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Join Date: Jan 2012
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Data Cable Running Adjacent to Lightning Conductor

01/26/2012 6:31 PM

hi, I have recently undertaken a job involving installing a sensor on the roof of a building with a 4 core data/power cable (0.75mm sq 2 x twisted pair with foil screen) running down to a network point (via a moxa NPort5310). My question\concern is relating to the cable run. I had originally surveyed this and rulled out the shortest route as it followed a lightning conductor. When installing however my engineer was instructed by the client to follow this route. Our data cable runs for approx 6m parallel to this conductor with approx 10-15cm seperation. Between the data cable & the lightning conductor is a small 'ridge' formed by the the roof material made of zinc. Am i overly concerned? -my feeling is that this cable run should be re-routed -albeit a slightly longer route but away from the building's conductors. My engineer assures me the current route is ok but i doubt he understands the principals of inductance as he continued to stress the point that there was no electrical contact between the two cables -which as i understand it, is irrelivant -but will this metal ridge have any sheilding effect? I have attached a basic sketch (png format) of a cross section -appologies but this was drawn on a phone!! Would welcolme any advice on this issue. Oh i can't seem to attach the picture. However the ridge is approx 5cm high by 10cm wide our data cable runs down one side with the lightning conductor running down the other side. Regards Ian.

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#1

Re: Data cable running adjacent to lightning conductor

01/26/2012 7:10 PM

I'm with you here, living in Florida I have seen what lightning can do....as far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as being too careful...

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#2

Re: Data Cable Running Adjacent to Lightning Conductor

01/27/2012 2:35 AM

Ask your consultant whether it is OK to enclose the data/communication cables in metal/steel conduit.

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#3

Re: Data Cable Running Adjacent to Lightning Conductor

01/27/2012 7:38 AM

If lightning strikes the building there is no certainty whether it will hit the lightning conductor or the thing on the roof connected to the data cable, both of which serve to increase the local voltage gradient in the air above the building and encourage the discharge. If the downstroke causes induction in the data cable from the current in the lighning conductor downlead, or passes down the data cable itself, the equipment at both ends of the data cable will be scrap anyway. It may be worth installing lightning surge arrestors at the lower end of the data cable, though the sorts of currents in a downstroke might fry the data cable and the thing on the roof well before the surge arrestors can deal with it.

Enclosing the data cable in a metallic, earthed conduit may provide some protection against induction from the lightning conductor downlead, though it would provide none were the lighning to strike the metallic earthed conduit containing it instead.

So the long-and-the-short of it is that it probably doesn't matter.

How about installing an earthed cage around the thing on the roof, connected to the lighning conductor downlead, and routing the data cable away from the lightning conductor downlead instead?

All these things are a game of chance!

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#4

Re: Data Cable Running Adjacent to Lightning Conductor

01/27/2012 8:15 AM

Doesn't this thread belong in the Electrical Engineering section? Just checking....

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#5

Re: Data Cable Running Adjacent to Lightning Conductor

01/27/2012 11:31 PM

there is a long thread on lightning surge protection here which may be of use to you.

http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=28330&hilit=lightning

sorry i cant post links here i am using mozilla and its playing up

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#6
In reply to #5

Re: Data Cable Running Adjacent to Lightning Conductor

01/27/2012 11:48 PM

http://www.protectiongroup.com/ProtectionTechnologyGroup/media/PTG/ProductDataDocuments/1453-003.pdf?ext=.pdf

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#7

Re: Data Cable Running Adjacent to Lightning Conductor

01/28/2012 8:32 PM

I agree with the rest of you, simply they two things need to be placed as far apart as possible.......

In any case, the cable needs to go through a box where any lightning strike can be "bled off" before it kills anything else, no matter where the cable is placed...

Telephones use similar devices against strikes on the wires.....I forget what they are called......

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#8

Re: Data Cable Running Adjacent to Lightning Conductor

02/02/2012 4:00 PM

I agree with the rest of you too, but it seems like this is a 'contracting business' and they're following the 'needs of the customer.' I would how ever say that it would be advisable for you to note some where in the papers that you would prefer 'your wires' not run along that 'lightning conductor' because of 'obvisous reasons' (maybe note a couple?) but the customer wants it run along with the lightning conductor.

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