This complex lighting solution provides safe and comfortable driving conditions.
- Lamp efficacy
Lamp efficacy
Ensuring the lamp efficiently converts electricity into light (lm/W).
- Ballast classification
Ballast classification
Controlling the electricity supply to the lamp (Energy Efficiency Index).
- Luminaire distribution
Luminaire distribution
Controlling light emission using optics which bend and shape the light to the correct location.
- System efficacy
System efficacy
Combining optical and thermal control within the luminaire (luminaire lm/W).
- Presence/absence detection
Presence/absence detection
Presence: Lights automatically turn on/off with movement. Absence: Lights automatically turn off and must be manually switched on.
- Daylight detection
Daylight detection
Artificial lighting which responds to the natural light conditions.
- Constant illuminance
Constant illuminance
A function designed to produce correct light levels for the duration of the maintenance period.
- Task-scene setting
Task-scene setting
Allowing the user to set scenes and adapt the lighting to different tasks.
- Timed off
Timed off
Automatic cut-off can be installed to turn all lights off during unoccupied hours.
- Task lighting
Task lighting
Lighting task areas with the correct amount of light.
- Zoning of lighting
Zoning of lighting
Lighting is zoned according to area use.
- Maintenance schedule
Maintenance schedule
Maintenance must be performed in response to product age, performance and environment.
- Waste light
Waste light
Eliminating waste light which does not hit the intended target.
- Reflectance
Reflectance
Taking advantage of light which is reflected from the surface within the space.
- Visible smart metering
Visible smart metering
Results of actions can be quickly seen as increased or decreased energy use to encourage responsible energy consumption.
The challenge
Opened in 1981, the Puente de Rande is one of the world’s largest cable-stayed bridges, and an iconic feature of Spain’s Ria de Vigo estuary.
In 2017, a project was completed to add two more lanes to the bridge to cope with increasing levels of traffic, making the Puente de Rande the first cable-stayed bridge to be extended. The new lanes attached to the bridge’s main pillars increased its capacity by 42%, so that it can now carry up to 95,000 vehicles a day.
The bridge’s new lanes presented a unique lighting challenge. The EN 13201 standard classifies the road as ME2 - the second highest category - meaning it requires high light levels and low glare. However, tall poles like those installed on the main section of the bridge could not be used on the new lanes because they require deeper foundations, so a low-level solution had to be found. And because of the difficulty of maintaining bridges, any solution had to be easy to maintain and long-lasting. This was the challenge Thorn faced.
The lighting solution
Thorn’s solution uses our Orus LED luminaire, mounted at a low level to the sides of the road. Orus LED incorporates Thorn’s patented Flat Beam® technology - an optical system that creates extremely sharp and controlled distribution of light.
A total of 320 units were installed at a height of just 0.9m and spacings of 10 metres. The luminaires feature the same finish as the rest of the structure itself, making the installation visually coherent and as unobtrusive as possible.
The result
The Flat Beam® optics provide greater night-time driving comfort and better visibility of obstacles and pedestrians, as well as any irregularities in the road surface. Thanks to the low height of the luminaire, direct glare to drivers is avoided. Concealment and shadows are avoided, with light distributed in front, behind and below the vehicles.
The innovative solution facilitates visibility and guidance and brings a new visual identity to the bridge.
Maintenance is kept to a minimum thanks to the long life of the LED light source, and the luminaires are designed to cope with extreme weather conditions and the coastal environment. The low height of the luminaires also keeps maintenance safe and simple.
Thorn understood the demands of this unique and complex project, and came up with a solution that not only provides safe and comfortable driving conditions, but also positively impacts the appearance of an iconic structure.