05-09: Lightning Protection for Cooling Towers

Over the past fifteen years, there has been a marked increase in the number of lightning protection systems being installed on cooling towers. These systems, meant to last twenty or more years, are falling into disrepair from six to twelve months after completion. This is occurring due to various issues including, but not limited to, vibration, chemical environments, improper use of components, and incomplete installations. Because of these issues, the creation of a lightning protection standard specific to cooling towers should be created to both correct these deficiencies on future projects as well as upgrade existing systems.