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Zs, to test or calculate?

A large contractor working on our site have told me yesterday that it is their policy not to live test final circuits where they cannot use a plug? In order to reduce risk, they will now only calculate Zs, on circuits where they would have to open an enclosure, such as FCU's and light fittings.
The control measures we insist are in place, are IP2X equipment, GS38 leads, two man rule with second man having resus training, among others. So I feel the risk has been reduced to as low as reasonably practicable. An d my instinct tells me that a measured Zs reading must be more accurate than a calculated one, since it will include all parallel paths under test.
The contractor is happy to live test distribution circuits, so it seems they want to pick and choose.
They also state that this is how things are now, and have worked at many different sites, Cross Rail, Heathrow, various MOD sites etc, and that they al accept this as common practice.

I like some opinions to find out what's going on out there on other sites. 
Parents
  • The temperature of conductors directly affects the test results

    Agreed.

     
    Maximum 1-phase SC-current (temperature of conductors 90C) = 2.213 kA

    Minimum 1-phase SC-current (temperature of conductors 20C) = 1.46 kA

    That's odd - I would have expected that conductors at 90°C to have a higher resistance than those at 20°C and hence to have a lower fault current.

     
    Test results can confirm or not confirm the calculation results, nothing more.

    More to the point, testing confirms that the installation does achieve what the design requires - no calculation would be able to spot a damaged conductor or a polarity reversal.


        - Andy.
Reply
  • The temperature of conductors directly affects the test results

    Agreed.

     
    Maximum 1-phase SC-current (temperature of conductors 90C) = 2.213 kA

    Minimum 1-phase SC-current (temperature of conductors 20C) = 1.46 kA

    That's odd - I would have expected that conductors at 90°C to have a higher resistance than those at 20°C and hence to have a lower fault current.

     
    Test results can confirm or not confirm the calculation results, nothing more.

    More to the point, testing confirms that the installation does achieve what the design requires - no calculation would be able to spot a damaged conductor or a polarity reversal.


        - Andy.
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