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How To Use Tower Crane As A Lightning Arrester?

04/18/2011 10:57 AM

Anyone did this before, please suggest me how to do that.

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#1

Re: How to use tower crane as a lightning arrester?

04/18/2011 12:03 PM

A tower crane as a lightning arrester does not sound plausible to me at all. Now a tower crane will certainly act as a lightning rod and as such should have lightning arrestors attached to the power lines to stop lightning effects from getting into the grid.

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#2

Re: How To Use Tower Crane As A Lightning Arrester?

04/18/2011 1:37 PM

Just glad I'm not a tower crane driver.

Not only have you got to climb the thing, now there's someone deliberately trying to fry you!

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#3

Re: How To Use Tower Crane As A Lightning Arrester?

04/18/2011 4:06 PM

I wouldn't advise it. What you will create is effectively an antenna to attract and dump nasty voltages and currents into your earth cables and induce nasty voltages and currents in your wiring.

If you want to protect the crane and surrounding area FROM lightning damage then you could conceivably fit a lightning and surge arrestor system to it.

There must be companies that can do this, my experience is only with buildings.

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#4
In reply to #3

Re: How To Use Tower Crane As A Lightning Arrester?

04/19/2011 12:55 AM

Thank you, I got the idea from you. The easiest way is to refer to the company who have this kind of tower crane for hire to ask how conceivable they can do that. Then I will base on its height to estimate the protection diameter for the surrounding area.

But, before we can apply the lightning protection system for the building, we must protect the construction site first. As the building will go higher and higher, the people who working on the top would be "fry" first, direct or indirect, whatever... Ever heard of this kind of accident? I have no idea...

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#5
In reply to #4

Re: How To Use Tower Crane As A Lightning Arrester?

04/19/2011 3:34 PM

Ever heard of this kind of accident? I have no idea...

No, I don't think it is common. What is common with indirect lightning strikes is equipment damage, with equipment and cable damage due to direct lightning strikes.

Isn't there a regulation (or possibly company procedure) which requires crane operators to evacuate the crane in the event of nearby lightning storms? It is (fairly) common in the wind farm industry. More a worker risk reduction than equipment protection though.

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#6

Re: How To Use Tower Crane As A Lightning Arrester?

06/09/2011 5:33 AM

I think the operator will be safe because of the faraday cage. It is just something like the telecommunocation tower.

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