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ERICO® recently completed a 13-year field study of lightning protection’s collection volume method (CVM) in Malaysia using the company’s ERITECH® System 3000 lightning-protection system. Independent scientific academy The Royal Society has published study results.

CVM defines the “capture volume” of potential lightning strike points on a structure. During the field-validation study, 86 structures in Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley were struck by 384 lightning flashes. Lightning event counters (LECs) installed around lightning current down-conductor cables recorded the number of strikes.

The study found the strike “yield” demonstrated that the interception rate predicted by the CVM concurs with the observed capture frequency, meaning the lightning-interception rate is at least as high as claimed protection levels of 85 percent to 98 percent, ERICO said. The actual percentage of captured strikes was about 87 percent, supporting the three leading theoretical models of lightning interception, according to the company.

The ERITECH® SYSTEM 3000 features ERICORE down-conductors, lightning event conductors, a low impedance grounding system and air terminal placement software. The system also includes the ERITECH DYNASPHERE MKIV air terminal, which provides a dissipation point for lightning discharges. ERITECH® SYSTEM 3000 can be applied to buildings via the CVM to maximize lightning capture, according to ERICO.