THE NEW ECONOMICS OF ROADWAY LIGHTING

THE CHOICE OF A LAMP FOR UTILIZATION IN A ROADWAY LIGHTING SYSTEM GENERALLY DEPENDS ON THE QUALITY OF THE RESULTS OBTAINABLE FROM SYSTEMS EMPLOYING THE LAMP UNDER CONSIDERATION. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF QUALITY INCLUDE GLARE CONTROL, UNIFORMITY OF ILLUMINATION (OR PAVEMENT LUMINANCE), ECONOMICS, AND AESTHETICS. FOUR ROADWAY LAYOUTS ARE USED TO ILLUSTRATE A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO DETERMINING THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF SPACING, MOUNTING HEIGHT, POWER CONSUMPTION, ETC., FOR SEVEN DIFFERENT LIGHTING SYSTEMS. THE MAJOR ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS ARE INITIAL EQUIPMENT INVESTMENT, INITIAL LABOR, ILLUMINATION CALCULATIONS, ANNUAL COSTS, ANNUAL MAINTENANCE, ANNUAL FIXED COSTS, AND RELATIVE COSTS OF LIGHT. A COMPUTER PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED TO DETERMINE SYSTEM COST PER FOOT-CANDLE. SIX CONCLUSIONS ARE DRAWN: SYSTEMS EMPLOYING HIGHER LUMEN OUTPUT LAMPS ARE THE MOST ECONOMIC IN TERMS OF DOLLARS PER FOOT-CANDLE; HIGHER MOUNTING HEIGHTS GENERALLY PRODUCE BETTER UNIFORMITY; MOUNTING HEIGHT SELECTION DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP TO THE MINIMUM MOUNTING HEIGHTS RECOMMENDED BY THE IES; WHILE IES SUGGESTS SPECIFIC DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS FOR SPECIFIC ROADWAY CONFIGURATIONS, ACCEPTABLE RESULTS CAN BE OBTAINED WITH VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE SEVEN CLASSIFICATIONS EXAMINED; A DISTRIBUTION CANNOT ALWAYS BE FOUND TO PRODUCE ACCEPTABLE UNIFORMITY FOR EVERY GIVEN ROADWAY CONFIGURATION IF THE MOUNTING HEIGHTS AND SPACINGS ARE RIGIDLY DICTATED; AND ON A TYPICAL LARGE HIGHWAY INTERCHANGE THE CONVENTIONAL MOUNTING HEIGHT OF 45 FEET IS MORE ECONOMICAL IF ONLY THE AREA OF THE PAVED ROADWAY IS CONSIDERED, WHILE 100 FEET IS LESS COSTLY IF THE ENTIRE AREA IS CONSIDERED.

• Authors:
  • Faucett, R E
• Publication Date: 1973-1

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 29-37
• Serial:
  • Lighting Design and Application
  • Volume: 3
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Illuminating Engineering Society

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Brightness; Computer programs; Costs; Economic analysis; Economic efficiency; Height; High mast lighting; Interchanges; Luminaires; Spacing; Street lighting; Systems engineering
• Uncontrolled Terms: Efficiency
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222101
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 13 1973 12:00AM