Does the ground inspection pit require anti-theft or waterproof design?

Basic functions and structures of grounding inspection pits
The grounding inspection pit is a key auxiliary structure in the grounding system, which is mainly used to facilitate the detection, maintenance and testing of grounding resistance of grounding electrodes, grounding down conductors and other parts. It is generally set on the ground surface, using concrete pre-embedded or brick-built structures, and is equipped with grounding busbars, copper bars or connecting plates inside to facilitate the connection of test instruments and visual inspection. The cover plate is the visible part of its surface and is often regarded as one of the key nodes during construction.
Because it is outdoors and on the ground, it has been subjected to wind, rain, trampling, and foreign body intrusion for a long time. Whether it has anti-theft and waterproof designs is directly related to the stability and operational reliability of the grounding system.

Necessity analysis of anti-theft design
1. Prevent the risk of metal parts being stolen
The grounding inspection pit often contains metal parts such as copper conductors, copper bars, and connecting clips, which have certain recycling value and are at risk of being stolen. Especially in urban public areas or remote industrial sites, if the inspection manhole cover lacks effective anti-theft measures, it is easy to become a target of criminals. Once the grounding connection is damaged, it may cause the grounding system to be disconnected, thereby affecting the safety of power supply equipment or the failure of lightning protection function.
2. Ensure personal safety and equipment safety
If the cover is illegally opened or lost, the exposed conductor in the pit is easily soaked by rainwater, forming a hidden danger of conduction. Pedestrians or maintenance personnel who mistakenly enter the pit may also fall. Therefore, the use of manhole covers with anti-theft structures (such as bolt fixing, lock design, invisible opening device) is an effective means to improve safety.
3. Standardization requirements for public facility management
In the construction of urban power supply, communications, and municipal facilities, many places have written "grounding inspection pits must be equipped with anti-theft structures" into local standards or enterprise standards, reflecting the importance of anti-theft at the institutional level.

Discussion on the importance of waterproof design
1. Prevent water accumulation from corroding the grounding connection point
If the grounding connection part is in a damp or flooded state for a long time, it is easy to cause problems such as metal oxidation, resistance increase or connection failure, especially at the screw fastening point and copper busbar connection point, corrosion will seriously affect the contact reliability. Therefore, setting a waterproof layer or diversion device in the top cover of the inspection pit and the well body structure will help keep the interior dry.
2. Improve the accuracy of ground resistance test
The measurement of ground resistance requires a good bare metal contact surface. If the pit is covered with water and mud, it will affect the surface cleanliness and test accuracy. In areas with frequent rainy seasons, the quality of waterproof performance directly determines the maintenance efficiency.
3. Avoid affecting the normal operation of ground ancillary facilities
Infrastructure such as cables and plastic pipes are often laid around the inspection pit. Once the inspection pit is backflowed with water, it may cause equipment short circuit, material aging and even water seepage into the room, bringing safety hazards to the project.

Common anti-theft and waterproof design methods
1. Common practices of anti-theft structures
* Locked manhole cover: use embedded padlocks or hidden stainless steel locks.
* Bolt fixing: fasten with metal expansion bolts to the pit structure.
* Gravity manhole cover: made of cast iron or composite materials, heavier and more anti-handling.
* RFID identification: convenient for management departments to monitor the status of the manhole cover in real time.
2. Common practices of waterproof structure
* Outer cover with sealing ring: set a rubber sealing strip between the manhole cover and the well body.
*Waterproof baffle: An anti-seepage diversion layer or secondary isolation structure is set inside the pit.
*Drainage channel design: A drainage hole is left at the bottom of the pit and connected to the drainage system.
*Add a canopy or rain cover: Cover a small shelter facility above the equipment area.

Scope of application and selection suggestions
In some closed factory areas with simple working conditions and controllable personnel, the inspection pit can simplify anti-theft measures according to actual conditions, but in open or crowded areas, anti-theft and waterproofing should be a standard requirement. In addition, some special industries such as power transmission and distribution systems, lightning protection projects, substations and rail transit sites have higher standards for the sealing and safety of inspection pits, and finished structural parts with protection level certification should be used first.