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Inspecting the Pole
Here's a lineman inspecting a MTO concrete truss pole and probably preparing to disconnect or remove it. Note the rusted rebar and spalled concrete on the pole because of water penetrating the concrete and expanding during the freeze/thaw cycle.  
Keywords: American_Streetlights

Inspecting the Pole

Here's a lineman inspecting a MTO concrete truss pole and probably preparing to disconnect or remove it. Note the rusted rebar and spalled concrete on the pole because of water penetrating the concrete and expanding during the freeze/thaw cycle.

008~11.JPG 001~35.JPG PC134262.JPG PC134261.JPG picture_archives2008-2009_004.JPG
File information
Filename:PC134262.JPG
Album name:joe_347V / Toronto Area Streetlights
Keywords:American_Streetlights
Company and Date Manufactured:Ontario StressCrete
Filesize:160 KiB
Date added:Dec 13, 2011
Dimensions:1600 x 1200 pixels
Displayed:221 times
Color Space:sRGB
Contrast:0
DateTime Original:2011:12:13 11:47:17
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Exposure Mode:0
Exposure Program:Program
Exposure Time:1/250 sec
FNumber:f/5.4
Flash:No Flash
Focal length:75 mm
ISO:160
Light Source:Flash
Make:Olympus Imaging Corp.
Max Aperture:f/3.5
Model:SP600UZ
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=9892
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Comment 15 to 34 of 34
Page: 1 - 2

joe_347V   [Sep 02, 2012 at 02:55 AM]
@Mike, yeah ultimately they're putting high masts on the stretch of freeway but for now there are AEL 125s on temp wooden poles and tapered e arms. Ontario is still reconstructing and extending some of their freeways for now...

@Rick, I believe they were checking the lights for any failed fixtures but all of these lights and poles have been taken down now.
streetlight98   [Sep 02, 2012 at 03:00 AM]
Interesting how they took these down and put up temporary lighting before the highmasts were put up. Here they always install the new poles and lights first, keeping the old lights connected until they're done installing the new ones. Then they switch the power from the old lights to the new ones and remove the old lights when they're all finished. When new lights will be installed, the square conrete bases are usually set about a month in advance.
joe_347V   [Sep 02, 2012 at 03:09 AM]
Yeah, I think they had to put up temp lights here since the old lights had to be removed before the bases for the high masts can be cast, they're putting them in the median and changing the old guardrail median to a new jersey barrier so it's going to take some time before they can get the highmasts up and running. When they redid the 427 the MTO was able to keep the old lights until the new high masts where up though.

I have a good number of pics taken around this area too showing the lights from 2009 to now...if you want I could put up a few pics of the freeway. Oh and in case you're wondering most of the old lights were AEL 125s but a few M-400R2s, M-400A3s and B2225s were mixed in.
streetlight98   [Sep 02, 2012 at 03:17 AM]
Somehow i think the bases NGrid/RIDOT uses are pre-cast since they're square and all look identical and professionally cast. I've never seen them pouring cement or using molds either. They probably use a crane to put the bases in like they do to install the poles though I've never had the luck of seeing a highway pole installed. I have seen NGrid trucks relamping lights with individual PCs though in Rte 37. A good dozen are dayburners already. Rolling Eyes The black PCs they're using are CRAP!
joe_347V   [Sep 02, 2012 at 03:43 AM]
Interesting, our bases are cast on site, the smaller bases as well as bases for overhead signs and side mounted highmast poles are round and usually use one of those cardboard tube molds when they cast them. The bases set in the jersey barriers have their own metal mold, and are cast before they start pouring the cement for the median.

I wonder why RIDOT uses individually switched lights on state routes over here almost all MTO installs (even intersections) are all group switched with a pole mounted relay cabinet controlled by a remote PC further up the pole.
streetlight98   [Sep 02, 2012 at 03:08 PM]
I don't know for sure exactly why, but here's my best guess as to why:

Originally, all the state lighting and RIDOT lighting was owned, operated, and leased to them by Narragansett Electric. These lights were originally GE and Westinghouse 400W MV 240V reactor units with 120V PC receptacles. The lights were leased to RIDOT in the same way lights on wood poles are leased to towns and cities with the annual rental fee and kWh charge.

The electric company never had anything to do with relays and the same held true for RIDOT lighting. Maybe it was so they could get more money from the state becuase of more parts to service? Anyways, after NGrid took over, there have been some sections (a couple miles or so) of existing lighting that has been "retrofitted" (if that's a usable term) from individual PCs to relays over the years on I-95 and other state highways and interstates. I'm guessing they just add a relay in between the power supply and lights. I think they used multiple circuts when they wired the lights becuase there are stetches over a mile long controlled by one relay (probably with multiple poles). The lights were exactly the same specs as the ones used for wood poles, except 25ft davits or trusses were used. The were all 240V with 120V photocells.

