Wind Regions of Ukraine: W0 Table for Lighting Pole Calculation

What W0 is

W0 is the characteristic wind pressure value: the mean (static) component of wind pressure at a height of 10 m above ground, which is on average exceeded once every 50 years (DBN V.1.2-2:2006, clause 9.6). It is a starting meteorological characteristic of the location, not a ready-made load on a specific pole.

W0 is determined from the wind-zoning map of Ukraine (Figure 9.1 of DBN V.1.2-2:2006) or from the reference table for cities (Annex E of the same document) — the values for regional capitals are given below.

For another town in your region, use the value of the nearest city in the table as a guide — the exact value for a specific location is determined by an engineer from the DBN V.1.2-2:2006 zoning map.

How W0 affects the pole calculation

The design wind load on a pole is not W0 itself, but W0 multiplied by a coefficient C and a reliability factor (formulas 9.1–9.2 of DBN V.1.2-2:2006). Coefficient C accounts for the pole’s cross-section shape (faceted or tapered), height and the structure’s height coefficient, wind direction, and the dynamic (pulsating) load component. So two poles of the same height in the same wind region can have a different design load depending on their shape and windage area.

Because of this, the W0 in the table is only a starting point: the final shaft diameter, wall thickness and foundation type are calculated by an engineer, accounting for all coefficients for the specific project.

What to send for a calculation

Specify the construction location (town or region), the pole height and the lighting equipment type (weight and number of luminaires or floodlights). We will determine the wind region, carry out the calculation and select the pole design. See also How to Choose the Height of a Lighting Pole.

Example: the effect of W0 and the return period

The ultimate design value of the wind load is Wm = γfm · W0 · C (formula 9.1 of DBN V.1.2-2:2006). The factor γfm depends on the mean return period T (Table 9.1), while C = Caer · Ch · Calt · Crel · Cdir · Cd accounts for the pole’s shape, height, terrain type, elevation above sea level, relief, wind direction and dynamic effects (clause 9.7).

In kPa. Lviv has 1.41 times Kyiv’s value (0.52 ÷ 0.37); going from 25 to 100 years adds about 31% (1.14 ÷ 0.87).

Terrain type matters more than the city

The height coefficient Ch depends on the terrain type (clause 9.9 of DBN V.1.2-2:2006 with Amendment No. 1). Values for 10 m: from Table 9.01 for structures whose natural period does not exceed 0.25 s, from Table 9.02 for all others.

At a height of 10 m the Ch values of types I and IV differ by a factor of 1.8–3, more than W0 between Kyiv and Lviv. On the boundary between types, or when in doubt, take the type with the higher Ch.

For power lines the wind pressure comes from the PUE maps, not from the DBN table

The W0 table at the start of the article is given under DBN. In the Rules for the Arrangement of Electrical Installations (PUE), 2026 edition, overhead lines have a wind-pressure map of their own (Fig. 2.5.2): five regions with W0 of 400, 450, 500, 550 and 600 Pa for level ground at a height of 10 m (cl. 2.5.41). The return period of these values is 50 years (cl. 2.5.27). Mountain terrain is marked separately on the map; for mountains above 400 m of elevation the values are determined by the method of SOU-N EE 20.667 (cl. 2.5.31).

For power lines DBN V.1.2-2 is applied to loads that the PUE do not set (cl. 2.5.27) and wherever the PUE themselves refer to it (cl. 2.5.42). The PUE set the wind pressure W0 themselves, so the DBN W0 table is at most a rough guide here. Which map to use depends on the line’s reliability class (class 1–4; КБ in the Ukrainian text), and the class also fixes the return period used in the load-bearing check of a pole:

Sources: cl. 2.5.29, Tables 2.5.1 (items 1–3), 2.5.2 and 2.5.7. For displacements of poles and foundations, and for conductors, earth wires, insulators and fittings, the periods are shorter: 5, 10, 15 and 25 years for classes 1–4 (Table 2.5.1, items 2 and 3).

From W0 to the pressure on a pole under the PUE

The design maximum wind pressure (without ice) on a pole and on other flat elements of the line is Wm = Wom · Ck · Cc, where Wom = γfmax · W0, Ck = Caer · Cd and Cc = Ch · Crel · Cdir (cl. 2.5.39, 2.5.42, 2.5.43). The factor γfmax is read from Table 2.5.7 for the return period T (cl. 2.5.40).

The height coefficient Ch at 10 m for terrain types I / II / III / IV is 1.50 / 1.00 / 0.65 / 0.40, and at 50 m it is 2.07 / 1.62 / 1.24 / 0.89 (Table 2.5.7a, cl. 2.5.44). For types I–III these match neither Table 9.01 nor Table 9.02 of DBN above. For poles up to 50 m the dynamic coefficient Cd may be taken as 1.5 (free-standing single-shaft metal pole) and 1.6 (free-standing portal metal pole); above 50 m it comes from a special dynamic analysis under DBN V.1.2-2 (cl. 2.5.42).

Crel and Cdir are taken as 1 except in special cases. Crel is calculated by special methods if the pole stands in mountains, on a slope steeper than 5° or on a hill higher than 20 m (cl. 2.5.46); Cdir < 1 is allowed only for open level ground with sufficient statistical justification (cl. 2.5.47).

A hypothetical example, our own calculation and not taken from the PUE: a 110 kV line of reliability class 3, for which the regional map gives W0 = 500 Pa. For the load-bearing check of a pole T = 150 years and γfmax = 1.22, so Wom = 1.22 · 500 = 610 Pa. At a height of 10 m in type II terrain, with Crel = Cdir = 1, Cc = 1.00 and Wm = 610 Pa · Ck; in type I terrain Cc = 1.50 and Wm = 915 Pa · Ck. Ck, which covers the pole’s shape and dynamic response, still has to be applied. For a specific line the designer takes the final values from the current text of the PUE.

What else to gather before the calculation

Besides the items listed above:

• the terrain type (I–IV) and the open wind directions;
• the windage area of luminaires, cameras, signs and banners on the shaft;
• the elevation above sea level (above 500 m under DBN, above 400 m in mountains under the PUE) and the relief: whether the pole stands on a slope or hill, and its height and gradient;
• the soil data and fixing method, see Lighting Pole Foundations.