Anybody can tell me the exact NEC / IEEE / BS standard code for the Lightning Protection System for High Rise Buildings.

Thanks n Best regards to all of you.

High copper prices are affecting many more safety issues than lightning suppresion. My business is highly impacted I went from being asked to fix potential problems to let's wait until it fails by many of my customers.

Exactly which codes, rules, regulations dictate/demand the installation of a lightning protection system. To the best of my knowledge there is no such requirement. However, if you do install a system you must follow the National Electrical Safety Code and NEC. Comments, please.

In my opininion, selling or offering lightning protection is equivalent to offering cancer protection. If you can't absolutely measure something,how can you absolutely defend it? Sneak path through gas lines and ground rods is the most common conduit. Direct hits to service mast and pole mounted x-formers are the minority. Transient surge suppressors only protect your service from the power company,not from mother nature!! I respect and despise EE's. They can't troubleshoot a candle, but they've learned how many you need!! Just my opinion.

I am an electrical engineer in the Facilities Engineering group for a large company with many buildings. While there may be no CODE requirement for lightning protection, it is often required by insurance companies, especially for high-rise buildings. We also specify surge protection (TVSS) for the electrical service entrance on all new construction, and sometimes add supplemental TVSS protection for critical electronic loads such as telephone switches and computers.

The high price of copper has caused home builders in the Dallas area to demand the use of flexible plastic water piping underground and in slabs. This is very unusual in this area and it is expected that the area electrical inspectors will have conflicting ideas about grounding issues related to it, most likely requiring inadequate or incorrect bonding. This is because the plumbing contractors will liberally use copper fittings so the consumer will be unaware of the plastic piping, everything looks the same. Since there is little or no experience installing flexible plastic plumbing piping in this area, there is a high probibility of plumbing problems. Extremely high salvage pricing for copper has caused a rash of theft. In one case a home was completely stripped of all electrical wiring from the load side of the meter, as well as all copper plumbing piping within 1" of the slab. Needless to say, the home is almost a total loss.

How about a detailed discussion of the CTS, ESE, and CVM systems - what they entail and why they don't work?

Mike, The copper price article is an interesting and a very real issue. Is the website link to the wireless site correct? It does not seem to apply to the article?

Your story about copper prices affecting lightning protection systems would effect a small number of contractors. How about a story on how skyrocketing cost of copper effect the pricing of regular electrical contractors. The price of copper and gasoline has tripeled in the past year. I can't rase my bid prices 200% and expect to get any jobs! General comments in the media that the price of copper and gasoline probably will not come down. Why don't we have a senate investigation on price gouging. Instead the government wastes money investigating if Bush made up the wepons of mass destruction crap to go to war with Iran. I guess I will file bankruptcy and go on welfare.

The high price of copper wire has drastically affected my business and put one of my buddies out of business. My one buddy bid a Holiday Inn on ( speak of the devil ) 14 August 2003 just a few hours before the blackout. Groundbreaking did not start until a year later yet Bass Resorts expected the job to be done for the exact same price. Because hurricane Ivan jacked up the price of materials he had to sell his house and principal place of business.

Even before hurricane Ivan he was selling property because the events of Setpember 11, 2001 had a very negative impact on business.

The only jobs that I can take are cost plus jobs and the customer has to pay for everything IN ADVANCE just like with an attorney. If a customer wants to know how much something costs ahead of time and is making a hiring decision based solely on price I have to tell them to go get someone else. I have to tell people that if they have to ask how much something costs, they cannot afford it just like with J.P. Morgan's yacht.

I have problems with getting people to pay me $20 per hour as a contractor. Back in 1980 I had problems with selling work because the price would turn them off. This is on top of the matter that Cuyahoga County, Ohio has more cities than the entirety of Pennsylvania because Ohio's daffynition of a city ( 5,000 or more people ) is out of line with reality. The result is that each jerk burb wants $50-150 per year for registration plus a $5,000 or $10,000 bond payable ONLY to that city. They try to NOT accept a bond that is payable to any city. To put in a ZERO amp residential service I would to charge $500!

We are not made of money partly because our customers are not made of money. Driving up the cost of electrical work is counterproductive when the customer has to stop doing repairs and live with broken or ready-to-burn stuff.

Mike Cole mc5w at earthlink dot net

This is similar to our situation in N. W. Ga. It has affected my new construction more than my service and repair. As for $20 per hour, I'm assuming that # was chosen just for the sake of making a point. With the cost of gas,insurance,energy,workers comp,vehicle maint., office supplies etc.., I get $100 an hour with a non refundable trip charge and that's really too cheap, but you have to work with what the market will bare. I also use Trade Service for my service truck material pricing and charge for every wirenut and screw. Myself and some of the other contractors are trying to find a way to eliminate the Jim Bobs with a truck and a ladder and minimal knowledge who's out here working for $20-25 an hour so he can have beer,cigs and gas. He's killing all of the ligitimate contractors. I agree driving up prices drives some not to repair and for that reason, we try to target a demographic that wants it done regardless. Best of luck to you and work safe!!