When constructing large towers there are millions of points to take into consideration one of them is how to deal with lighting strikes. When lighting strikes a building the bold of electricity needs to get to the ground, using a lighting conductor (in the US the call it a lighting rod) you can get the electric down to the ground.

The lighting conductor is generally made out of copper or aluminium and will be the highest point on a building. From there the conductor will be connecting to many wires taking the electricity down to the ground. Those wires need to be not connected to other electrical wires otherwise a strike could break the electrics.

The Beetham Tower the largest building in Manchester, England was recently hit by a lighting strike 9:20am 30th July 2009. The event was captured by the local University.