Multi-sided or Conical Poles: Which to Choose

Types of lighting pole profiles

The profile sets how the shaft takes wind load, what it looks like and how it is made.

• multi-sided: the shaft is a truncated pyramid with six or more faces, bent from sheet steel and closed with one longitudinal weld;
• conical: round in cross-section and tapering towards the top; also made from sheet, or from pipe at smaller diameters;
• round (tubular): a pipe shaft of constant or stepped cross-section. The simplest design, common for low poles.

Comparison by key criteria

Strength and durability

A closed profile, whether multi-sided, conical or round, works well in torsion and bending, so wind and ice loads are carried evenly.

Durability comes down mostly to corrosion protection. Hot-dip galvanising to DSTU EN ISO 1461:2024 coats the shaft inside and out, and paint can go on top if required (duplex).

Installation and operation

All three types are either bolted to a foundation through a flange on anchor bolts, or set in a drilled pit and concreted in. A tall pole is built from sections up to 12 m long, joined with a telescopic joint. For servicing, the base has an inspection hatch, earthing and a cable entry.

What foundation and fixing you need depends on the soil and the load. Details are in the article Lighting pole foundations.

How to choose the profile

• city streets, parks and public spaces where appearance matters: multi-sided or conical poles;
• roads and sites where the luminaires put heavy loads on the pole: multi-sided or conical as well, with the wall thickness set by calculation;
• low poles in courtyards and on paths: round poles, or the park multi-sided PMO and PKO;
• large areas and stadiums: floodlight masts.

The calculation has the last word: it takes the height, the number and weight of luminaires and the wind region. The pole ranges are in the Lighting columns section. For a calculation, send us the parameters or fill in the technical specification form.

Example: the mass of UMO and UKO poles

A different profile does not by itself mean a lighter pole. Take the street ranges with a 4 mm wall: the multi-sided UMO and the conical UKO. The masses come from the table in Lighting Pole Height and Mass; the ranges themselves are described in UMO and UKO.

At the same height and wall, the mass depends on the diameters, the taper and the base dimensions of each range, not on the shape of the shaft alone. UMO is made from 5 m up, so there is nothing to compare at lower heights; check the mass for your own site against the specification.

Common mistakes when choosing a profile

• choosing by appearance alone, although the diameter and wall thickness are set by the calculation for wind load and luminaire weight (Wind Regions of Ukraine);
• a round pole made from pipe at a height where the available pipe sizes cannot give the required load capacity;
• the fixing method is not written into the technical specification, and after manufacture it cannot be changed without reworking the pole base (comparison of methods);
• brackets, cameras or solar panels not taken into account: the openings and cable entries for them are provided for on the drawing (Brackets, Crossarms and Caps).