A guide to the lighting of
CAR PARKS
CAR PARK
LIGHTING GUIDE
For over 40 years Designplan has regularly & successfully supplied high quality lighting equipment to illuminate all areas of car park installations. Both private & public owners & operators of car parks have chosen our fittings because many have been especially designed to meet the demands posed by often hostile environments encountered & many years of successful, trouble free service has resulted.
Our lifetime guarantee is available on the majority of fittings suggested for use, (p29).
The purpose of this guide is to offer assistance to the designer or engineer in the choice of lighting equipment to ensure that the completed project is able to offer well lit parking areas, safer stairways, corridors & walkways. The use of purpose designed fittings which are both easily installed, easily maintained & which will give long lasting, value for money solutions, will result in an installation that car park owners, operators & most importantly users will be pleased with.
Safety & Security through design.
Providing well-lit areas in car parks not only assists in the safety of vehicles using them but perhaps more importantly offers a much more inviting & less frightening environment for the public when leaving or returning to parked cars.
With violent crime seemingly forever on the increase lighting areas to a high standard is one important weapon which can be used to help reduce criminal activity & certainly create a less foreboding atmosphere. The increase of CCTV also demands better lighting to aid this approach to fighting crime.
There are various guidelines which have been drawn up by professional organisations to assist designers in choosing the correct level of
illumination & we offer as follows information & guidance based upon these to help in achieving a successful project.
BS5489-1.2003 provides the lighting engineer with required maintained values of illumination & states that these should be increased where the character or usage pattern of the car park warrants it.
Purpose-designed lighting for Car
Parks & associated areas.
The levels given are as follows:
Where ‘EH average ‘is the maintained average horizontal illuminance in lux.
EH minimum is the maintained minimum horizontal illuminance at any point in lux.
Outdoor car park- night-time EH average 30 lux EH minimum 10 lux
Enclosed or semi-enclosed Multi-storey day & night-time
Independent studies have shown that there is almost certainly a correlation between lighting levels & people’s fear of crime as indeed there is between lighting levels & actual criminal activity. Good lighting therefore plays a dual role in such areas in that it reduces people’s fear of crime & reduces actual crime.
In order for this fear of crime to be negated people need to be able to clearly see their surroundings &, just as importantly, to see other people, in particular their faces which provide much of the information we need to assess whether the person is likely to be friendly, aggressive or indifferent. The average & minimum levels given in the British Standard will in most circumstances provide adequate vertical illumination on the face. There is however another important aspect to this process of fear reduction namely colour rendition, which plays an important part in our perception of a situation. Good colour rendering also helps vehicle identification, assists with general security & safety measures as well as providing an overall sense of well being. To this end the use of monochromatic lamps such as low pressure sodium should be avoided despite their long life & efficiency. The use however of deluxe high-pressure sodium or fluorescent lamps which render colour across a wider spectrum is to be
commended.The brief then is to provide the required average & minimum levels of illumination with good uniformity & colour rendering over all areas whilst paying particular attention to areas used as entrances, exists, ramps & awkward changes in direction.
Area EH average lux EH mimimum lux Parking bays and
access lanes
75 50
Ramps, corners and intersections 150 75 Entrance/Exit zones (vehicular) Night Day 75 300 n/a Pedestrian areas, stairways, lifts, lobbies
CAR PARK
LIGHTING GUIDE
Entrances & exits to covered car parks are probably going to exhibit contrast between external & internal conditions that may cause viewing difficulties. During the night it may be necessary to reduce the interior level or increase exterior levels & during the day the contrast can be reduced by increasing interior levels in these areas.
Ramps & awkward changes in direction as well as dedicated pedestrian walkway areas should be highlighted by additional illumination & possibly by provision of a different surface colour/finish to the floor on walkways. The areas around coin operated ticket machines should also receive careful attention to illumination & colour rendering.
Where required lighting fittings may also be colour co-ordinated with each floor.
The choice of fittings to achieve these results is important. They should be tough & vandal resistant, give good distribution with minimum glare particularly as mounting heights are usually low. Polycarbonate diffusers should be a minimum requirement with suitably finished metal bodies or gear/reflector enclosures.
Attention to detail in respect of provision for maintenance in the design of a luminaire will pay dividends over the life of an installation. Such features should include individual fusing of fittings, cut out ignitors on discharge lamps, corrosion resistant features & easily removable gear trays with plug & socket connections for mains wiring to make installation & maintenance simple & efficient.
The use of emergency versions of fluorescent fittings to operate in maintained mode on designated escape routes, stairs, landings & designated pedestrian areas, should be incorporated in the design. Efficient use of energy is important with high frequency control gear or low loss gear & electronic starters being specified.
Fittings mounted in areas of multi-story or partially enclosed car parks which receive a good deal of daylight can be switched via daylight linked control systems. Either switching out one of two lamps wired to provide this separate circuit switching or by the provision of a daylight linked dimming system. See page 496 for details of the energy saving and lighting control systems.
