when lightning strikes...

[SchwarzStudio]

I wonder what the risk exposure from a lightning strike is. Would a simple grounded lightning rod provide adequate safety for a "side of mountain" location? Any advise appreciated.javascript:emoticon('')

[puget]

This our #1 fear about container living.
Could you use a layer of rubber as a foundation, and use plastic pipes to avoid being a conductor? Or would the water going through the pipes, or electrical/cable/phone lines attached to grounded poles manage to do that anyway. Just an idea, should have paid better attention in physics. Still very interested in the answer though.

[modernlover]

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010824.html
_________________
Justin

[SchwarzStudio]

Thx modernlover. So the jury is still out? Most of that lightning rod info related to fire hazard and no to prevention of conducted electrocution from lightning. Is it a practice to ground container dwellings? Easy enough, but effective? I mean, a container structure (being made primarily metal) does pose a higher level danger of injury by lightning strike to it's inhabitants, does it not? btw, i see this as a problem to be solved and not a reason to avoid use of containers as housing.

[budarz]

It is true that without adequate electrical insulation from the ground that the house may be more susceptible to lightning strikes than if insulated, but being inside during those strikes would present no danger to the inhabitants.
In physics, the concept of a Faraday cage applies. Any charge carried on a conductor is isolated to the outside of the structure. There will be no electric field inside the container, and no possibility of electrical shock exists even if in contact with bare metal interior walls. Furthermore, for the same reasons, depending on the number and size of holes cut in the container you may receive little or no radio reception inside the container.

Hope this helps.

[lavardera]

I'm just reading this and it seems silly. If the container is grounded, and I would think it should be - it just makes sense to do it for your domestic electrical power distribution - then there is not really any danger. To get electrocuted by a lightning strike you would have to become the conduit for the electricity to pass from the container to the ground. So if the container was not grounded you would have to be bridging from the the container wall to the ground, or from the container wall to a copper plumbing line that extends to the ground. This risk is no different than a wood house that can take a strike on a nearby powerpole, and conduct that strike throughout the house on its electrical system. If you've got yourself in the bathroom using the faucet you are in the same risk. Since that's more likely to set the wood on fire I'd say its worse risk.

Grounding could be done with a dedicated lightning strike conductor, but the electrical system of the container will already be grounding the metal box. Heck, the anchor bolts connecting the thing to the foundation would probably do much the same anyway.
_________________
Gregory La Vardera
architect www.lamidesign.com
modern stock plans www.lamidesign.com/plans
modern workplace www.workalicious.org

[the wise one]

From what I remember:

The idea behind a lightning rod is to be constantly releasing electrons (that are building up in the ground) into the air.

Lightning can go from the ground up or from the cloud down.

The rod and cable are providing a path for electrons directly to the ground so nothing is damaged in between.

They are pointed because electrons gather at points, and then are released into the air, which allows the charges being built up in the clouds to find a path to the ground.

( that's why you can put some metal objects in a microwave but not something like a fork which has pointed prongs where the electrons will gather and then arc and spark)

Lighting strikes because the charge in the clouds can't find a path to the ground and builds up and up until " POW " it suddenly finds a path..... and some unlucky person or house, might just be the path.

Trying to insulate the container would most likely do absolutely no good as the incredible amount of energy in the strike could easily arc past the insulator to the ground.

If you're in a built up area, a container most likely won't be a special target, but out in the country you might be prudent to put up a rod or 2.

I'm not a scientist, but I did pay a little attention in physics class ....when I wasn't throwing spitballs.

My 2 cents.

[lavardera]

[ubercrap]

Um, guys....Faraday cage:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dmccormick.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/coursecontent/02/images/faraday.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dmccormick.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/coursecontent/02/2_14e.htm&h=248&w=273&sz=7&tbnid=5a8Xej2IvcsJ:&tbnh=98&tbnw=108&hl=en&start=6&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfaraday%2Bcage%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN

[ubercrap]

http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/vehicle_strike.html

More info.

Sounds like a container might not be such a bad place to be.