Sam Houston State University is currently searching for a contractor to update the lightning protection system for the Eleanor and Charles Garrett Teacher Education Center.
The university needs to re-certify the lightning protection system after the recent instillation of a new roof on the Education Center, and that the re-certification is just a routine maintenance project, according to Julia May, the associate director of communications.
Doug Greening, associate vice president for facilities management, said that as of now, SHSU has not selected a contractor, and therefore cannot predict the date of when the system will be installed.
Contractors had until Monday to make a bid to the university to provide the service, and the winning bidder will have about two weeks to complete the project, according to SHSUs invitation to bid document.
Greening said that the lightning protection system for the Education Center is being put into place to prevent electrical damage to the building in the event of a storm. Any lightning that strikes the building will be redirected to rods placed on the ground.
According to the Lightning Protection Institutes website, lightning strikes cause $1 billion in damages per year in the US.
The cost of lightning strikes to businesses is staggering, LPI said. Millions of dollars are spent by corporations every year as a result of lightning damage to commercial properties. Insurance claims, destruction of equipment, fire damage, production and inventory loss can all result from a single lightning strike.
Greening said that the project is estimated to cost around $15,000, but the final figures will not be known until a contractor can be hired and the system is put into place.