The engineering of a scheme to produce a satisfactory installation is not always straightforward. The construction of a multi-storey car park may leave the lighting engineer with deep square coffered ceilings or deep structural beams both of which produce problematical cut-off to fittings installed in the recess thus created.
A low ceiling height usually precludes mounting fittings directly beneath such beams or coffers & a simple engineering solution often appears elusive.
With over 40 years experience in the lighting of car parks Designplan is able to offer a wide choice of standard or suitably modified fittings to suit particular site conditions, examples of which are offered upon the following pages.
CAR PARK
LIGHTING GUIDE
Parking Floors
Many fittings suggested within this guide have been specifically designed for car park use.
Consideration should be given by the designer to the conditions which are likely to be met on any given project & the choice of fitting should be made with this in mind.
Our ‘Lifetime Guarantee’ (p29) is available on the majority of fittings mentioned.
Parkalux
(page 148/149) IP55 IK10++
Parkalux, as the name suggests, was designed with parking areas specifically in mind. It is a strong fitting manufactured from steel & has a high IP & IK rating. The polycarbonate diffuser has an internal pattern to ease cleaning & the fitting is complete with a high efficiency aluminium reflector to provide exceptional light distribution. Control gear is mounted upon an easily removed gear tray to assist in the speed & ease of installation & maintenance.
Twin lamp, single lamp & angle versions are available as are self-contained emergency (p313) & Auto test (p314) options.
Monitor T8 & T5
(page 150/151) IP22/ IP65 IK10++
Single & twin lamp versions available within the same size body & diffuser.
A significantly more vandal resistant fitting than Sparta, more so even than Parkalux.
The design is based upon the Home Office prison cell fitting & has passed their physical abuse tests.
Monitor has been successfully used in many car parks & like Parkalux & Sparta will provide many years of trouble free, easy to maintain life.
T5 Monitor (p151) Parkalux (p148)
The following pages divide Car Parks into
separate areas & describe fittings which will
best meet the needs posed by the
Sparta
(page 146/147) IP44 IK10
Again available in single & twin lamp versions, Sparta has been used with considerable success in scores of car parks. Where there is the risk of moderate vandalism occurring specifiers choose Sparta fitted with Security Plates, to help prevent the easy removal of diffusers. As with all of our linear fittings Sparta have strong steel bodies which, unlike plastic bodied fittings, will not bend to the shape of the ceiling. The polycarbonate diffuser is held to the steel body within slots along the sides & ends of the fitting, thus no unsightly, breakable clips spoil their appearance.
Self-contained or central battery system emergency versions (p313) & Auto test (p314) facility are available in any of the fittings mentioned.
Deluxe Brunel
(page 201) IP65 IK10++
The Deluxe Brunel is among the most frequently chosen discharge fittings for the lighting of car parks.
Purpose designed to meet the specific demands posed by such installations, Deluxe Brunel, is manufactured from steel & offers good vandal resistance.
The control lens is moulded in UV stabilised vandal resistant
polycarbonate & is designed to provide a square pattern of illumination. The advantages of such a distribution are an increase in spacing ratio & improved uniformity, thus reducing lighting points & consequently capital, running & maintenance costs.
The control gear & lamps are assembled onto a hinged gear tray which provides ease of installation & assist in quick & simple maintenance. Whilst the standard fitting is provided for surface fixing, semi or fully recessed version are readily available. In addition a special recess plate can be manufactured to suit any on site requirements.
Where discharge lighting is being considered, Deluxe Brunel with its many options , is likely to offer the consulting engineer, designer, installer & maintenance engineer the best overall package currently available.
Sparta
CAR PARK
LIGHTING GUIDE
Roof or Top level of car park
A strong weatherproof fitting is required for roof areas.
General area lighting can be provided by either our Solaris (p267), Post Top Brunel (p273) or Hermes (p274). All have “black out” tops so that night sky pollution is minimised.
For wall mounted fittings our Pantheon (p205), Wall Mount Brunel (p286) or Rampart (p166), all being weatherproof and offering good vandal resistance, are entirely suitable.
Stairways
T h e re are a wide variety of fittings that are suitable for installation in stairways. Often these areas are among the most prone to vandalism & since it is vital for safety to always have good illumination to stairs, the chosen fitting must be able to withstand the likely level of vandalism that may be expected. Among the choices available are energy saving compact fluore s c e n t fittings such as Quadrant (p192), Quadring (p222), Circo (p220), Buccaneer (p179), Rampart (p166) & Aztec (p199), if discharge lamps are pre f e r re d then Brunangle (p200) or Tuscan II (p157) would be suitable.
Linear solutions, usually ceiling mounted, include Tuscan (p153), Rampart (p166) & Parkalux (p148).
It is advisable to include an emergency facility within fittings so that in the event of mains failure illumination is maintained, thereby mitigating any risk to car park users. See page 313 for further information.
Post Top Brunel (p273) Pantheon (p205)
Toilets
These are areas where vandalism is likely to be at its worst & consequently the major consideration has to be the strength of any fitting chosen. Designplan has for many years provided very successful solutions to the lighting of toilet areas.
There exists a considerable choice of well-built energy saving fittings designed with just such areas in mind.
