Some observations on the protection of buildings against the induced effects of lightning

We discuss equipotentialization, an overvoltage protection technique that seeks to minimize the potential differences between separate points in a building by interconnecting them through cables or grids. Current flows through these cables or grids and the new resulting current distribution throughout the structure may adversely affect the expected improvement. We present the results of a measurement experiment performed in Leissigen, Switzerland, where a lightning strike to an antenna mast in the vicinity of a small telecommunications building was simulated. We use the results of the experiment to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of equipotentialization and the importance of having a single cable entry point into a building and cable routing