For safe movement in the dark, a lighting support with lamps is used. These devices are located on the streets, roads, squares, public transport stops, industrial facilities, highways and other places.
Street lighting poles and their features
Before installing the pillars, first of all, the development of the project is required taking into account the following factors:
- terrain
- required light level;
- power consumption;
- control and protection system;
- number of lighting devices;
- mounting method of load-bearing elements and electrical equipment;
- the ability to connect to the mains.
Lighting support must meet stringent requirements. It must comply with established standards. Poles (reinforced concrete, metal, composite) and masts are used as supports.
The reinforced concrete structure contains reinforcement that experiences tensile loads. Concrete compresses. Products lose in many respects to all other types, but they have the lowest price.
Lighting support metal is made of high strength steel sheet or aluminum. It is much lighter than reinforced concrete, conveniently installed and has a good aesthetic appearance.
Supports are made hollow inside and have a hole in the upper part where the lamps are inserted on the bracket.
Corrosion protection is a zinc coating. Decorative designs can be cast from cast iron.
Composite supports are made of various polymeric materials. Their service life is not lower than that of metal ones and reaches 50 years. They have sufficient strength, and in an accident, they collapse and absorb the impact force, resulting in increased road safety. The disadvantages are the combustibility of the material and the high cost.
Masts are used to illuminate large areas. Their height is selected depending on the purpose of the structures. They are made in the form of a tubular, faceted shape or truss of metal. If stationary lights are installed on the mast, it is equipped with a special lift or ladder. The mobile crown can be lowered with a winch. This makes it easy to repair.
Purpose of lighting poles
According to the purpose, the outdoor lighting poles are divided into the following types.
- Street poles for lighting walkways. Their design is universal.
- Decorative designs with a wide variety of shapes and colors. They are selected for any installation location.
- Park supports are made high enough so that they illuminate the area well and do not irritate the eyes.
- Trunk poles have high strength and high electrical power.
- Special supports are used for individual objects, such as squares and sports fields.
Installation of lighting poles
Supports are upright and flanged. A power cable is brought underground to them, a lighting control system is made , lighting devices and grounding are mounted and connected.
Methods for installing upright supports
The sequence of mounting the supports is as follows.
- A well is drilled to a depth of at least 1.2 m with a margin in width so that concrete can be poured. A trench is digging for it to lay the power cable.
- A lighting support is installed in the well. The metal column is additionally reinforced. To do this, reinforcement is driven into the well walls and welded to the support, fixing it in the center and vertically. Before concreting, a cable is laid first. In the hollow support, it is inserted inside.
- Concrete mass is poured into the well and carefully compacted using construction vibrators so that there are no voids.
- After the base has hardened, fixtures are installed and connected to the cable.
Mounting flange mounts
The place under the supports is selected in accordance with the installation rules. A foundation pit digs up to 100 cm deep under them, after which a mortgage element is installed in it and poured with concrete. After setting the base, mount the support. It is installed vertically and fastened with bolts and nuts to the embedded element. Dismantling the flange mount is also simple. It is enough to unscrew and remove the fasteners. Supports can be replaced with new ones, and the foundation block remains in place.
The design can be tilted for various reasons. Most often this happens with seasonal shrinkage of the soil. Then the mounting of the flange support is loosened, the installation angle is adjusted and the bolts are tightened again. The angle of inclination changes due to the presence of special compensation links.
The support can be attached to the flange using studs. Nuts are screwed onto each threaded rod inserted into the holes of the flange and column. Due to them, the angle of inclination of the support is adjustable. The reliability of the fasteners is increased if you use additional washers, washer-grover and locknuts.
Large masts are telescopic and assembled in place from separate parts. The metal thickness and diameter varies in height to give them high stability. The base and foundation are made powerful. The mounting method is used flanged or with the help of other embedded elements. Service is carried out using aerial platforms.
Lighting pylons. Price
The most economical are concrete supports at a price of 5-7 thousand rubles. Only poles made of wood (2.5-4.7 thousand rubles) can be cheaper than them, but they are rarely used.
The price of metal supports depends on the height and the presence of protective coatings. It is in the range of 6-26 thousand rubles. Composite structures are more expensive - from 19 to 29 thousand rubles.
Conclusion
Lighting support is a complex device, which is subject to stringent requirements. If before people were satisfied that they were not in the dark, now they began to pay attention to the appearance, characteristics of the lamps, safety, ease of installation and operation. In addition, street lighting has become multifunctional. The main destination remains traffic safety and proper orientation in the city. It is also needed to create visual comfort, so that architecture, parks and other objects are perceived in a new way with main lighting and backlighting.