There are several main objectives providing for well designed grounding system: first, Personal safety, followed by equipment protection signal reference quality, return path for faults and surges and static dissipation.

In order to meet these objectives, grounding connection must maintain a low contact resistance often under adverse conditions, for the expected lifetime of the grounding system. Connections in grounding network are subject to severe corrosion, high mechanical stress due to electromagnetic force and rapid thermal heating due to high current magnitude during fault conditions