Re: [TCML] comments on designing a lightning protection system

[Yurtle Turtle <yurtle_t@xxxxxxxxx>]

All corners were required to be grounded. We don't bond any of our handrail or guardrail (this is technically guardrail as it's 42" tall and is for fall protection). Since this is an industrial building, we have huge grounding grids around every building, that are independant of the lightning protection. The base slab and wall reinforcing are connected to this, as well as all interior equipment.

It's just the silliness that occurs when you require lightning rods on all buildings, then end up with a large retaining wall at one end, which means i can walk up to the roof and touch the lightning rods on that side. As I said, if lightning hits that rod, and you happen to be right next to it, I suspect it won't really matter how much grounding or bonding there is, you're gonna have a really bad day.

However, this does absolutely nothing to protect your equipment from induced current on power and signal lines. We use TVSS' on all power entering our buildings and surge supressors at the both ends of all signal lines.

For homes, you need to protect from surges coming in on all cable, phone, antenna, satellite, and power lines. There's also the possibility that with all the CAT-5, power, phone, coax, etc. inside your home, you're still gonna see large surges induced into these antennae. I had two near hits that took out every network card in my house. That's six computers and an X-Box. That was induced in our network cabling. We also lost two TV's, from a surge that apparently came in from the cable company.

Adam

--- On Thu, 6/5/08, David Speck <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: David Speck <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [TCML] comments on designing a lightning protection system
> To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Thursday, June 5, 2008, 10:58 PM
> Adam,
> 
> I think that what is in the photo is actually correct
> practice.  Any 
> large metal components in the structure get bonded to the
> lightning 
> system ground path.  I don't believe that the railing
> is the only path 
> to ground.  There must be direct paths to ground somewhere
> else. 
> 
> When the lightning guys installed the protection system at
> my house, 
> even my garage door rails got bonded to the ground system,
> as well as 
> the I-beam in the center of the basement, even though
> it's 40+ feet 
> below the roof line, and sitting in the cement block walls
> at both 
> ends.  They explained that in the event of a a nearby
> lightning strike, 
> isolated metal pieces can develop high potentials at their
> ends by 
> induction, which can cause arcs to other things, like
> people, so these 
> big pieces get bonded to ground as well. 
> 
> Dave
> > Here's what a "professional" did on my
> last project. This is not a gag photo. The lightning rod
> was really tied directly to a handrail.
> >
> > http://www.hot-streamer.com/adam/temp/IMG_0385.JPG
> >
> > Of course if you're holding onto this handrail,
> proper grounding wouldn't really matter much.
> >
> > Adam
> >
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