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HB 3012001

Electrical
installations
Designing to the Wiring rules

This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

HB 3012001

Electrical
installations
Designing to the Wiring rules

First published as HB 3012001.

COPYRIGHT
Standards Australia International
All rights are reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or copied in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without
the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Standards Australia International Ltd
GPO Box 5420, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia
ISBN 0 7337 4243 2

HB 3012001

1: The design and installation process

Preface
AS/NZS 3000 Wiring rules is a performance-based standard, which sets out the minimum
requirements for the design, construction, and testing of electrical installations. The requirements
are intended to protect persons, livestock, and property from electric shock, fire and physical injury
hazards.

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This handbook includes typical electrical installation scenarios, and each of these has been
developed to include a complying solution. In this sense a complying solution is one solution
which meets the performance requirements of AS/NZS 3000.
As such, there are many ways of complying with AS/NZS 3000. This document has been produced
as a design guide for commonly encountered electrical installations. While the design principles
apply equally to larger and more complex installations, it is not the intention of this handbook to
attempt to address the detailed design needs of those installations.
This handbook will be reviewed periodically to take account of the changes in design and
installation procedures and relevant Standards.
The work of Bruce Walsh (Ballengearry Consulting Pty Ltd) who prepared this handbook, and the
direction of Standards Australia, is recognized and greatly appreciated.

1: The design and installation process

HB 3012001

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Contents
Foreword ......................................................................................................................................4
Scope............................................................................................................................................5
References ....................................................................................................................................6
Section 1 The design and installation process............................................................................8
1 The brief .............................................................................................................................9
2 The planning phase ........................................................................................................... 11
2.1 Maximum demand assessments............................................................................... 12
2.2 Voltage drop considerations .................................................................................... 13
3 The design phase............................................................................................................... 16
3.1 Introduction and overview....................................................................................... 17
3.2 Fault level and prospective short-circuit current....................................................... 21
3.3 Fault-loop impedance.............................................................................................. 22
3.4 Residual current devices.......................................................................................... 24
3.5 Discrimination and grading ..................................................................................... 25
3.6 Discrimination in practice ....................................................................................... 27
3.7 Earthing .................................................................................................................. 29
3.8 Switchboards .......................................................................................................... 31
3.9 Final subcircuits...................................................................................................... 32
4 Installation........................................................................................................................ 34
5 Testing and verification..................................................................................................... 34
6 Guidance notes for solutions ............................................................................................. 35
6.1 Format .................................................................................................................... 35
6.2 Service and installation rules ................................................................................... 35
6.3 Selection of cables .................................................................................................. 35
6.4 Fault ratings of switchboards................................................................................... 39
6.5 Earthing .................................................................................................................. 40
6.6 Distribution boards and final subcircuits.................................................................. 40
6.7 Fault-loop impedance values ................................................................................... 40
Appendix A Look up tables......................................................................................................... 41
Tables
A1 Typical fault levels and impedance.......................................................................... 41
A2 Assessment of maximum demandADMD method................................................ 42
A3 Minimum cable csa in mm2 for K=111Short circuit characteristics ..................... 43
A4 Cable impedance values for V 75 single-core conductorsInstalled touching ......... 44
A5 Cable impedance values for V 75 multicore cablesCircular conductors ................ 45
A6 Maximum circuit lengths for 2% to 3% voltage drop, single-phase circuits.............. 46
A7 Maximum values of fault-loop impedance (Table B4.1 Wiring rules) ...................... 47
Appendix B Theoretical information........................................................................................... 48
B1 Prospective short-circuit current .............................................................................. 48
B2 Fault loop calculation when the source impedance is not known .............................. 54
B3 Touch voltage ......................................................................................................... 55
B4 Protective device characteristics .............................................................................. 57
Section 2 Complying solutions ............................................................................................... 59
Part 1 ResidentialMultiple detached units ...................................................................... 59
Part 2 ResidentialMultiple grouped units with common wallsSingle level .................. 89
Part 3 ResidentialMulti (3) storey18 units ................................................................ 119
Part 4 Retail developmentSingle level10 units ......................................................... 149
Part 5 Multi (3) storey office building.............................................................................. 181
Part 6 Light industrial unitsDetachedSingle level ..................................................... 209
Part 7 Light industrial unitsGrouped ............................................................................ 239
Part 8 Pro-forma design record.................................................................Separate document

HB 3012001

1: The design and installation process

Foreword
This handbook contains the following sections:
Section 1 consists of a narrative which explains the process and procedure of designing an
electrical installation of the type contained in this handbook. The phases of design include the
brief, planning, the detailed design, and the narrative and flowcharts take the designer step by step
through the process. The narrative includes theory and practice which the designer may apply to
electrical designs generally. The requirements for testing and verification of the installation are
also included and explained.

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Section 2 consists of a suite of complying solutions which are detailed and include a short
narrative where necessary to explain the detailed design further. The solutions have been presented
using a common format and layout so that the designer following this document can readily adapt
and modify the solution to suit a different application.
Similarly the designer may adapt the procedure in this document to develop other complying
solutions, and to implement different formats and styles for presentation.
The complying solutions include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

ResidentialMultiple detached units

ResidentialMultiple grouped units with common wallsSingle level
ResidentialMulti (3) storey18 units
Retail developmentSingle level10 units
Multi (3) storey office building
Light industrial unitsDetachedSingle level
Light industrial unitsGrouped
Pro-forma design recordSeparate document

Sketches and records are presented to provide the designer with the reference material necessary
to make submissions to Electricity Distributors, and to document the installation.
This document includes the installation and testing details for the complying solutions which
allows the designer to verify the installation as being complete.
The pro-forma design record has been provided as a separate document so it may be copied and
used as necessary as an aid to designing electrical installations.

1: The design and installation process

HB 3012001

Scope
This document applies to electrical design, installation, and testing in general which is developed
to comply with the requirements of AS/NZS 3000, Wiring rules.
In addition, there are State and Territorial legislature requirements that must be applied in the
design of electrical installations. These requirements are generally incorporated in the Electricity
Distributor Service and Installation Rules, and will be referred to in this document as the Service
Rules.

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While the requirements and terminology of the Electricity Distributor Service and Installation
Rules have been acknowledged, it is not intended that this document address every possible
combination of these rules, and it is to that extent intended to be generic.
The designer using this document is to check the requirements of the Electricity Distributor
Service and Installation Rules, and is to check with the Electricity Distributor for any special
requirements. The designs may be modified as necessary.
This Handbook is not a replacement for AS/NZS 3000, and the user must refer to AS/NZS 3000
for guidance on the application of the Standard in all cases.
The technical information contained in the complying solutions is not a replacement for the
AS/NZS 3008.1 series, and the user must refer to the appropriate part of that standard for guidance
on the selection of cables for Australia and New Zealand.
This handbook is not intended to address the detailed design and planning requirements for:
a) High voltage electrical installation.
b) Prospective short-circuit currents exceeding 20 kA.
c) Hazardous locations (see the AS/NZS 2381 series).
Where these electrical installations arise, an electrical designer experienced in the type of project
envisaged should be used to undertake the planning and design.

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HB 301-2001, Electrical installations - Designing to

the Wiring rules

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