URBAN ROADS DESIGN MANUAL:

URBAN ROADS STREET LIGHTING

LECTURER: PROF. O.O.MBECHE
BY D.K.KIRIMA (F56/76654/2014)

INTRODUCTION:

Urban

roads present unique features

characteristics compared to rural roads.

and

Features

High traffic volume (many cars)

Road furniture (road signs, kerbs, lay-bys, traffic

signals)
More lanes
Roundabouts, complex interchanges
NMT lanes, cyle tracks, pedestrian crossings
Parking bays (on-street and off-street) and bus stops
Characteristics

Full of activities at night

Different roads with varying traffic mix, stationary and

in motion, varying speeds,

High traffic volumes during peak hours

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

Road

crashes at night

On

21st December 2014 a flamboyant businessman

and car enthusiast Mike Gathecha died on Saturday
night at Roysambu after the car he was driving hit a
stationary lorry. (www.nairobiwire.com)

Installed

Street

Poor

street lights posing as safety hazards.

lights not sustainable

maintenance
vandalism

plan

coupled

with

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

A car knocks a lamp

spost installed at the
edge
of
the
carriageway.
Source: Google images

Vandalised
and
poorly
maintained street lights
along Thika road.
Source:
www.dailynation.co.ke

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.

What urban roads street lighting guidelines

exist in Kenya?

2.

Which aspects of street lights

guidelines for design and installation?

3.

What are the factors to consider when

installing urban roads street lights?

need

STUDY OBJECTIVES

1.

2.

3.

4.

To establish the existing urban roads street

lighting guidelines in Kenya.
To highlight aspects of road lighting that
requires design and installation guidelines in
Kenya.
To establish factors to consider when installing
street lights on urban roads.
To provide guidelines for
installation for urban roads

street

lighting

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

1.

This study may not give a proper guidance

on the electrical installations

2.

The recommendations are based on other

existing guidelines from other countries.
Some parameters need to be researched and
experimented to come up with a value
customised to out local conditions.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Typical Street
Terminologies

light

Geometry

and

LITERATURE REVIEW

LITERATURE REVIEW

URBAN ROADS STREET LIGHTING IN

AUSTRALIA: QUEENSLAND.
They

have various standards on road lighting.

The ownership and maintenance is by Ergon
Energy, Council and Department of Transport
and Main Roads.
Majority

of street lights are owned and maintained

by Ergon Energy.
Council: public spaces such as parks, ramps and
Council facilities.
Department of Transport and Main Roads: state
controlled roads and highways.

Standard
Code

Standard

AS/NZS 1158.0 Road lighting. Part 0 : Introduction.

AS/NZS
1158.1.1

Road lighting. Part 1: Vehicular traffic (Category V)

lighting. Part 1: Performance and installation design
requirements.

AS/NZS
1158.1.3

Road Lighting. Part 1: (Category V) lighting. Part3:

Guide to the design, installation, operation and
maintenance.

AS 1158.2

Road lighting. Part 2: Computer procedures for the

calculation of light technical parameters for category
A lighting.

AS/NZ
1158.3.1

Road lighting. Part 3: Pedestrian area (Category P)

lighting. Part 1: Performance and installation design
requirements

AS 1158.4

Road lighting. Part 4: Supplementary lighting of

pedestrian crossings.

AS1158.6

Lighting for roads and public spaces. Luminaires

AS 1170.2

Minimum design loads on structures. Part 2: Wind

loads

AS 1798

Lighting poles and bracket arms Preferred

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

The manual has provided guidelines, among

others on:
Lighting standards and Categories
Standard hardware: Luminaires, columns,
outreaches etc.
Design
Process(Triggers for design, site
inspection,..)
General
design approach for various
situation
Luminaire
positioning and other design
rules
Reticulation design

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

LIGHTING STANDARDS AND CATEGORIES

CATEGORY

APPLICATIONS

For high traffic volume roadways where the

requirement of motorists is dominant,(motorways,
arterial and sub arterial and main roads, speed zoning,
on/off ramps, interacting carriageways, underbridges
and areas accompanied by high pedestrian volumes.

