Integrated Assessment of Soil Resistivity and Maintenance Practices in Grounding Systems: A Systematic Review

Bonifacio R.F.A.; Rojas J.J.H.; Milla B.Y.B. · SSRG International Journal of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (2025) · DOI: 10.14445/23488379/ijeee-v12i8p119

Resumen

Electrical safety relies fundamentally on the ability of grounding systems to dissipate fault currents; however, seasonal variability in soil resistivity and deficiencies in maintenance practices continue to pose significant operational risks. This review proposed a conceptual model of an adaptive life cycle that interrelates three key dimensions: the temporal evolution of resistivity, the progressive degradation of grounding connections, and the diagnostic capability of intelligent technologies. A taxonomy of emerging solutions was also developed and classified according to their Technology Readiness Level (TRL). The methodology was based on a systematic Scopus search of articles published between 2020 and 2025, from which 54 relevant studies were selected. The analysis combined structured thematic extraction, qualitative synthesis, and chronological trend evaluation. The findings reveal that increases in resistivity above 500 O.m can raise potential gradients by up to 60%; condition-based maintenance programs reduce unforeseen failures and operational risks by 30% to 70%; distributed sensing technologies offer return on investment in less than three years; and artificial intelligence algorithms such as LSTM and GAT achieve diagnostic accuracy exceeding 90%, although they still require field validation. The study concludes that integrating multi-seasonal measurements, risk-based maintenance, and real-time diagnostics is essential to ensure the operational resilience of grounding systems in future electrical networks. This work provides a technical roadmap for researchers, regulators, and operators aiming to establish grounding systems as intelligent and self-adaptive assets.

Instituciones: Universidad Continental