There are no specific requirements to lightning protection of a shopping center. But designers will have to remember that this object is often one of "visit cards" of the city and lightning protection should not affect its appearance. The engineers of the ZANDZ Technical Center considered this detail when they got a task to calculate lightning protecton for one shopping center in Moscow region.
We offer you to get familiarized with project details and calculation example:
Calculation of lightning prorection for a shopping center in Moscow region
Object: Shopping moll.
Figure 1 - Plan of the object.
Task: Perform calculation of lightning protection system for a shopping moll in Moscow region.
Protection of buildings and structures against lightning discharges is ensured by lightning rods. A lightning rod is a device rising above the facility that diverts lightning current into the ground without entering the facility. It consists of a lightning rod which directly takes the lightning discharge upon itself, a down conductor and a ground electrode.
Solutions to meet the requirements to a lightning protection system of a shopping moll in Moscow region:
- Lightning protection is carried out in accordance with EIC 7th edition, IS 153-34.21.122-2003 «Instructions for lightning protection of buildings, structures and industrial communications» (hereinafter IS) and AD 34.21.122-87 «Instructions for lightning protection of buildings and structures» (hereinafter AD).
- The object refers to category 3 of lightning protection. System reliability must be not less than 0,9.
- Lightning protection of the object is made with the help of 8 vertical air-terminal masts 8 m high (ZZ-201-008-3).
- Connection of down conductors to lightning rods and downdrop to the grounding device;
- Installation of down conductors is carried out with the help of GL-11711 clamp – on a flat roof, GL-11704A- on vertical surfaces.| Distance between the clamps- from 0.8 up to 1.0 meter;
- To connect rolled metal over the length a universal clamp GL-11551A is used;
- All metal structures and communications must be connected to the down conductor with the help of clamps GL-11545A. Stairs, railings are connected with the help of GL-11514 clamp;
- Connection of down conductors to the existing grounding device.
Results of the calculation carried out with the software developed by the JSC "Energy Institute to the name of G.M. Krzhizhanovsky (JSC "ENIN"):
Density of lightning strikes into the ground - 4 strikes / sq. km per year;
The total number of strikes into the system - 0.16 (once in 6 years);
The total number of breakthroughs is 0.0099 (once in 101 years);
System reliability - 0,938;
Probability of breakthrough into all the system objects - 0.062.
Figure 2 shows the arrangement of equipment.
Table 1 gives the list of the required equipment and materials.
Figure 2 – Layout of lightning protection equipment of a shopping moll in Moscow region.
Table 1 - List of need in materials.
| № | Image | Product item | Product | Quantity, pcs. |
| 1. |  |
ZZ-201-008-3 | ZANDZ Vertical air-terminal mast 8 m with a set of 2 fastenings to the wall (stainless steel) | 8 |
| 2. |  |
ZZ-202-002 | ZANDZ Clamp to the lightning rod D42 mm for down conductors (stainless steel) | 8 |
| 3. |  |
GL-11149-50 | GALMAR Copper-bonded wire (D 8mm / S 50 mm²; coil of 50 meters) | 12 |
| 4. |  |
GL-11551A | GALMAR Clamp for connecting down conductors (painted galvanized steel) | 20 |
| 5. |  |
GL-11711 | GALMAR Clamp on a flat roof for the down conductor (plastic, concrete) | 480 |
| 6. |  |
GL-11704A | GALMAR Clamp for fixing down conductor cables to the facade (painted galvanized steel) | 120 |
| 7. |  |
GL-11514 | GALMAR Clamp-bridge on a gutter for down conductor (tinned copper) | 15 |
| 8. |  |
GL-11545A | GALMAR Clamp on the gutter for a down conductor (painted galvanized steel) | 15 |
| 9. |  |
GL-11562A | GALMAR Control clamp for connecting down conductors, wire + tape (painted galvanized steel) | 8 |
Do you have any questions about lightning protection of shopping malls? Please contact our ZANDZ Technical center!
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