For low volume traffic roadways and other outdoor

public spaces where the requirement of pedestrians is
dominant.
(pedestrian pathways, cycleway, external car parks,
outdoor shopping precincts, malls, town squares,
transport interchanges, subways, footbridges, ramps
and stairways where lighting for pedestrians is the
main consideration)

PX

Used for Pedestrian crossings unless otherwise

specified by the Public Body.
Within Category PX, there are three subcategories.

Underpas Used for both traffic and pedestrian underpasses,

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

STANDARD HARDWARE: LUMINAIRES

Preferred and Minimum Luminaire Mounting

Heights
LUMINAIRE
TYPE OF PREFERRE
D
TYPE/WATTAGE ROAD

MINIMUM
MOUNTING
MOUNTING HEIGHT
HEIGHT

CFL32 (Compact
Fluorescent)

MINOR

7.5

5.5

2 x LF14(Linear
Fluorescent)

MINOR

7.5

5.0

S70 (High Pressure

Sodium)

MINOR

7.5

5.5

S100

MAJOR

9.0

7.5

S400

MAJOR

15.0

12.0

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

STANDARD HARDWARE: LUMINAIRES

Wattage/Current Starting and Running current
LUMINAIRE

STARTING
RUNNING
CURRENT(amphs CURRENT
)

POWER
FACTOR

CFL32 (Minor Rd)

0.15

0.15

>0.95

H70 (Minor Rd)

0.48

0.38

>0.95

S100 (Major Rd)

0.68

0.52

0.9

S400 (Major Rd)

2.48

1.94

0.9

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

STANDARD HARDWARE: COLUMNS

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

STANDARD HARDWARE: COLUMNS

DESCRIPTION

DIMENSION

OUTREACH
ARM

HEIGHT

Roadside column

1.5,3,4.5

Pedestrian side
column

Banner

2.4 minimum

6.0 maximum

4,6.5,9,10.5
0.5,1.5
4,6.5,9,10.5,
12,15
0.5,1.5

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

STANDARD HARDWARE: COLUMNS

Column

Heights in Parks, Cycles, Walkways,

Adjacent Underpasses & Adjacent Shopping
Centres shall be a minimum of 6.5 metres
Banner

installation is only on columns above

9m.
The banner load should not exceed 0.5kN.
Only 2 banners are allowed per column

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

STANDARD HARDWARE: COLUMNS

TYPE

DESCRIP
TION

POLE
TYPE

COLOUR

OUTREAC
LUMINAIRE
H ARM
COMBINAT
IONS

Base
Plate
Moutes

7m, 8.5,
10m steel

Rigid

Galvanise
d

1.5m
single &
double
3m single
&
Double
1.5mexten
sion arm

Standard
road lighting
luminaires
for normal,
aeroscreen
applications
(e.gS100,H4
00)

Slip Base
Mounted

up to 10m
pole

Slip base

Galvanise
d

1.5m single
&
double
3m single
&
Double
1.5m
extension

Standard
road lighting
luminaires

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

ZONES AND SETBACK

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

SETBACKS AND ZONES

ZONE APPLICATION
The traffic speed consideration is given to the 85th percentile speed of
the road, if it is significantly higher than the posted speed limit.
1

Pole Total Exclusion

Zone:
For kerbed roads

normally up to 0.7m beyond kerb, but

extending to 1.0m at intersections or sharp
bends

For un-kerbed roads not less than 1.0m beyond the edge of the
with speed limit carriageway but not more than 3.0m from
70km/h
the outer edge of the traffic lane(s).
For un-kerbed roads not less than 1.0m beyond the edge of the
with speed limit carriageway but not more than 6.0m from
>70km/h
the outer edge of the traffic lane(s).
2

(Frangible pole
3.0m wide for roads up to 70km/h speed
zone)
limit and 6.0m for posted speed limit
Slip-base or impact >70km/h
absorbing pole zone

Unrestricted pole
zone

Slip-base poles should not be used in high

pedestrian activity areas.

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

LIGHTING ARRANGEMENT

For minor roads arrangements 1 and 3 are commonly used.

For wide major roads, arrangement 4 would be commonly
used.
For roads where there is a centre median strip or centre
barrier, arrangement 6 would be commonly used.

