Lightning protection for metal pole building

[OutbackL130]

I don't think that a car port is sufficiently enclosed with metal structure to form a Farady Cage...The wikipedia definition is:

These rooms are spaces that are completely enclosed by one or more layers of a fine metal mesh or perforated sheet metal. The metal layers are grounded to dissipate any electric currents generated from external or internal electromagnetic fields, and thus they block a large amount of the electromagnetic interference.

Faraday cage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Metal carport buildings are really not different than any other type of metal building once the sides are put on like mine. I dont know how to go about adequately grounding the building to protect anyone inside. I put one 8 foot grounding rod in for my powder coating booth. I'm guessing there is another grounding rod for my electric hookup at the building. I never really thought of lightning and metal buildings before.

 

[texasjohn]

OK...looks like a metal building to me, thus my prior comment does not apply.

I think of a carport as having several open sides.

For my metal building, I just made sure that one of my grounds was bonded to one of the metal building supports. The tin is bonded to the various supports via metal screws.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/DOD/UFGS/UFGS%2026%2041%2000.pdf

I am of the opinion that this thread has some basic misinformation. I am not an expert on the subject either; but, I have been involved in construction projects that incorporate it into the construction. Whether to install a LP system or not depends on the geographic area and a risk analysis. The systems I have seen are professionally designed and are separate from the electrical service. They do not share the same grounding conductors or the rods/plates/grounding ring but are totally separate. The electrical system is required, by code, to have the building frame bonded to the system ground system. This is to assure electrical safety. The conductors for the LP system to ground are probably considerably larger than the electrical ground system. Attached above is a link to a guide specification for military construction of LP systems. If you take it to heart you can see it is not a DIY type solution.

In my opinion an incorrectly installed system is more dangerous than none; plus it gives a false sense of security. The average person on the street has no clue about these things and it is always an after thought instead of a thought out and planned system. Lot's of luck.

Ron