Light in the outdoor area - Erco

Situations
Bridges
Bridges connect districts, places and regions.
Their design is affected by the quest of engineers
to draw elaborate bridges across rivers or
valleys and often express this function symbolically.
Illuminating a bridge emphasises its symbolic
nature in the evening and at night. For this
reason, lighting designers often approach this
task by picking up on the static characteristics
of the construction. Depending on the typology
– whether continuous girder, truss, arched or
suspension bridge – the design elements can be
accentuated appropriately using light. This also
creates a characteristic appearance at night
which is visible from afar.
Due to the often slender shape of the construction
component, focused light with narrow
beams is more suited than wide beam light distributions
to emphasise the supporting framework
using grazing light. Precise lighting technology
helps reduce spill light to a minimum. A
meticulous arrangement and exact alignment
of the luminaires contributes to decreasing
the light emissions into the sky in the interest
of a Dark Sky concept. Accentuating cable
constructions is a particular challenge due to
the minimal material diameter. Often, it proves
more effective in such cases to illuminate the
primary supporting framework, as more light
reflects off bigger structural members. Bridges
above water make for fascinating views when
their illuminated structure is reflected in the
water. The classic traffic and pathway lighting
on the bridge ensures sufficient horizontal illuminances
with pleasant visual comfort for drivers,
cyclists and pedestrians. Exposed luminaire
positions on bridges may be problematic in
terms of maintenance. In addition to selecting
the best possible mounting location, long-life
and completely maintenance-free lamps such
as LEDs help keep the maintenance costs to a
minimum.
For effective lighting of
the water flowing over
the dams, the designers
opted for Beamer projectors
directed downwards.
The lighting effect at
night turns the rapids
into an attraction for
both the residents and
tourists.
Lenses and filters in
the Beamer projectors
are protected inside
the housing. The scaled
hinge helps in the alignment
of a row of luminaires
to the exact same
degree. The precise lighting
technology and narrow
beams prevent spill
light, while the smooth
housing minimises the
accumulation of dirt.
Thanks to a wide range of
accessories, the Beamer
projectors can be mounted
in various places – e.g.
on masts for accentuation
of the pathway or cycle
route.
34 ERCO ERCO 35