Probabilistic Approach for Lightning Protection of Structures: Application Criteria for Protective System Design

The problem of lightning protection for structures is treated from a probabilistic point of view. A criterion is suggested to evaluate the exposure of the structure, exposure being defined as the number of direct lightning strokes received., The influence of landform and of surrounding structures is considered. An approach is discussed for selecting the basic characteristics of the system suitable for ensuring protection of the structure compatible with the admissible risk fixed by codes. The influence of the characteristics of the protective system on protection performance is evaluated and discussed.