Again Parkalux (p148) is ideal or perhaps a version of Tuscan (p153). Energy saving bulkhead options again include Quadrant (p192), Buccaneer (p179), RDL (p209), Quadring (p222), Circo (p220), Rampart (p166) & Aztec (p199).
Ramps
Angle Rampart fittings (p166) are ideally suited to illuminate ramps leading to car parks.
The body is constructed in heavy gauge aluminium extrusion & has an immensely strong polycarbonate diffuser secured with cast aluminium end caps, which in turn are held by stainless steel tamperproof screws. Even in the unlikely event of a car hitting a fitting it is unlikely that any particular damage would be sustained to the fitting, since Rampart has been designed with the most severe vandalism & impact in mind. Alternatively Angle Parkalux (p148), Maxi Callisto (p256) or Tuscan angle or recessed (p153) would suit.
Lifts
Lift cars are extremely vulnerable to abuse & the lighting used should be of a very strong vandal resistant type. If recessed then our Bergen (p167) or Tuscan (p153)are commonly used.
Most frequently chosen surface versions are Circo (p220) Buccaneer (p179) & Bastion (p170). Angle fittings set into the corner of the car include Tuscan II (p157) or Rampart (p166).
Whichever is chosen the provision of an emergency lighting facility is essential for safety & security.
Quadring Opal (p222)
D872 Angle Ramport (p166) RDL (p208)
CAR PARK
LIGHTING GUIDE
Flat Area Car Parks
When lighting flat area car parks consideration must be given to aspects including vandalism & light pollution.
Designplan offer four designs, all of which are weather & vandal resistant & can be manufactured to avoid undue light pollution.
Solaris (p266) available for either post top or wall mounting.
Hermes (p274 ) is a round polycarbonate bowl with anti light pollution top, which is supplied with discharge lamps & is suitable for 76mm spigot mounting.
Concourse (p271) is a post top fitting of unusual design & is
manufactured from polycarbonate & A.B.S. material. Again is suitable for 76mm spigot mounting.
Post Top Brunel (p273) is based upon the Deluxe Brunel design and can be supplied for one, two, three or four lamps.
Walkways & Subways
Not all walkways & subways are prone to vandalism as can be seen from the photograph of the Tower of London subway nevertheless the use of fittings with high IP & IK ratings provides good insurance in the case of unexpected attacks.
Unfortunately many walkways & subways continue to suffer severe vandalism. In such cases the paramount aim must be to ensure that the lighting will withstand the attack made & continue to provide illumination in, often, sensitive areas.
Rampart (p166), a fitting from our Tuscan range (p153) or Mission (p146) would provide the best answer, each being designed with vandalism in mind, and available with our ‘Lifetime Guarantee’ (p29).
Scores of installations throughout the UK & overseas have been completed with considerable success utilising these fittings.
Emergency Lighting
For obvious reasons emergency lighting has become increasingly important in all public buildings.
It is essential that escape routes are clearly visible in emergency situations with adequate lighting levels in all areas to ensure prompt & safe
evacuation of buildings. Emergency lighting is available in many different arrangements & a description of each is offered on page 313.
Where possible the use of the standard fitting, which has incorporated within it the emergency control gear & battery will often be the most cost effective answer. Not only saving on installation time & money but with the additional benefit of less fittings cluttering the ceiling resulting in an aesthetically better installation.
Emergency lighting has, by law, to be regularly tested. To ensure
compliance with current testing procedures we recommend the addition of an ‘Auto Test’ system within emergency fittings-see page 314.
Signs
Purpose made vandal resistant signs to indicate floor numbers, exits, stairs, lifts etc. are available. The lettering can be either self- adhesive vinyl or silk screen printed as required. A range of simple signs is available see page 319.
Energy Management & Daylight Link Systems.
A full range of energy management systems is available for use in car park installations, these involve the use of high efficiency high frequency ballasts combined with controls to switch or dim the lamps in relation to the ambient light.
The controls can be zoned to accommodate differing light levels within the covered area.
The system is a constant light system with integrated light measurement, presence detection & optional infrared remote control. This controller enable operating parameters such as light level, time delay, PIR operation & power up to be programmed.
See page 496 for details of the energy saving and lighting control system.
Circo with lettering (p321)
Autosave
CAR PARK
LIGHTING GUIDE
Tailor-made solutions to on site problems.
Car parks often have low ceilings or deep coffered recesses both of which make the task of lighting more complex than is ideal.
Designplan have over the years assisted specifiers to overcome such challenges by designing special mounting plates, pattresses & reflectors to suit our fittings so as to achieve the best solution to any specific pro b l e m . The photographs shown provide typical examples of special
modifications that have been made to assist in achieving the ideal solutions for past projects.
Please refer to ‘Bespoke’ manufacture on page 357.
Shown here is a standard Deluxe Brunel together with an especially deep bodied version designed to fill a coffer & thus provide the engineer with the solution to the lighting of a car park using the minimum number of units.
Special deep Brunel to fill coffer (p357)
Standard Deluxe Brunel (p201)
