Lightning Protection for Buildings

Lightning storms are natural phenomena that can have devastating results. Lightning can destroy property and cause electrical surges within buildings. Protection against lightning is important not only in the protection of buildings and electronic devices but also in the protection against steep costs caused by repairing or replacing damages. There are various types of lightning building protectors, each conducting electrical surges and preventing damage to the buildings in specific ways.

Definition

Lightning protection is a system that conducts electrical currents away from buildings when they are struck by lightning. There are different types of lighting protectors that can be placed either in the ground or on the rooftops of buildings to easily attract and surge electrical currents.

Lightning Rods

Lighting rods or air terminals are the more familiar type of lightning protectors. They are generally tall, metallic poles that attract electrical currents to prevent any nearby structures, be they buildings or trees, to which lightning is highly attracted to, from being struck. There are different types of lightning rods for different types of protection. Some can be installed in the ground while others are more familiarly installed on rooftops or any tall structure, where lightning is more likely to strike. While lightning rods are good at conducting electrical surges away from the actual structure of a building, they don't necessarily protect against power surges.

Downconductors and Bonding

Downconductors are structures that are installed at least 10 feet deep in the ground through a route system outside the building. Like lightning rods, they conduct electrical energy away from the structure and into the ground. Most downconductors are not painted, as paint will make the systems less effective. They are also designed to gradually bend to prevent flashover effects. Bonding is another form of lightning building protection that protects other metallic structures, such as AC power, gas and water pipes and signal lines, and prevents them from attracting lightning.

Grounding

Grounding is a system using a master bus bar that connects both internal and external equipment in the grounding system. This reduces the surges caused by AC/DC electrical currents. It is generally an earth electrode which attracts currents and electrical energy away from above-ground buildings.

Transients and Surges

While generally not a building protector, transients and surges are nonetheless important in any protection system against electrical surges. They are used to prevent fuses and circuit breakers from surging and short-circuiting. They stop currents and block energy from traveling through wires while filtering certain frequencies and performing any other surge-protection duties. Transients and surges are best used with lightning rods and any other external or internal lightning building protection to prevent damages to electronic devices that might occur during a lightning storm.

Detection

Detections are early warning systems that protect buildings and AC power lines before an electrical storm occurs. They are sometimes used to disconnect power lines and provide standby generation. But unlike other lightning building protectors they are not reliable because they don't always use all necessary and available data on electrical storms.

Resources

• Why You Need Lightning Protection