EARTH PLATES

Copper and galvanized steel flat plate earth electrodes for high surface area earthing systems. Used where soil conditions do not permit rod driving, where very low earthing resistance is required, or in shallow soil over rock. Multiple sizes up to 900×900mm. NFC 17-102 and IEC 62305 compliant.

Materials

Cu & GS

Copper & galvanized steel

Max Size

900×900mm

Largest available

Variants

Reference codes available

Standard

IEC 62305

NFC 17-102 · EN 50164

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Manufacturer direct — no intermediaries. Ships from Izmir, Turkey worldwide.

Earth plates provide a high surface area electrode where standard earth rods cannot achieve the required earthing resistance. They are the preferred solution for sites with rocky shallow soil, sites where rod driving is not feasible, and substations or transformer earthing systems where very low resistance is specified. The large surface area of a buried plate significantly reduces the contact resistance between electrode and soil compared to a single rod.

ORBITAL earth plates are available in copper for highest conductivity and corrosion resistance, and galvanized steel for cost-sensitive applications in non-aggressive soils. All plates are pre-drilled with connection holes compatible with standard cable and tape conductor connections.

Copper Earth Plates

High conductivity — standard specification

Reference	Dimensions (mm)	Material	Cable Ø Min (mm)	Cable Ø Max (mm)	Tape Min (mm)	Tape Max (mm)	Weight (kg)
OLT-050J	500×500×2	Copper	8.0	10.0	30×2	30×3.5	4.00
OLT-116H	500×1000×2	Copper	8.0	10.0	30×2	30×3.5	9.17
OLT-117H	600×600×2	Copper	8.0	10.0	30×2	30×3.5	5.00
OLT-118H	600×600×3	Copper	8.0	10.0	30×2	30×3.5	10.00
OLT-119H	900×900×1.50	Copper	8.0	10.0	30×2	30×3.5	11.00
OLT-120H	900×900×3	Copper	8.0	10.0	30×2	30×3.5	22.00

Galvanized Steel Earth Plates

Cost-effective — standard soils

Reference	Dimensions (mm)	Material	Cable Ø Min (mm)	Cable Ø Max (mm)	Weight (kg)
OLT-121H	500×500×3	Galvanized Steel	8.0	10.0	4.00
OLT-122H	500×1000×3	Galvanized Steel	8.0	10.0	12.00

Custom plate dimensions available on request. Contact ORBITAL for project-specific requirements.

Material & Construction
Copper Plates	Pure copper — sizes 500×500 to 900×900mm, thickness 2–3mm
Galvanized Steel Plates	Hot-dip galvanized — sizes 500×500 and 500×1000mm, thickness 3mm
Connection Points	Pre-drilled for cable (Ø8–10mm) and tape (30×2 to 30×3.5mm) connections
Performance
Copper Thickness	254µm — exceeds IEC 62561 minimum of 250µm
Advantage vs Rods	High surface area — preferred for rocky soil, shallow soil over rock, substation earthing
Target Resistance	≤10Ω per IEC 62305-3 — use ORBetter® compound to reduce further if required
Compliance & Standards
Primary Standards	NFC 17-102:2011 · IEC 62305-3
Component Standard	EN 50164-2 · IEC 62561
CE Marking	Yes
Applications
Primary Use	Earth termination system for lightning protection systems
Advantage vs Solid Copper	Lower cost, higher mechanical strength — suitable for hard and rocky soils
Soil Suitability	All soil types — use with ORBetter® in high-resistivity soils

Burial Depth and Orientation

Bury plates horizontally at minimum 0.5m depth, or vertically if space is restricted. The top of the plate should be at least 0.5m below the surface for protection from frost heave and mechanical damage. Deeper burial generally reduces resistance — bury as deep as soil conditions permit.

Cut End Protection

If a rod must be cut to length, apply a corrosion-resistant compound to the cut end to seal the exposed steel core. The threaded ends are protected by the thread profile itself, but cut ends are vulnerable to accelerated corrosion if left unprotected in aggressive soils.

Earthing Resistance Target

Measure earthing resistance before backfilling. Where the target of ≤10Ω cannot be achieved, surround the plate with ORBetter® Earthing Enhancement Compound to reduce contact resistance, or install additional plates in parallel at minimum 2× plate dimension spacing.