SUMMARYTo improve GIS insulation specifications, it is important to recognize the insulation characteristics under oscillatory overvoltage waveforms occurring in the field. This paper describes investigations of insulation characteristics for single-frequency oscillatory waveforms with various frequencies and damping ratios. It was found that minimum breakdown voltages (V min ) rose with frequency rising under the same damping condition and V min rose with damping ratio rising under the same frequency condition. From an analysis of actual breakdown voltage characteristics, the probability of breakdown at a valley of oscillation rose with damping increasing. It was found that the insulation characteristics were treated all-inclusively based on the characteristics of V min for rise time or damping time.