TED Magazine - February 2017

“It was designed with older LED technology, which has evolved very quickly in the past two years,” he con- tinued. “Using higher-wattage light fixtures and better optics, we were able to reduce the number of fixtures from 2,402 to 1,317 and save the owner—the Ohio Department of Transportation [ODOT]—millions of dollars in operating costs over a 10- year period.” “We decided to go with a value- engineered product put together by our distributor and the lighting manu- facturer,” said Thaman. “They value- engineered the original design, signifi- cantly reducing the quantity of fix- tures, and that reduced the overall ini- tial cost and operating cost. The coor- dination and planning for the overall project and our work are extremely important as it is a tight worksite. We have to do our installation work rap- idly so that the other subcontractors and Great Lakes Construction crews can press forward in the tunnels. The duration for actual installation is very short: We could not afford any prob- lems or delays due to unplanned and unforeseen conditions. Everything had to be calculated and planned ahead of time. This is appreciated by Great Lakes.” Thaman noted that the project is proceeding on schedule and the light- ing was installed as required on Oct. 2 to help complete the northbound tun- nel and east lane wall segment. The next steps are to install the lighting for the southbound tunnel and the light- ing control system. In addition to his collaboration with Glenwood, Schultz stressed the role played by the lighting manufacturer: Kenall LED Lighting and Controls and its local rep, King Lighting. “They helped us out with the de- sign,” he explained. “It was a group effort to find the right solutions. It takes a lot of time to get any govern- ment organization to accept changes to original plans, but we succeeded. Kenall enabled us to replace the LED modules and drivers easily to main- tain the fixtures. “Light levels in tunnels are impor- tant and uniformity is critical because people are driving through them at 55 mph,” he added. “It’s a combina- tion of dimming at certain hours for energy savings and reducing or in- creasing light levels based on time of day.” The control system, supplied by PLC Multipoint, will be operational once all the lighting has been in- stalled. The installa- tion is also dependent on the setting up of two master lighting control panels that will send signals to all the remote boxes. The original design called for six different types of light fixtures, but that number was reduced to one. Deliveries started in August following ODOT approval. Rather than ware- housing the fixtures, Becker is delivering them to Glenwood’s staging area, which includes renting space in a building that is close to the worksite. “In our initial shipment,” said Schultz, “we shipped an extra 10% to ensure Glenwood had extra fixtures on hand in case there were any equip- ment failures, and it would ensure that the work could proceed on sched- ule. We did not want to leave anything to chance. As the fixtures are being in- stalled, I have many early morning calls [with Glenwood] to discuss what needs to be accomplished. We’ve already delivered about 40% of the fixtures. ‘The manufacturer knows Glen- wood’s schedule and needs,” he added. “We had large shipments in August and September and our final shipment is scheduled for Oct. 21. I’ve worked on a lot of major projects, and having everyone on the same page is essential. We provide the same level of service to every project. I’ve been in the lighting business for 40 years, but this is my first tunnel project and it’s a learning process for my staff of seven and me. I had one meeting with ODOT about clarifying how to connect the fixtures together with a conduit and other related issues. We’re learn- ing how to light a tunnel.” With the project in full swing and most issues hammered out, the num- ber of communica- tions has decreased, but no chances are being taken as unex- pected issues still arise that require rapid response. “It’s a high-profile project in Cincin- nati,” Schultz ex- plained, “and it’s one of those projects that we can put our name on and say, ‘We supplied it.’ It’s a lot of work, but we’re at the outer end of it now.” Still to be completed are ODOT’s spraydown test for the fixtures (a process where five fixtures from the next production run will be hosed down to ensure that they can with- stand exposure to large amounts of water) and preparations for the test- ing of the lighting control system’s software. Becker is helping Glenwood with both to ensure that ODOT and Great Lakes are satisfied with the products and installation. “This is the first project that I’ve done in connection with Great Lakes, and they are good to work with,” said Schultz. “We’re all working hard to ensure that everyone is moving in the right direction.” ; Rapoport is a Montreal-based freelance writer. He can be reached at rapoport. irwin@gmail.com.
In our initial shipment we shipped an extra 10% to ensure Glenwood had extra fixtures…in case there were any equipment failures [and so] the work could proceed on schedule. We did not want to leave any- thing to chance.
—MARVIN SCHULTZ,
Becker Electric Supply