Sports lighting for ovals and outdoor courts is essential for all year round use of these amenities. Local sporting facilities create a place where people not only play and watch sport, but also keep active, socialise and exercise their pets. Across Australia, there is an increased demand for these facilities to have adequate lighting to cater for all participation needs.
Sports field lighting allows the ovals to be used in overcast conditions, during winter months and at night. Commonly known as floodlighting, the main consideration when designing a lighting solution for large ovals is the quality and quantity of light needed on the field. To achieve the correct amount of illumination requires specialised poles, designed to fit the correct lighting configurations and illumination requirements.
Design Considerations
G&S Industries have been custom designing, manufacturing and installing sports lighting solutions across Australia, for more than 45 years. We understand the importance of not only getting the illumination right, but also all the other design considerations, including maintenance, safety and aesthetic appeal.
Pole Height & Field Location
All poles should be at least five metres from the edge of the oval playing area. The pole height can range anywhere from 2 metres to 30 metres, and is be determined by several aspects, including the length of the oval and distance the light needs to carry, any surrounding home or infrastructure, location to airport, along with a range of other factors.
Fixed Tapered Octagonal Poles are suited for large areas such as sporting ovals, allowing for installations of multiple light fittings incorporating multiple sets of lighting control gear integral in the pole’s base.
We have put together a comprehensive list outlining pole size and heights to consider, which you can view here.
Installation
Individual computerised engineering and soil testing analysis should be undertaken at each light pole location to ensure the correct foundation design for the height and wind loading of the pole. The poles are buried up to 12 metres and are baseplate mounted.
Safety
To help with ongoing maintenance, poles can be fitted with a Safety Climb System. This allows maintenance workers to secure themselves with a safety harness to a secure cable, that runs the length of the pole.
Installing an Anti-Climb System may also e a consideration, to stop vandals from damaging the lighting and other equipment at the top of the pole.
To protect the pole and equipment from lightning strikes, the poles can also be fitted with Lightning Arrestors. These help to ground any potential lightning strikes, without damaging the lights and structure.
Depending on the area of Australia, other factors which may need to be considered, including the strength and wind loading of the poles against, cyclones or earthquakes.
Light Spill & Glare
When we talk about ‘light spill’ we mean when the lighting spills into residential areas or other infrastructures such as roads and rail. There are also limitations on artificial lighting where venues exist close to native wildlife habitat areas. This spill needs to have a limited impact on the surrounding environment and should be accounted for in the planning stages of the project.
Glare will always be prevalent somewhere on the field, due to the different heights and angles of participants and spectators. However, limiting glare is a huge consideration in the planning of the lighting direction and elevation as it will affect participant’s ability as well as the enjoyment of spectators.
Australian Standards
All light poles should be built to the minimum Australian Standards AS1798 which outlines the preferred dimensions for poles which are designed to support luminaries and ancillary equipment for the lighting of roads and other outdoor public spaces.
G&S Industries have been custom designing, manufacturing and installing sports lighting poles and many other quality poles and columns, for the past 50 years. Get in touch today, to discuss your custom pole or column requirements today.