How many individual resistance tests are required, at a minimum, when conducting a bonding resistance test on an integral LPS with 10 air terminals and two down conductors?

When conducting a bonding resistance test on an integral lightning protection system (LPS) that consists of multiple air terminals and down conductors, it's essential to account for the number of conductive paths that must be assessed. Each air terminal must be tested for its resistance to ensure that it is adequately bonded to the ground system, as well as to other components of the LPS.

In this scenario, with 10 air terminals, each terminal will need an individual resistance test. Additionally, the down conductors connect the air terminals to the grounding system, and each down conductor should also be included in the testing. Given that there are two down conductors, they both require individual tests as well.

To calculate the total number of individual resistance tests:

• There are 10 air terminals, each requiring one test.
• There are 2 down conductors, each also requiring one test.

Adding these together gives us 10 (for the terminals) + 2 (for the down conductors) = 12. However, to ensure proper bonding throughout the system, it is typically prudent to conduct at least one additional test on any critical junctions or multiple pathways that may contribute to the system's overall effectiveness. This reasoning leads to a minimum of 20 tests