Lightning actually poses a greater risk to the systems and infrastructure we’ve put in place than to human life itself. Lightning rods offer a path for the lightning that gives much less resistance than the air, which is why lightning so often strikes metal and why metal is used to make lightning rods. This makes it even less likely that lightning will strike where it isn’t wanted.Įven lightning rods that don’t emit positive ions are effective because lightning follows the path of least resistance. They do so by emitting positive ions that attract the negative ions found in storm clouds that create lightning. Similar to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, some buildings have lightning rods that actively draw lightning toward them.
Fortunately, skyscrapers are equipped with lightning rods, usually situated at the highest point of the building, to make it as plausible a target as is possible for the lightning to strike.Ī bolt of lightning strikes the lightning rod at the top of the skyscraper, then the current passes through a series of cables on and around the roof and is directed down toward the ground, where it dissipates safely in the Earth. It wouldn’t make sense to have skyscrapers built so high, and cost so much money, only to have them be constantly damaged by lightning and to risk the lives of those inside. It’s no wonder then that a single lightning bolt can do quite a lot of damage. All that energy, moving at a rate of 270,000 mph (434,523 kph) - that’s a monumentally scary thought. What Happens When Lightning Strikes a Skyscraper?Īccording to the National Weather Service in the United States, a typical lightning bolt carries about 300 million volts of energy. In the rest of this article, we’ll take a look at how this system works and share some new and exciting technology that could prove to be even more effective than the conventional LPS. It has proven to be a good investment for those who want to protect the structural integrity of their buildings and the lives inside.
This technology has been used since Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiment, and since then, it has been our primary lightning protection method. The LPS attracts lightning bolts and sends them into the Earth, where the energy can dissipate safely. Engineers utilize Lightning Protection Systems (LPS) to prevent damage to skyscrapers and protect the people inside. Skyscrapers are designed to withstand lightning. Being in a skyscraper during a thunderstorm can be pretty scary, too, particularly if you don’t know whether or not the building you’re in can withstand a lightning strike. In any given year, somewhere between 6,000 and 24,000 people die from lightning strikes. Lightning can be incredibly terrifying and dangerous.
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