Telecommunications Bonding Backbone (TBB)

TBB Length in Linear meters (feet) TBB Size (AWG)

Less than 4m (13 ft) #6 AWG

4m 6m (14 20) #4 AWG

6-8 (21-26) #3 AWG

8-10 (27-33) #2 AWG

10-13 (34-41) #1 AWG

13-16 (42-52) #1/0 AWG

16-20 (53-66) #2/0 AWG

Greater than 20 (66) #3/0 AWG

The Telecommunications Bonding Backbone should be routed to each Telecommunications Grounding Busbar in asstraight a path as possible. The TBB should be installed as a continuous conductor, avoiding splices where possible.

As a final note, any metallic component that is part of the telecommunications space, computer room, or data center,

including all electronic equipment, racks, cabinets, ladder racks, enclosures, and cable trays, etc., must be properly

connected to the telecommunications bonding system.


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Detailed Recommendations: Racks and Cabinets

TECHCO Incorporated should install rack-level bonding busbars on all of their equipment racks and ensure that they

are connected directly to the telecommunications bonding network. In addition, they should ensure that all of the

racks are properly bonded using paint-piercing grounding washers. Best practice deployments for cabinet and racktelecommunications bonding networks are shown in Figure 7, below. Site-by-site recommendations for migrating to

best-practice installation of the telecommunications bonding network can be found in Appendix A.

For the Main and West Side rooms, a Retrofit Cabinet Grounding Kit can be used to ensure proper grounding. The

Retrofit Cabinet Grounding Kit includes a copper busbar that acts as the main collection point before connecting to

the Telecommunications Bonding Network. The busbar can be mounted at the top or the bottom of each rack

depending on the location of the room-level Telecommunications Grounding Busbar. All equipment in the rack

should then be grounded to the busbar using equipment-grounding jumpers as described in Detailed

Recommendations: Active Equipment.

The rack-level busbar should then be connected to the telecommunications bonding network utilizing a common

bonding network jumper. PANDUITs retrofit kit includes a #6 AWG cable with one factory installed two-hole

compression lug and hardware to connect to the busbar and one HTAP to connect to the Telecommunications

Bonding Network.

Figure 7: Best practice deployment of telecommunications bonding network for cabinets and open racks


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In addition to grounding the racks and cabinets, electrostatic discharge (ESD) ports should be mounted on the back

of every rack and cabinet and also on the front of every cabinet. These ESD ports should be mounted at

approximately 48 inches from the floor on both the front and the back of the racks and cabinets. The ESD ports

should be connected directly to the rack or cabinet rail and should be clearly labeled with protection identification

stickers directly above the ESD ports.

Figure 8: Best practice deployment of Retrofit Cabinet or Rack Grounding Busbar. Note use of two-holecompression lug, mounting holes per NEMA standards, and paint-piercing mounting hardware

Figure 9: Best practice deployment for connecting rack or cabinet common bonding network jumper toTelecommunications Bonding Backbone or Mesh Common Bonding Network via the use of HTAP


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Detailed Recommendations: Active Equipment

All active equipment such as switches, routers, servers, etc., should be bonded to the equipment racks per

manufacturers installation instructions. Grounding of the active equipment is critical as stated by the J-STD-607-A

standard:

Grounding through the equipmentAC (alternating current) power cord does not meet the intent of thisstandard. It is intended that the AC power ground path and the telecommunications ground path offer

redundant and specific ground paths for the equipment. While the AC-powered equipment typically has

a power cord that contains a ground wire, the integrity of this path to ground cannot be easily verified.

Rather than relying on the AC power cord ground wire, it is desirable that equipment be grounded in a

verifiable manner as described in this Standard.

The best strategy to meet the intent of this statement is to use a discreet jumper wire that bonds from a lug mounting

pad (if provided by the manufacturer) on the active equipment and terminates via a two-hole compression lug at a

rack-level busbar. The busbar is then used to provide a visually verifiable, all-copper grounding path.

When equipment does not provide a lug mounting pad, the next best option is to bond the equipment mounting

flanges directly to the rack rails. If the equipment mounting flanges are painted or covered in a non-conductive

coating, bonding screws can be used to make this bond (i.e., thread-forming screws with serrations under the head of

the screw will remove coatings from the surface to which they are mounted).

All active equipment in TECHCOs facilities should be retrofitted with grounding jumpers that are connected with

thread forming screws to the rack rail.

Figure 10: Best practice deployment of telecommunications bonding for active equipment. Note use ofequipment bonding jumpers featuring two-hole compression lugs (left image) and paint-piercingequipment mounting screws (right image)


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Conclusions

An overview of observed telecommunications bonding systems determined that best practices are minimally in use

within TECHCO Incorporateds Main and West Side facilities and that significant remediation work will be required to

bring all rooms into compliance with industry standards and best practices. 62% of evaluated areas have no bonding

system whatsoever while the remaining 38% of evaluated areas are in partial compliance with telecommunications

bonding standards as a result of either incomplete telecommunications bonding networks or improperly deployed

systems and components.

To bring all of the Main and West Side facilities telecommunications bonding systems into alignment with industry

standards and best practices, the following remediation should be performed:

Each room: Deploy a telecommunications bonding solution that meets J-STD-607-A, TIA-942, and IEEE Std

1100TM-2005 (The Emerald Book) requirements and utilizes UL-Listed or CSA-Certified products.

Equipment Racks: Provide a dedicated grounding and bonding system comprised of purpose-built components

(rack-level bonding busbar, paint-piercing hardware, lugs, ground conductors, etc.) which are engineered to

comply with US and International grounding requirements.

Active Equipment: Bond each piece of active network equipment to a grounding bus bar installed in

compliance with US and International grounding requirements

It is possible to retrofit and remediate existing installations at TECHCO s site by deploying the appropriate

telecommunications bonding network systems and components. To this end, Panduit Global Professional Services

recommends taking the following actions and next steps:

Remediation planning: Develop a detailed remediation plan and inventory of remediation steps and associated

Bill-of-Materials for each site.

Installation: Install and/or retrofit all telecommunications bonding system components as identified in the

Remediation Plan. All installation work should performed by a PANDUIT Certified Installer (PCI).

Validation: Verify proper installation of telecommunications bonding networks and components to ensurequality-of-work and compliance with industry standards and best practices. All verification work should be

performed by personnel certified by Panduit Global Professional Services.


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Appendix A: Room-by-Room Analysis Main Server Room

Room Layout

P1 P2


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P3 P4

P5 P6

P7 P8


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P9 P10

P11 P12

P13 P14


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P15 P16

P17 P18

P19


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Room Number / Rack Number: Bay 1 Server Room

Room Type / Rack Type: Telco Room

# Initial State Notes

Remediated

State Notes

1 N/A No room-level busbar

present


present


present


present


present


present


present


present

9 N/A No shielded data cables

in use

Shielded Data Cable related itemsIs the potential bewteen the jack

module and power grounding

TCG G&B Sample Assessment

Documents

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