Are statues on religious buildings grounded, if so, how?

[Electric-Light]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705310595/Lightning-hits-Oquirrh-Mountain-Temple.html

An Angel statue on the highest point of a Mormon temple was charred after a lightning strike. Those temples are probably not conductive. Is it likely to suffer charring from lightning even if it wasn't grounded?

If it is grounded, how is it done? They do not have visible cable. If the cable is INSIDE the building, is that allowed by code?

 

[bphgravity]

The "grounding" of an object is not lightning protection. And unfortunately, nothing is "lightning-proof." Even the most robust lightning protection system can at best only provide mitigation of the effects of a lightning strike.

Most lightning protection products are considered "invasive" or affect the aesthetic of an object of art or architecture. It takes considerable planning and is quite a design challenge to incorporate lightning protection into objects of this nature, but it can be done.

 

[Electric-Light]

The "grounding" of an object is not lightning protection. And unfortunately, nothing is "lightning-proof." Even the most robust lightning protection system can at best only provide mitigation of the effects of a lightning strike.

Most lightning protection products are considered "invasive" or affect the aesthetic of an object of art or architecture. It takes considerable planning and is quite a design challenge to incorporate lightning protection into objects of this nature, but it can be done.

If the statue is not grounded, it will seek path of discharge through the building structure, which means damage to the temple, so wouldn't they ground it to make it a lightning rod, so the current can travel the cable rather than the building?

 

[bphgravity]

Yes, that is the purpose of a lightning protection system. The statute itself may serve as a strike termination device if it meets certain criteria, but it does appear an air terminal is visible just above the head on the statute. I would imagine a cable is imbedded or run through the statute to down conductors within or on the building.

And as I stated previously, the presents of a lightning protection system does not guarantee the statute, structural, or any other component of the building will not be damaged during or from a strike.

Running conductors through the interior of a building and/or the building structure itslef can serve as the required lightning / down conductors of a LPS when installed in compliance with the NFPA 780 & ANSI/UL 96A.