Lighting Pole Selection Calculator by Luminaire Area and Mass

Pole selection calculator by luminaire area and mass

The calculator checks whether a pole can carry your luminaires: it compares their total area and mass with the “Scope of application” tables on the pole pages. The permissible area depends on the pole height, the wind pressure and where the luminaire is mounted.

How to use it

• choose the cable supply: overhead (the selection is made among DMO poles) or in a trench (among the other series: PLO, PMO, PKO, UMO, UKO);
• choose the wind region by the W0 pressure: the regional centres of that wind region appear below the list;
• choose the pole height H;
• enter the distance from the pole axis to the luminaire: 0 if the luminaire is on the axis, more than 0 if it is on a bracket (the bracket reach in the tables is 1.5 m, for DMO 2 m);
• enter the number of luminaires, the length and height of one luminaire (the side view) in millimetres and its mass; if the wind-exposed area is known from the data sheet, enter it instead of the dimensions;
• the calculator shows which poles of this height are suitable and with what area margin; the table also gives the reason why the other poles are not suitable.

How the selection works

The data are taken from the “Scope of application” tables on the pages of park, street and road poles. For each height they give the permissible total area of luminaires at wind pressures of 400, 450, 500, 550 and 600 Pa and the mass limit: 50 kg on the pole axis and 15 kg per bracket arm. The area is given for Caer = 1 and terrain type III.

The wind region is matched to the table column by the W0 pressure. If the pressure for your city lies between two columns, the next higher one is taken, which builds in a margin. The W0 values for regional centres are in the article Wind Regions of Ukraine.

The luminaire area is taken as length × height (the side-view area on which the horizontal wind acts) or as the wind-exposed area from the data sheet. The total area is the area of one luminaire multiplied by the number of luminaires; the total mass is calculated the same way.

The mounting scheme is determined by the distance from the pole axis and the number of luminaires:

The series is chosen by the cable supply: overhead — DMO, in a trench — PLO, PMO, PKO, UMO, UKO. For a larger reach (over 1.5 m, for DMO over 2 m) there are no tables. For an overhead cable supply the calculator selects DMO poles only; other cases we calculate on request.

Example: one and two luminaires on a bracket

Starting data: cable supply in a trench, the 500 Pa column of the tables (it covers, for example, Vinnytsia and Dnipro, with W0 = 0.47 kPa) and a pole 8 m high. The luminaire (a floodlight) is 700 mm long and 350 mm high, so its side-view area is 0.245 m²; it weighs 12 kg and is mounted on a bracket 1 m from the pole axis.

One luminaire on a 1-arm bracket: PMO-8 is suitable (permissible area 0.942 m², margin 74 %), as are PKO-8 (0.386 m², margin 37 %), UMO-8 (1.437 m², margin 83 %) and UKO-8 (0.636 m², margin 61 %). PLO-8 is not suitable: its permissible area of 0.079 m² is less than 0.245 m².

Two such luminaires on a 2-arm bracket, one per arm: the total area is 0.490 m², the mass of each is 12 kg, which is below the 15 kg per arm. Only UMO-8 is suitable by area: 0.631 m² is permissible, margin 22 %. PMO-8 (0.392 m² permissible), PKO-8 (0.128 m²) and UKO-8 (0.248 m²) are not suitable. PLO-8 permits no load on a 2-arm bracket at this pressure.

It is the same luminaire, but with two on the bracket the mounting scheme changes, and the suitable poles narrow from four series to one. So give the number of luminaires and the distance from the axis straight away.

What the calculator does not take into account

• a Caer coefficient or terrain type different from those in the tables (Caer = 1, type III): for open terrain or an unusual luminaire shape a calculation is needed;
• additional equipment on the pole (CCTV cameras, signs, flags): on request, we will include their area and mass in the calculation;
• several luminaires on one arm or three or more luminaires on a bracket: there are no tables for such schemes;
• the foundation and the embedded part: see Foundations for lighting poles;
• the lighting calculation (illuminance) and the pole spacing: for the height, spacing and number of poles, see the Lighting pole selection calculator and How to choose the height of a lighting pole.

This is a preliminary choice of series and height. The final conclusion comes from a calculation of the pole for your project.

What to send for an exact selection

Send the luminaire data sheet (dimensions, wind-exposed area, mass), the number of luminaires and the mounting scheme, the pole height, the location, the cable supply type and a site plan. For details, see the article How to order poles and masts.