{"id":206645,"date":"2023-10-09T20:00:09","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T00:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/?p=206645"},"modified":"2023-10-05T13:04:54","modified_gmt":"2023-10-05T17:04:54","slug":"dissecting-code-language-updates-to-lightning-protection-systems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/dissecting-code-language-updates-to-lightning-protection-systems\/","title":{"rendered":"Dissecting code language updates to lightning protection systems"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>
Photo courtesy East Coast Lightning Equipment Inc. <\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Brad Van Dam and Tim Harger<\/strong><\/p>\n

A bolt of lightning can produce anywhere from 100 million to one billion volts and strikes, and contains billions of watts of power, according to National Geographic. In fact, energy from lightning heats the air briefly to around 27,760 C (50,000 F) according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).<\/p>\n

It is no wonder lightning poses such a threat to property with potentially significant damages. In 2018 (latest data available), insurance companies paid nearly $1 billion in lightning-related claims to some 78,000 policy holders, according to the Lightning Protection Institute (LPI). Beyond physical building damage, lightning poses a threat to data, security, and all electrical and electronic components in a building. LPI estimates $1.7 trillion in data was lost in one year alone. In addition, approximately 3 to 5 percent of all commercial insurance claims involve lightning, which is a reliably preventable issue. A properly designed, installed, inspected, and certified lightning protection and grounding system can virtually mitigate this risk to policyholders and the public.<\/p>\n

To help prevent structural damage and loss due to lightning strikes, many commercial building owners have opted to have a lightning protection system (LPS) installed.<\/p>\n

What is a lightning protection system?<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to NFPA 780, the National Fire Protection Association\u2019s (NFPA\u2019s) ANSI standard for lightning protection systems in North America includes five fundamental elements:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n
    \"\"<\/a>
    When completed correctly, lightning protection systems (LPS) integrate effectively with roofing systems.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Air terminals or strike termination devices. Strike termination devices, formally known as lightning rods, are installed on high points of a building. Their purpose is to intercept lightning before it hits the building, or a building component, and lead the electrical charge to the ground. Air terminals can be solid, and either pointed or blunt tipped, and are typically made of copper or aluminum alloy.<\/li>\n

  2. Cable conductors. Cable conductors are heavy-duty metal cables that connect the air terminals and other components to provide a path for the lightning current to follow to the below-grade grounding electrode system. Conductor cables are often braided, but can be solid, and are typically made of copper or aluminum.<\/li>\n
  3. Bonding connections. Bonding is the interconnection of the LPS to other internally grounded metallic systems on the structure, such as vent stacks and AC units. Bonding creates a path for lightning current and helps prevent lightning from side-flashing or arching to other metallic systems in the building.<\/li>\n
  4. Grounding electrodes. Grounding electrodes are typically copper-clad steel rods, typically 3 m (10 ft) long, that are connected to the conductors and driven into the ground at multiple points around the building.<\/li>\n
  5. Surge-protection devices. Wherever power or signal wires enter a building, Type 1 surge protection devices specifically configured for lightning must
    \nbe installed to stop the intrusion of lightning from utility lines and equalize differences between grounded systems during lightning events.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In addition, according to the LPI, it is also important the LPS is installed, inspected, and certified by a professional trained in installing these systems, and that the installed system meets the standards outlined in NFPA 780, Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems <\/em>or in UL 96A, Installation Requirements for Lightning Protection Systems<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    Code language updates<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The International Building Code<\/em> (IBC<\/em>) is updated in multiple steps, based on annual review cycles. In 2021, the Group A Cycle included updates to Chapter 27, which covers \u201celectrical\u201d issues such as LPS. It was during this cycle that language referencing two different standards commonly used by LPS installers\u2014NFPA 780 and UL 96A\u2014was first added to the building code in Chapter 27. While the update does not mandate lightning protection equipment be installed on commercial buildings, it does require compliance with either NFPA 780 or UL 96A when lightning protection equipment is installed.<\/p>\n

    However, what the update language nor the referenced standards do not cover is how such systems should be secured to existing roofing components. The addition of this language to the 2024 IBC<\/em>, led by The Single Ply Roofing Industry (SPRI), the trade association representing the manufacturers of single-ply roofing systems and the related component materials, to take action to clarify how LPS components should be secured to edge metal and other tested roofing components. The specific wording added to Section 2703 for the 2024 IBC<\/em>, under Lightning Protection Systems, reads as follows:<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \"Cable
    Cable conductors are heavy-duty metal cables that connect the air terminals and other components to provide a path for the lightning current to follow to the below-grade grounding electrode system. <\/span>Photo courtesy East Coast Lightning Equipment Inc. <\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Section 2703 Lightning Protection Systems<\/p>\n