29.09.14 , , ,
Any owner of asingle family house, warehouse, shop or shopping center may have this question. After all, lightning protection costs money, but in our area lightning is a rare phenomenon. Nearby structures without lightning protection systems can influence the final decision on the installation. "If they are not protected, and nothing happens to them, then installation of lightning protection is not necessary" - it's a fairly popular conclusion.
Why this opinion is wrong and why absence of lightning protection is dangerous, read in the article by prof. E.M.Bazelyan!
Article "Is it reasonable to make lightning protection?" It is the first in the series "Lightning protection for beginners". In the article, E.M. Bazelyan explains why lightning protection is obligatory on any object, whether it is a single-family house, an oil tank, a shopping center or a warehouse. First you need to understand that buildings, on which you don't see lightning rods and down conductors do not necessarily miss lightning protection system. Because , not only an air-terminal mast of various heights can be an element that assumes a lightning strike, but lightnign protection mesh, which usually does not rise above the roof for more than 50 cm. A down conductor can be installed under the elements of the building facade. Such arrangement of down conductors is not prohibited (see more).
An opinon that lightning is a rare phenomenon is partly true, because Russia is in the middle latitudes and we have less conditions for the occurrence of storms than, say, in the tropical zone. The article gives calculations of the frequency of lightning strikes on the territory of Russia and lists the factors that affect this frequency.
Using the search on the Internet, you can find a lot of news, and videos about lightning strikes. The consequences of them are various: from the burned-out electrical equipment in houses to more tragic cases. For these entire reasons one should not underestimate the danger posed by the element under the name of "lightning".
Useful materials:
- Series of articles about lightning protection for beginners
- Series of webinars about grounding and lightning protection with Professor E. M. Bazelyan
- Elements of external lightning protection
- Consultations on the selection, design and installation of grounding and lightning protection systems
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