Physical damage protection
Code of Practice for Earthing
Substation grounding
Quality management certified
ST compliant documentation
Primary Earth Electrode System
The Physical Foundation of Every Earthing System
The earth mat and earth rod network is the buried electrode assembly that makes the entire earthing and lightning protection system work. It is the point at which fault current, lightning discharge energy, and transient overvoltages are finally absorbed and dissipated into the ground — away from equipment, personnel, and structure.
In Malaysia’s high-lightning-activity environment — with 180 to 260 thunderstorm days annually — the earth electrode system must be designed to handle not just normal fault currents but the full peak impulse current of a direct lightning strike: up to 200 kA for a Class I LPS system. A correctly designed earth mat, bonded with permanent exothermic welds and reinforced by driven earth rods, achieves the low-impedance path this demands.
Tokai Engineering designs and installs earth mat and rod network systems to site-specific soil conditions across Malaysia — using CDEGS soil resistivity modellingto optimise every project before any material is specified or ground is broken.
Design Principle
Earth mat cross-section — schematic illustration
Complete Earthing Solutions
What Tokai's Earth Mat & Rod System Comprises
Every Tokai earth mat and rod installation is a fully engineered system — each component specified to the fault current profile and soil conditions of the specific project.
Design, supply and installation of copper tape earth mats and Ø16mm copper-bonded earth rod networks for substations, data centres and industrial facilities. Engineered to achieve target resistance per IEC 62305-3, BS 7430 and IEEE 80.
50mm × 6mm · IEC 62305-3
25mm × 3mm copper tape used for reinforcement of the primary mat, cross-bonding between grid nodes, and supplementary coverage in areas where electrode density needs to be increased to reduce local resistance.
25mm × 3mm · BS 7430
Ø16mm copper-bonded steel rods driven vertically to 1.5m–3m depth at 3m–6m spacings. Extend the electrode into deeper, lower-resistivity soil layers — critical in sites with high-resistivity surface soils such as granitic residual profiles common across the Klang Valley.
Ø16mm · 1.5m–3m depth · IEEE 80
All conductor-to-conductor and conductor-to-rod joints bonded using TOKAIWELD exothermic welding.Creates a permanent molecular bond with current-carrying capacity ≥ the conductor — never loosens, never corrodes.
TOKAIWELD · MS IEC 62305
Additional driven rods or deep-driven electrodes installed at strategic grid nodes where soil resistivity modelling indicates high local resistance. Sized and located using CDEGS simulation to achieve target earth resistance at minimum material cost.
Site-specific · CDEGS designed
Accessible inspection chambers with isolatable test points installed at key grid nodes. Enable routine earth resistance measurement without excavation and provide access for periodic maintenance inspection as required under IEC 62305 maintenance schedules.
Periodic access · ST / JKR requirement
Technical Specifications
Standard Earth Mat & Rod Specifications
Project Delivery
Earth Mat & Rod Network Installation Process
Every Tokai earth mat project follows a proven five-stage delivery methodology — from site survey through to commissioning test certification.
Soil Resistivity Survey
Wenner 4-pin measurement across the site; multi-layer resistivity profile established
CDEGS Modelling
Earth grid layout optimised; predicted resistance and step/touch potentials calculated
Material Supply
Copper tape, rods, TOKAIWELD kits and inspection chambers procured and delivered
Installation
Copper tape mat laid; rods driven; all joints exothermically welded; chambers set
Testing & Certification
Fall-of-potential test; continuity; step/touch potential; commissioning report issued
≤1Ω
Target Resistance
200kA
Peak Impulse Capacity
3–6m
Rod Spacing
5
Commissioning Tests
Industries Served
Earth Mat & Rod Networks for Every Sector in Malaysia
Tokai Engineering designs and installs earth mat systems for Malaysia’s most demanding facilities — from hyperscale data centres in Johor to substations and industrial plants across all states.
Hyperscale & Colocation Data Centres
TNB Substations & Primary Switchrooms
Industrial Plants & Manufacturing
Solar Farms & Renewable Energy
Telecom Tower Sites & Base Stations
High-Rise & Commercial Buildings
Government
Defence Installations
Oil & Gas Facilities — East Malaysia
Rail & Transportation Infrastructure
Technical Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Earth Mat & Rod Networks Malaysia
What size copper tape is used for earth mats in Malaysia?
The primary earth mat is formed from 50mm × 6mm copper tape buried below finished grade. Secondary grid reinforcement uses 25mm × 3mm copper tape. Both sizes comply with IEC 62305-3 and BS 7430. The specific sizing for each project is confirmed by fault current analysis and soil resistivity data — Tokai does not specify materials until the CDEGS model has been completed.
How deep should earth rods be driven in Malaysia?
Standard rod depth is 1.5m to 3m, but this is always confirmed by site-specific soil resistivity measurement. In granitic residual soils common across elevated Klang Valley sites, the high-resistivity surface layer may require rods to be driven deeper, or deep-driven helical electrodes may be used. In Johor’s alluvial coastal soils, standard 1.5m rods often achieve excellent resistance. Tokai specifies rod depth after the CDEGS model is run — not before.
What is the minimum earth resistance for a data centre in Malaysia?
Per Suruhanjaya Tenaga (ST) regulations and MS IEC 62305, data centres and substations must achieve a maximum earth resistance of ≤1 Ω. General industrial and commercial buildings must achieve ≤10 Ω. These values must be demonstrated by a fall-of-potential earth resistance test after installation, with results documented in a commissioning report suitable for ST and authority submission.
Why must all joints be exothermically welded, not clamped?
Mechanical compression clamps and bolted connections are not acceptable for buried earthing joints under MS IEC 62305 and BS EN 62305-2006. In Malaysia’s tropical underground environment — high humidity, seasonal saturation, and aggressive soils — mechanical connections corrode, loosen, and develop high-resistance junctions within a few years. Exothermic welded joints create a permanent molecular bond with no moving parts, no corrosion interface, and current-carrying capacity equal to or greater than the conductor itself. They are the only connection method that maintains system integrity for the life of the facility.
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