Specification – Lightning Protection Systems

General:

Summary –

A) This Section specifies the lightning protection and grounding system for
the building(s) or structure(s). This system provides facility protection for
the building and occupants by preventing damage to the structure caused
by lightning and induced transient currents. The design of this system is to
be in strict accordance with this section of the specification and all contract
drawings that apply.
B) The work covered under this section of the specifications consists of
furnishing labor, materials and engineering services required for the
completion of a functional and unobtrusive lightning protection and facility
grounding system approved by the architect and engineer.

System Description –

The entire lightning protection system shall be designed and installed in

accordance with:
A) Lightning Protection Institute (LPI) Standard #175
B) National Fire Protection Assoc. (NFPA) Document #780
C) Underwriters’ Laboratories, Inc. (U/L) Standard #96A
D) NEC

Submittals –

A complete shop drawing shall be submitted to the architect and engineer for
approval prior to commencement of the installation. The shop drawing will show
the extent of the system layout designed for the structure along with details of the
products to be used in the installation.

Quality Assurance –

A) The contractor shall furnish an LPI-IP Certificate or a UL Certificate upon

completion of the installation.
B) The System Design shall be completed and the shop drawing stamped by
an LPI Certified Master Designer - Installer of Lightning Protection
Systems.
C) The installing contractor shall be listed with the Lightning Protection
Institute, and Underwriters’ Laboratories, Inc. The installation contractor
shall have personnel on staff Certified by the LPI as a Master Installer –
Designer of lightning protection systems. LPI qualified staff, Journeyman
 or higher, shall provide on-site supervision of the installation to the
Standards.

Products:

Standards –

All materials shall comply in weight, size, and composition with the requirements
of the UL 96 Materials Standards. All equipment shall be UL listed and properly
labeled. The system furnished under this specification shall be the standard
product of a manufacturer regularly engaged in the production of lightning
protection equipment and a member of LPI. Equipment shall be the
manufacturer’s latest approved design of construction to suit the application
where it is to be used in accordance with accepted industry standards and with
NFPA, LPI, & UL requirements.

Surge Suppression products for the electrical service entrance shall comply with
both NFPA 780 Sec 4.18 and UL 1449 3rd Edition. Surge Suppression products
for the communication service shall meet NFPA 780 Sec 4.18.

Acceptable Manufacturers –

ERICO, Inc. (www.erico.com)

Thomas & Betts / Furse (www.tnb.com)
Lyncole (www.lyncole.com)
VFC ZPen® (www.vfcinc.com)

Materials – XIT Grounding System

A) A Lyncole XITTM Grounding System shall be installed at Electrical Service

Entrance. Either a vertical or horizontal 10’ unit shall be used. Lyncole part
numbers K2-10CSD, or K2L-10CSD
B) A Main Ground bar shall be installed at the electrical service with minimum
dimensions of ¼” x 4” x 24” with 2 hole lug spacing.

