104
TECHNOLOGY / ABU DHABI DIARIES
Martin Valentine, Lighting Expert for the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City, continues his musings from the Middle East.
STREET TALKING
I’m keeping my fingers crossed today; a 2km section of Salam Street in downtown Abu Dhabi is being opened to the press and public at some point later this afternoon after something like four years of being a building site. The affect on the city should be dramatic as it has felt like the city was effectively cut into two all this time and the relief for the surrounding roads and adjacent businesses should be instantaneous. It also directly links to the new Sheikh Zayed Bridge lit by Arups (mondo*arc issue 60). This is the first main multi-lane road we have used full LED street lighting on and all eyes will be on not just the improved flow of traffic through the capital, but also the lighting (landscaping and public- realm), the de-cluttered junctions and new technology. It is the first step towards how the lighting strategy will change the current city in partnership with the other initiatives and it will be quite a contrast to what residents have been used to. Contrast is the key word with the lighting as it is, compared to the incumbent Sodium street lighting, significantly cooler at around 5000K! This caused some concern a couple of months ago when a small section was first switched on in isolation and I had to address a number of concerned people (and some with emotions quite a bit stronger than concern!), all of which had not expected such a dramatic difference. The problems are obviously exacerbated by the fact the surrounding landscaping was at the time totally dark and the exposed side-streets still had their traditional yellow glow, but somehow through a mixture of careful explanation and reassurance, we got over the reservations. It was understandable at the time as the section of road illuminated in the middle of the vast site reminded me of the scene in Close Encounters when Richard Dreyfus looked down on the landing site by Devils Mountain. Other sections of the city are gradually getting upgraded too and, as soon as these start meeting up and people get used to the change, I think the Sodium will start to be seen in its true light... i.e. truly horrible!
Street lighting is an unfortunate but necessary part of my work as we need to have this change implemented to bring down the light levels, cut out the spill light and glare and thus free up the public realm to have re-invigorated lighting applied to the pavements, boulevards and parks. This will focus on warmer light with high colour rendering and tailored with the landscaping and planting of each unique area. This is where lighting design will make a real night time difference and it will be experienced by, and help so many, people. The plan of building or refurbishing something like 300 parks and streetscapes is in full flow. One would think that all of this would have manufacturers chomping at the bit with all sorts of lovely bollards, in-ground
turned up with a street light! My introduction to this (potentially good) product involved the wildest arm-waving I have ever seen. He never sat down at any stage and had an inability not to shout the whole time. The fitting was regularly slapped to prove to me it’s robustness (who needs poncy IK ratings), arms went up to the heavens when exclaiming its ground-breaking performance and at one stage I was gripped by the shoulders and locked with his eyes when he announced the stupendous warranty he could offer me. The glass cover plate was punched and I really expected him to bite the corner of the fitting like one did to prove coins were real in the old days. Then, despite my wishes to the contrary, it was switched on and of course pointed immediately at my face, to prove.... well, what exactly, I don’t know... photometry!? After my sight returned I tried to calm proceedings down by passing this, now hyperventilating, gentleman our new 30-page performance specification. “Thank you, everything it needs to meet is in here,” I said, “I hope it meets our stringent criteria (I emphasised that word a bit at the time, I admit) and then you can feel free to call
and decorative fixtures to show me, but alas street lighting is big business and everyone’s priority and I tend to have a stream of big LED street lights knocking at my door. You may think I should have said people knocking at my door, but in one case the sales guy actually dropped the fitting outside my office as it was so heavy, and it fell over knocking open my door in the process... so I’m sticking with it. Now I tend, like most of you I assume, not to get all gooey eyed over all these big fixtures. However, I guess I must be in a minority here as the sales techniques I come across vary tremendously between agents and manufacturers. I can only assume that some potential customers (perhaps on the contractor side... I have to get my regular diary dig in) must appreciate a bit of showbiz in the proceedings and a technical catalogue just doesn’t suffice with them, as last week a man resembling P.T. Barnum
on our consultants and contractors to offer your services,” (please, especially the contractors, you are made for one another!). I thought we were done, he’d paid his respects, so had I, but oh no... my spec was slapped on the table whilst he triumphantly exclaimed his fixture would exceed everything required. One last look to the heavens whilst he punched the air and stated that he would help the city become the best on earth and he was off. Two desperately needed coffees later when I looked at the catalogue, it unsurprisingly doesn’t have a chance; it doesn’t meet some key aspects of the technical benchmarks set, not even close on a couple. Oh well, he’ll be back with the Mark II soon I guess. I must check with security when the access-locks will be finished and working.
martin.valentine@
adm.abudhabi.ae
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