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

DESIGN PROCESS GUIDELINES

POLE SETBACK AT
INTERSECTIONS WITH
TYPICAL VERGES
Zone 1 is increased
in
width from 0.7 m
to
1.0
m
in
the
vicinity of corners

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

TYPICAL PERFORMANCE CURVES SHOWING

LAMP MORTALITY AND LUMEN DEPRECIATION

Lamp mortality

QUEENSLAND URBAN ROAD LIGHTING

TYPICAL PERFORMANCE CURVES SHOWING

LAMP MORTALITY AND LUMEN DEPRECIATION

Lumen depreciation

BRITISH
STANDARDS
LIGHTING BS 5489

FOR

ROAD

The

standard recognises the conflicting traffic demands

and characteristics among all the road users.
Road lighting should not only aim to provide lighting to
enhance safety but also to provide a pleasant visual
scene.
The

standard is categorical that for each particular site,

no uniform method of lighting provision is suggested
an individualized approach needs to be taken for each site.
only basic guidance is given with regard to the overall lighting
provisions related to each area.

The standard recommends a master plan to be drawn up

which contains all the relevant objectives in order of
their perceived importance and emphasis.

...BS 5489
Lighting to meet traffic needs of:
i.
mixed vehicular and pedestrian
.Appropriate lighting should be defined in terms of
horizontal illuminance and uniformity as guided by the
standard.
can

be same lighting class to the whole vehicle and

pedestrian area or where separate vehicle and
pedestrian areas are well defined, it can be appropriate
to treat the different areas as separate relevant

Pedestrians and cyclists only

.should promote easy movement, attempt to create a
feeling of general security and well-being and
encourage people to visit and make use of the facilities.
.good colour rendering is recommended and adequate
visual recognition should be provided.
ii.

...BS 5489
iii.

Primary vehicular
Hierarchy description

Lighting class

Motor way
Main carriageway in complex
interchange areas

=<40000
>40000

Main carriageway in complex

interchanges <3km

=<40000
>40000

ME1
ME1
ME2
ME1

Emergency lanes

ME4a

Main distributer
Single carriageways

<15000

ME3a

Dual carriageways

>15000

ME2

Secondary distributor

=<7000

ME4a

Link road

ME5

...BS 5489
The parameters are based on;
Type

of road or area.
Traffic flow of vehicles per day (ADT)
Traffic flow of pedestrians and cyclists
Presence of conflict areas
Presence of traffic calming measures
Crime risks
Ambient luminance levels

KENYA DRAFT ROAD LIGHTING DESIGN MANUAL (2009)

Superseded 2001 draft that was never

finalized.

Heavily
Does

borrowed from BS 5489

not clearly give guidelines based on the

local conditions.

METHODOLOGY
Heavily

relied on secondary data particularly

reviewing the existing manuals from other
countries.
Informal

interviews to some street lights

designers in Kenya (Electrical Engineers)
Observation

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

There

are many upcoming urban areas in Kenya today.

New

feature
such
as
tunnels,
interchanges,
underpasses, overpasses and footbridges are coming
up.
The

draft (2009) road lighting manual is a photocopy

of the BS 5489.
Some
Kenya

road lights are installed without a proper design.

slowly embracing solar powered street lights

and solar LED technologies which are more sustainable.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A localised urban roads street lighting manual

need to be formulated as soon as yesterday.
CHAPTER

CONTENT

Introduction

General overview of urban environment features

and characteristics.
The objectives of urban road lighting.

The
Equipment

Should describe and give comprehensive guidance

on the various equipment used in road lighting.
(lamps, luminaires, columns, bases etc)

The siting
and
arrangement
of the street
lights

Guideline for different classification of roads based

on traffic volume and traffic characteristics
Conflict areas
Should also be very specific on provision of the
lights on the NMT

Electrical
design

Wattage/current/ and luminaire desires properties.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A localised urban roads street lighting is need

to be formulated as soon as yesterday.
CHAPTER

CONTENT

Electrical
design

Wattage/current/ and luminaire desires properties.

Operations
and controls

Aiming at providing efficient street lighting systems

Controls on normal hours of operations and during
special circumstances.

Maintenance

Guideline on the maintenance plan

Design
procedure
and design
consideration

selection of lighting class(es) and definition of

relevant area(s)
gathering of preliminary data
calculation of design spacing
plotting of luminaire positions
determination of lighting column positions

END

THANKYOU!!