On I-295 they replaced the poles and lights starting a few years back. Most of the lights on I-295 I have never seen lit. The lights almost seem neglected on I-295, which is essentially an alternate route for I-95 that goes around the downtown areas instead of through them. When the 250W HPS M-250R2s took over, I'm not sure if they used 240V units with 120V PCs or if they capped the second hot and used a 120V ballast. I have no clue what voltage is used for the new FCO M-400s on the tall davits though since they all use relays and shorting caps. It's msot liekly either 240V or 480V though...
joe_347V   [Sep 02, 2012 at 04:48 PM]
Interesting, thanks for the explanation, I believe the MTO owns most of their lights so that's why most of them are group switched, most MTO lighting is 347/600V...sometimes you can find the voltage the lights run on labels on the relay cabinet.
streetlight98   [Sep 02, 2012 at 05:02 PM]
I've always wondered why RIDOT doesn't own their lights. I guess the plus is that RIDOT doesn't need electrical contractors if the electric company does it all. The reason why all the interchanges on I-295 from 1-7 (excluding 3, which is Rte 37 and is in the process of being fixed up) were changed to new poles and relays was so they can be shut off at 2AM Sunday through Thursday, then back on at 4:30-5AM in an effort to save some cash. One of the exits was the ones with the MV (or MH) highmasts too. It seems, oddly enough, that NGrid sometiems fixes all the old lights and replaces the downed poles before takign them down, which makes no sense. They did it with Exit 4 on I-295 and with the highmasts at exit 6. I don't know for sure what the relay cabinets look liek here but i think they're actually traffic light cabinets. The doors to them face away from the highway. I'm thinking there's a window on the door that holds the PC. They must use really low footcandle PCs to make up for the loss of light encountered when the PC is facing woods since the lights usually turn on later on than "normal" lights (with PCs).
joe_347V   [Sep 03, 2012 at 01:00 AM]
Hmm, I know Toronto sold their streetlights in 2005 to Toronto Hydro so they could save on maintaining them so I guess costs could be a reason.

The relay cabinets here look a bit like traffic light cabinets but because they are silver and have PCs sticking out of them they are easy to find.
streetlight98   [Sep 03, 2012 at 03:23 AM]
Ahh here there are no PCs sticking out of the cabinets, so I'm guessing the actual PC is just mounted in front of a window on the inside of the cabinet facing away from the highway. It's very rare that i see a relay though. How many lights can a relay control?
joe_347V   [Sep 03, 2012 at 04:09 PM]
Yeah the PC is on a short pole next to the cabinet so it sorta looks like a antenna Laughing anyways how many lights can a relay control depends on the current the lights draw, the voltage, and the ampacity of the circuit.
streetlight98   [Sep 03, 2012 at 04:23 PM]
Can it power more lights at a higher voltage or a lower one? The lights are all 250 and 400W HPS. I'd guess the voltage is either 120 or 240. Possibly 208V 3ph.
joe_347V   [Sep 03, 2012 at 05:16 PM]
It can power more lights at a higher voltage, if you look on a multi-tap ballast you can see that the higher voltages draw less current (amps) for the same wattage. Less current means a circuit with a given capacity can run more lights.

For example a 175w MH ballast draws 1.75A on 120v and 0.45A on 480V this would mean that a 120v 15A circuit can only run 6 lumes (IIRC NEC requires a circuit with hardwired lights to be loaded at only 80% to provide a safety margin). That same 15A circuit on 480V can run an impressive 26 lumes safely.

Oh I didn't get much into voltage drop and such but higher voltage wires tend to have less voltage drop which is why power lines run a very high voltages.
streetlight98   [Sep 04, 2012 at 12:11 AM]
Ahh that makes sense. 480V could be used with thinner wire too right? Because of a lower amperage?
joe_347V   [Sep 04, 2012 at 01:16 AM]
Yep! this is also why stuff like central air conditioners, dryers, and electric stoves use a 120/240V supply instead of a 120v supply, in those the 120v is only used to run stuff like the controls, timers, and lights.
streetlight98   [Sep 04, 2012 at 01:18 AM]
What's a 120/240V supply? Isn't that basically 240V?
joe_347V   [Sep 04, 2012 at 01:45 AM]
Here's a diagram of a 120/240V supply:


In this diagram the primary line are the two wires left of the step down transformer. The step down transformers used here are centre tapped and have three wires on the secondary side. Normally the centre tap is grounded (this is why neutral is bonded (connected) to ground at the panel) and is a 0V potential. The two hot lines (L1, L2) are both at 120V potential. In this system connecting between either L1 or L2 and neutral will have a potential of 120V and connecting between L1 and L2 will have a potential of 240V.

In the case of a dryer which uses a 120/240v supply, the heating element normally requires 240v as is connected between L1 and L2, the other parts such as the motor, lights, and the timer are normally 120v and will be connected between either L1 or L2 and neutral. Ideally the 120v loads should be evenly split between L1 and L2 to avoid overloading the neutral wire.
streetlight98   [Sep 04, 2012 at 02:10 AM]
Ahh so it uses a 240V outlet with four prongs and the power is split into two circuts? I thought the nuetral didn't carry any electricity and just served as another ground to complete the circut? If it does, can one get shocked by it?
Antstar85   [Sep 04, 2012 at 02:30 AM]
Yes you can be shocked by a neutral. I have many times back when I was wiring homes. We have to rubber glove neutrals on the poles for the reason they do carry current and have gotten arcs reconnecting broken neutrals from storms.
streetlight98   [Sep 04, 2012 at 07:05 PM]
Does the neutral hurt as bad as a hot when you get shocked by it? i've gotten shocked a few times and it felt similar to rugburn.

Comment 15 to 34 of 34
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