Types of Clamps – Grounding & Lightning Protection

What is a Clamp?

A clamp holds or secures objects tightly together, preventing movement or separation from inward pressure. It is an essential tool in electrical and construction work. For earthing, clamps create an electrical connection between a conductor and the earthing system. You will find these installed in electrical and construction applications, providing secure and reliable grounding points for electrical systems. Clamps for Earthing and Lightning protection come in materials like copper, brass, and stainless steel, based on their applications.

Types of Clamps

For ease of your understanding, we have segregated the clamps into 3 segments depending on their applications. These application segments are external lightning protection systems, structural lightning protection systems, and earth rod systems.

Types of Clamps – External Lightning Protection

The External system protects against direct lightning strikes. It includes an Air Termination, a Down Conductor and an Earth Termination System. These clamps play a vital role here as they connect lightning rods, pipes, and other components to the lightning protection system, ensuring the electrical safety of your structure. Let’s start by understanding them in detail.

1. Split Connector Clamp: This clamp connects cable to earth rods by using cable lugs. They are made from High Grade Copper Alloy. This clamp is also used for mounting ESE lightning arresters. At Axis, we have specific types for threaded and unthreaded rods.

2. Pipe Clamps: Made from High Grade Copper Alloy and Stainless Steel. They provide earthing for metal pipes by ensuring equi-potentialisation. This clamp is connected across the pipe and the cable is installed on the top part of the clamp.

3. Roofing Sheet Clamp: Made from Stainless Steel, this clamp secures Lightning Protection Conductors to roofing sheets so that they can safely transfer faulty current into the ground. They can be used for both aluminium and copper conductors. Usually, you are not allowed to drill on roofing sheets as it leads to water leakage. Using this clamp, you don’t have to drill – this clamp will directly clamp on the sheet. This is applicable for snap lock standing seam roof profiles.

4. Conductor Holding Clamp: Also known as side wall clamps. These clamps hold conductors and air terminals on walls. Made from stainless steel, it is designed to secure round conductors on parapets and side walls. You can install them by screwing or anchoring, depending on your load requirements.

5. Air Terminal Rod to Conductor: Made from stainless steel, this rod is suitable for connecting air rods to lightning protection systems. The same can be used for connecting the earth rod with a lightning protection system, if your earth rod diameter is less than 20 mm.

Types of Clamps – Structural Earthing

Structural earthing uses a building’s natural components to create a large-volume shield or faraday cage. These components include metal reinforcements in ceilings, walls, and facades. It provides a path for lightning or fault currents to dissipate into the ground.

1. Diagonal Clamp: It is used to connect down conductors with rebar. Made from Stainless Steel, Axis diagonal clamps meet the requirements of IEC 62305 and 62561 Part 1.

2. U-bolt Rebar to Conductor Clamps: Made from Stainless Steel, these clamps connect rebar to solid or stranded round conductors in a structural lightning protection system. This connection integrates the building’s structural steel into the lightning protection system, creating a more effective path for lightning currents to dissipate into the ground.

3. U-bolt Rod Clamps – Type ‘E’ with Double Plate: These clamps connect rebar or earth rods to flat conductors in a lightning protection system. At Axis, we make them from high-grade copper alloy to fight corrosion and ensure longevity.

4. DC Tape Clip: Made from copper alloy, these clips support copper flat tape on the structure. As you can see here, they are secured by two screws so that they remain firm.

5. Square Combination Clamp: Also known as Square Tape Clamp, this enables 4-way connections like straight-through joints or T joints for tapes. The 4-way design allows for versatile wiring layouts, reducing the number of connections needed in complex earthing systems. At Axis, we manufacture them in copper alloy and stainless steel, with and without intermediate plates, depending on your requirements. We also have different varieties in this clamp for making conductor to tape, conductor to conductor and tape to tape connections.

6. U-bolt Rod Clamps – Type ‘E’: These clamps establish connections between Flat tape and earth rod or reinforcing bar. As well as Stranded conductor and earth rod or reinforcing bar. At Axis, we manufacture these clamps for single and double plate designs, and also for 3 conductor types.

7. Rebar Clamp: These clamps safely connect earth conductors to reinforcing bars, metal pipes, handrails, and similar structures. Installing rebar clamps provides a secure connection between the earth conductor cable and metal elements, ensuring effective lightning protection.

8. Cross Connector: Made from stainless steel, these clamps connect conductors in cross and T configurations. They join rods to different types of conductors. They are used for both external and structural lightning protection systems. At Axis, we manufacture various types of cross connectors like:

Rod-to-rod conductor
Rod to the flat conductor
Flat to flat conductor

Types of Clamps – Earth Rod System

1. RCC Clamp: Also known as Rod to Cable Clamps, this clamp connects rods and conductors in earthing systems. This connection allows faulty electrical currents to dissipate into the ground. At Axis Electricals, we make these clamps from high-grade copper alloy. They are cULus listed.

2. Earth Rod Clamps: Made from Stainless Steel, these clamps connect earth rods to tape conductors. This connection allows for transferring electrical current from the down conductor to the earth rod, ensuring the electrical safety of your system. We make these clamps in Copper Alloy like Brass & Bronze depending on your requirements.

3. B Bond Clamp: This clamp bonds copper or aluminium flats to steel structures. Manufactured in copper alloy material or aluminium, these clamps secure electrical connections between conductors and metal structures.

I hope you now have a clear understanding of the different types of clamps used in Earthing & Lightning Protection. At Axis, our team of over 50 engineers is ready to support your project needs for designing your next earthing and lightning protection.