Materials – Lightning Protection

A) Class I materials shall be used for systems on structures not exceeding 75

feet in height and Class II materials shall be used for systems on
structures exceeding 75 feet above grade.
B) Copper shall be of the grade ordinarily required for commercial electrical
work, generally designated as being 95 percent conductive when
annealed.
Aluminum conductors shall be of electrical grade aluminum.
C) Lightning protection materials shall be coordinated with building
construction materials to assure compatibility. Aluminum lightning
protection materials shall not be embedded in concrete or masonry,
installed on or below copper surfaces, or used for the in-ground system.
Copper lightning protection materials shall not be installed on aluminum
surfaces or on exterior sheet metal surfaces. Copper system components
within 2 feet of chimney exhausts shall be tin coated to protect against
deterioration.
D) Strike termination devices shall be provided to place the entire structure
under a zone of protection as defined by the Standards. Air terminals shall
project a minimum of 10 inches above protected areas or objects. Air
terminals shall be located within 2 feet of exposed corners and roof edges.
E) Metallic bodies having a thickness 3/16” or greater may serve as strike
termination devices without the addition of air terminals. These bodies
shall be made a part of the lightning protection system by connection(s)
according to the Standards using main size conductors and bonding
fittings with 3 square inches of surface contact area.
F) Cable conductors shall provide a two-way path from strike termination
devices horizontally and downward to connections with the ground
system.
Cable conductors shall be free of excessive splices and sharp bends. No
bend of a conductor shall form a final included angle of less than 90
degrees nor have a radius of bend less than 8 inches. Structural elements
and design features shall be used whenever possible to minimize the
visual impact of exposed conductors.
G) Cable down conductors may be concealed within the building construction
or enclosed within PVC conduit from roof to grade level. Down conductors
shall be spaced at intervals averaging not more than 100 feet around the
protected perimeter of the structure. In no case shall any structure have
fewer than two down conductors. Where down conductors are exposed to
environmental hazards at grade level, guards shall be used to protect the
conductor to a point 6 feet above grade.
H) In the case of structural steel frame construction, cable down conductors
may be omitted and roof conductors shall be connected to the structural
steel frame at intervals averaging not more than 100 feet around the
protected perimeter of the structure.
I) Exposed cable conductors shall be secured to the structure at intervals
not exceeding 3 feet – 0 inches.
J) All fasteners to be VFC ZPen® #ZP3412 with appropriate loop
supports. No support penetrations shall be made in any sheet metal
flashing or roof top equipment. Sheet metal screws shall not be
used. Appropriate adhesive supports and construction mastic may
be used on Membrane roof surfaces only. Adhesive supports and
construction mastic shall not be used on any sheet metal surfaces.
K) Connectors and splicers shall be of suitable configuration and type for the
intended application and of the same material as the conductors or of
 electrolytically compatible materials.
L) Ground terminations suitable for the soil conditions shall be provided for
each downlead conductor. Where the structural steel framework is utilized
as main conductors for the system, perimeter columns shall be connected
to the grounding system at intervals averaging 60 feet or less on the
protected perimeter. For any structure in excess of 60 ft. in vertical
elevation above grade, a ground loop interconnecting all ground terminals
and other building grounded systems shall be provided.
M) Common interconnection of all grounded systems within the building shall
be accomplished using main size conductors and fittings. Grounded metal
bodies located within the calculated bonding distance as determined by
the formulas of the Standards shall be bonded to the system using
properly sized bonding conductors.

Materials – Surge Suppression

A) Surge Suppression units shall be provided at every system entrance to the

structure to prevent massive lightning overvoltage’s from entering the
Structure.
B) Surge Suppression units may be built directly into the switchgear by the
switchgear manufacturer. The unit used by the switchgear manufacturer
must meet the minimum requirements set out by NFPA 780 and UL 1449
3rd edition type 1 or type 2 units.
C) If the Surge Suppression unit is not built into the switchgear the unit must
meet NFPA 780 and UL 1449 3rd edition type 1 or type 2. The unit must
be installed as per the manufacturer’s instructions and the NEC.
D) Surge Suppression products for the communication service shall meet
NFPA 780 Sec 4.18 and shall be installed as per the manufacturer’s
requirements and NFPA 780 Paragraph 4.18.6 and 4.18.7.

Execution:

Standard –

The installation shall comply with the requirements of NFPA 780, UL 96A, LPI
175, and the NEC.

Acceptable Design and Installation Firms –

VFC Lightning Protection www.vfcinc.com. 800-825-1948

Or equal with the following requirements:

A) 5 Years Minimum experience as a Lightning Protection Installation firm.

B) LPI Certified Master Designer on staff at the Lightning Protection Installation firm.
C) LPI Master and Journeyman installers on site to complete actual installation.
D) Participate in UL’s “Alternate Quality Management System Inspection Program”
Installation – XIT Grounding System

A) General
To achieve specific earth resistance, contact Lyncole for engineering
design assistance. Preliminary step in grounding design requires a
"Wenner four-point" soil resistivity test be performed on the earth at the
job site.
Install ground rod system in compliance with manufacturer's instructions or
recommendations.

