Wooden pole for lightning protection

[Red Wiggler]

I have a situation where a school has installed 2 new scoreboards (outdoor) and they are worried about lightning protection. They have contacted me about the size of bare copper wire needed to run from the top of a wooden 40 foot pole and coiled up at the base prior to being erected. Their thinking is that this pole (for whatever reason) would "protect" the scoreboards from a lightning strike.

I told them that I don't think that this will work, but they are persistant. Any ideas?

 

[qcroanoke]

I have a situation where a school has installed 2 new scoreboards (outdoor) and they are worried about lightning protection. They have contacted me about the size of bare copper wire needed to run from the top of a wooden 40 foot pole and coiled up at the base prior to being erected. Their thinking is that this pole (for whatever reason) would "protect" the scoreboards from a lightning strike.

I told them that I don't think that this will work, but they are persistant. Any ideas?

NFPA 780: Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems, 2008 Edition
I don't know if you can look at it on line.

but if it were me I'd tell them to find an installer of lightning protection and get some help from him.

 

[RICK NAPIER]

You can view all the NFPA codes at this site all you need to do is give them an e-mail address http://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/list_of_codes_and_standards.asp?cookie_test=1

 

[Hameedulla-Ekhlas]

I have a situation where a school has installed 2 new scoreboards (outdoor) and they are worried about lightning protection. They have contacted me about the size of bare copper wire needed to run from the top of a wooden 40 foot pole and coiled up at the base prior to being erected. Their thinking is that this pole (for whatever reason) would "protect" the scoreboards from a lightning strike.

I told them that I don't think that this will work, but they are persistant. Any ideas?

You can install one air-terminal per NFPA-780 at the top of pole and it will protect it.

 

[bob]

The utilities use #6 copper as a down conductor. If you install the air terminal as suggested, I would not offer any guarantees.

 

[bphgravity]

You really can't "hack" together a LPS, especially when you are dealing with public schools funded by tax dollars. The project needs to be analyzed and designed for the specific conditions of the geographical location, geometrics of the structure, materials of the structure, and risk to cost comparison.

Here in Florida, LPS's for public schools are mandated by law, even for the simplest of structures like this. In addition, these systems must be engineered, inspected, and third party certified.

 

[jrannis]

The people that sell lightning protection materials will design the installation for you.

 

[K8MHZ]

One word.

Polyphaser

Don't even THINK about lightning protection without going over that site.

The Tech Notes are a bit hard to find so here is a LINK to Tech Notes.