For safe movement in the dark, the lighting support with luminaires is used. These devices are located on the streets, roads, squares, public transport stops, industrial facilities, highways and other places.

Supports of street lighting and their features

Before installing the pillars, first of all, you need to develop a project taking into account the following factors:

• Terrain relief;
• Required level of illumination;
• Power consumption;
• Control and protection system;
• Number of lighting devices;
• Method of mounting of load-bearing elements and electrical equipment;
• Possibility of connection to mains.

The lighting support must meet stringent requirements. It must comply with established standards. Poles (reinforced concrete, metal, composite) and masts are used as pillars.

The reinforced concrete structure contains reinforcement, which experiences tensile loads. Concrete works on compression. Products lose in many respects to all other types, but they have the lowest price.

Lighting support metal is made of steel sheet of high strength or aluminum. It is much lighter than reinforced concrete, it is convenient to install and has a good aesthetic appearance. Supports are made hollow inside and have a hole in the upper part, where the fixtures are mounted on the bracket. The corrosion protection is a zinc coating. Decorative structures can be cast from cast iron.

Composite supports are made of various polymer materials. Their service life is not lower than for metal ones and reaches 50 years. They have sufficient strength, and in the event of an accident, they destroy and absorb the impact force, which raises the safety level on the roads. 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 form or a truss made of metal. If stationary lamps are installed on the mast, it is equipped with a special elevator or ladder. The mobile crown can be lowered using a winch. This makes it easier to repair it.

Assignment of lighting supports

On purpose, the outdoor lighting supports are divided into the following types.

1. Street poles to illuminate pedestrian paths. They have a universal design.
2. Decorative designs with a wide variety of shapes and colors. They are selected for any installation location.
3. The park supports are made high enough to light the area well and not irritate the eyes.
4. Trunk poles have high strength and high electrical power.
5. Special supports are used for individual objects, for example, squares and sports grounds.

Mounting of lighting supports

Supports are straight and flanged. They are connected to the ground with a power cable, make an illumination control system, mount and connect lighting devices and grounding.

The methods of installing straight pedestals

The sequence of mounting the supports is as follows.

1. The well is drilled to a depth of at least 1.2 m with a margin in width so that concrete can be poured. To her digs a trench for laying power cable.
2. A light support is installed in the well. A pillar of metal is additionally reinforced. To do this, the armature is driven into the borehole wall and welded to the support, fixing it in the center and vertically. Before the concreting, the cable is first laid. In the hollow support it is inserted inside.
3. The concrete mass is poured into the hole and carefully compacted with the help of construction vibrators, so that no voids remain.
4. After the base solidifies, install the fixtures and connect them to the cable.

Mounting flange supports

The location for the support is selected in accordance with the installation rules. Under them a pit is dug up to 100 cm deep, after which a mortgage element is installed in it and filled with concrete. After grasping the base, the support is mounted. It is installed vertically and bolted with nuts to the embedded element. Dismantling the flange support 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 fastening the flange support is weakened, the installation angle is corrected and the bolts are tightened again. The angle of inclination is changed due to the presence of special compensating links.

The support can be attached to the flange by means of pins. For each threaded pin inserted into the holes of the flange and column, nuts are screwed. Due to them, the angle of inclination of the support is regulated. The reliability of the fastenings increases if you use additional washers, washers and locknuts.

The masts of great height have a telescopic construction and are assembled on site from separate parts. The thickness of the metal and the diameter varies in height to give them high stability. The foundation and foundation are made powerful. The method of attachment is applied flanged or with the help of other embedded elements. Servicing is performed using aerial platforms.

Lighting supports. Price

The most economical are concrete supports at a price of 5-7 thousand rubles. Cheaper than them can be only the columns of wood (2,5-4,7 thousand rubles.), But they are not used very much.

The price of metal supports depends on the height and availability 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

The lighting support is a complex device, to which strict requirements are imposed. If before people were satisfied that they were not in the dark, now they began to pay attention to the appearance, the characteristics of the lamps, security, ease of installation and operation. In addition, street lighting has become multifunctional. The main purpose remains traffic safety and proper orientation in the conditions of the city. It is also necessary to create visual comfort, so that architecture, parks and other objects are perceived in a new way with the main lighting and illumination.