B) Excavation - Bore minimum 6" diameter hole 6" deeper than the length of
rod to be buried. This insures that the top of the copper XIT rod will not
come in contact with the metal grate of the protective box or hand-hole
cover. If the electrode is longer than 10', a minimum 8" diameter hole
should be utilized. This is to insure that the system will be completely
surrounded by the backfill material. Remove sealing tape from leaching
holes. Place XIT unit in hole, so that the top of unit is about 6" below
grade. Lynconite backfill is a specific clay included with the system. Mix
each 50# backfill grout material with 14 gallons water to form a thick slurry
and pour around XIT rod up to "bury to here sticker".
Place protective box so top is flush with grade level and finish.
Remove sealing tape from top breather holes to activate.

D) Connection
Connect grounding electrode conductor(s) to ground rod pigtail
exothermically (Cadweld or Ultraweld).
Bury grounding conductor 30" below grade. Cover bare conductor with a
small amount of backfill for protection against corrosion.

Installation – Lightning Protection

A) The installation of the lightning protection system components shall be

done in a neat and workmanlike manner.
B) Roof penetrations required for down conductors or for connections to
structural steel framework shall be made using through-roof assemblies
with solid bars and appropriate roof flashings. The roofing contractor shall
furnish the methods and materials required at roofing penetrations of the
lightning protection components and any additional roofing materials or
preparations required by the roofing manufacturer for lightning conductor
runs to assure compatibility with the warranty for the roof.
 (Note: The roofing contractor will be responsible for sealing and flashing
all lightning protection roof penetrations as per the roof manufacturer’s
recommendations. The lightning protection roof penetrations and/or
method of conductor attachment should be addressed in the roofing
section of the specifications.)
C) All fasteners to be VFC ZPen® #ZP3412 with appropriate loop
supports. No support penetrations shall be made in any sheet metal
flashing or roof top equipment. Sheet metal screws shall not be
used. Appropriate adhesive supports and construction mastic may
be used on Membrane roof surfaces only. Adhesive supports and
construction mastic shall not be used on any sheet metal surfaces.
D) If the protected structure is an addition to or is attached to an existing
structure that does not have a lightning protection system, the contractor
shall certify that the system installed complies with the requirements of the
Standards, and advise the owner of the lightning protection work required
on the existing structure to obtain full certification for the structure. If the
existing structure does have a lightning protection system, the contractor
shall advise the owner of any additional work required on the existing
system to bring it into compliance with current Standards and thus qualify
for LPI or U/L certification.

Installation – Surge Suppression

A) At locations indicated on drawing(s), install Surge Protection Devices in full

accordance with manufacturer’s written instructions and comply with all
applicable codes.
B) At Distribution, MCC and Branch Panels, Surge Protection Devices with a UL
1449 Edition 3, Listing as a SPD Type 2 shall have a 30-Amp Circuit Breaker
or other size as recommended by the manufacturer’s installation manuals.
This independent Circuit Breaker will serve as a means of a disconnect for
servicing the Surge Protection Device with the protected panel remaining
energized.
C) Surge Protection Devices with a UL 1449 Edition 3 Listing as a SPD Type 1,
and an integrated disconnect can be connected directly to the buss without a
designated circuit breaker.
D) The Surge Protection Device shall be installed with the shortest possible
leads, or wire length maximum 18”.

Final System Inspection and Quality Control.

A) The contractor shall furnish an LPI-IP Certificate or a UL Certificate upon

completion of the installation.
B) LPI certification requires a signature by a representative of the owner at
multiple stages of installation & by their third party field staff. UL certification
 requires inspection by their third-party field staff after completion of the
installation.
C) The contractor shall furnish 10 Year Adhesion Warranty on the VFC
ZPen® fastener system.
D) As-Built Drawings shall be completed and stamped by an LPI Certified Master
Designer - Installer of Lightning Protection Systems.
E) Final Inspection Report – A final test and inspection report shall be completed
based on ANSI/TIA/EIA 607, NEC, NFPA 780, and UL96A industry standards
as applicable. The scope of the inspection and report shall include;
a. Test and evaluation the grounding system. Record final systems to
ground resistance level.
b. Evaluation and Testing of the internal bonding and grounding systems.
c. Evaluation and Testing of equipment grounding.
d. Evaluation of AC surge suppression installation.
e. Evaluation of telco surge suppression installation.
f. Copy of the LPI-IP Lightning Protection Certification.
g. Final As-Built Review and submission.
F) Report shall include detailed reporting and test results with corresponding
photos of each evaluation category.