VERTICAL ILLUMINANCE AS A CRITERION FOR TUNNEL LIGHTING DESIGN

From experiments conducted at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications' laboratory and measurements taken at the Thorold and East Main Tunnels, it was concluded that lighting geometrics which favor vertical illuminance will result in enhancement of visibility conditions with respect to the eye adaptation process at the threshold zone and object detection in the tunnel interior. The most difficult visibility obstacle for a driver to overcome is the sudden drop in luminance level at the tunnel threshold zone. The main factors of this phase contributing to eye adaptation are vertical planes ahead of the driver -- tunnel portal and tunnel walls. Therefore, it is very important in designing a tunnel lighting system to ensure that the luminances of these vertical planes are properly coordinated and related to eye adaptation requirements.

• Record URL:
  • https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trcircular/297/297-022.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00978515
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appeared in Transportation Research Circular No. 297, Providing Visibility and Visual Guidance to the Road User. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • KETVIRTIS, A
• Publication Date: 1985-12

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: p. 25
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Circular
  • Issue Number: 297
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0097-8515

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alignment; Brightness; Building entrances; Drivers; Lighting systems; Tunnel lining; Tunnels; Visibility; Vision
• Uncontrolled Terms: Vertical alignment
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver vision; Entrances (Other than doors); Tunnel lighting
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00457858
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-040 196
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 31 1986 12:00AM