CHAPTER 15

DETAILED LIGHTING DESIGN PROCEDURE

DESIGN DECISIONS

IN THE DESIGN PROCESS THE LIGHTING HARDWARE IS CHOSEN ON THE BASIS OF THE CONSIDERATIONS ADDUCED
IN THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN STAGE AND THE APPROPRIATE CALCULATIONS PERFORMED. SOME SPACES WILL
REQUIRE OVERALL, UNIFORM ILLUMINATION OTHER SPACES WILL UTILIZE LOCAL LIGHTING ALONE (OR LOCAL
LIGHTING IN ADDITION TO GENERAL). REQUIRING POINT-BY-POINT ILLUMINATION CAICULATIONS OR SOME
OTHER METHOD FOR RESTRICTED-AREA CALCULATION. PART OF THESE CALCULATIONS ARE THOSE VCP AND ES)
EITHER EXACT OR ESTIMATED. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS AT THIS DESIGN STAGE ARE TYPE OF CEILING
SYSTEM, FOR EXAMPLE, MODULAR, MOVABLE FIXTURE, AND INTEGRATED SERRVICE, AND ANCILLARY
CONSIDERATIONS OF BALLAST NOISE, F IXTURE HEAT DISTRIBUTION, BRIGHTNESS RATIOS AND MAINTENANCE.
ALSO DECIDED HERE IS WHETHER TO UTILIZE WORK STATION MOUNTED OR BUILT-IN LIGHTING, BOTH OF WHICH
ARE PRINCIPALLY APPLICABLE TO OPEN-PLAN SPACES.
ALTHOUGH THE ILLUSTRATIONS USE POINT SOURCDS (INCANDECENT OR HID LAMPS). THE PRINCIPLE
ILLUSTRATED IS APPLICABLE TO REFLECTORS FOR LINEAR (FLUORESCENT) SOURCES. WHEN CONSIDERED IN
SECTION. AN INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA OF ELLIPTIC REFLECTORS WAS PRORTUCED RECENTLY BY
ONE OF THE MAJOR LAMP MANUFACTURERS. NOTE FROM FIGURE 2(A) AND (B) THAT THE SO CALLED PIN-HOLE
DOWN LIGHT REQUIRES AN ELLIPTIC REFLECTOR TO FOCUS THE LIGHT THROUGH THIS HOLE AT POINT "X” IN
ORDER TO MAINTAIN EVEN MINIMAL FIXTURE EFFICIENCY. ELLIPTIC REFLECTORS ARE LARGE AND FREQUENTLY
SPACE ABOVE THE CEILING IS TOO RESTRICTED FOR THEIR USE.
LIGHTING FIXTURE DISTRIBUTION CHARACTERISTICS

THE TWO DISTRIBUTION CURVES ARE ACTUAL TEST RESULTS OF TWO 2-LAMP 1 FT. WIDE BY 4 FT. LONG, SEMI-
DIRECT FLUORESCENT FIXTURES WITH PRISMATIC ENCLOSURES. THE FLAT BOTTOM OF CURVE (A) INDICATES EVEN
ILLUMINATFON OVER A WIDE AREA AND THEREFORE A HIGH SPACING TO MOUNTING HEIGHT RATIO (1.5),
WHEREAS THE ROUNDED BOTTOM OF CURVE (B) INDICATES UNEVEN ILLUMINATION AND CLOSER REQUIRED
SPACING FOR UNIFORMITY (1.2 RATIO OF SPACING TO MOUNTING HEIGHT ABOVE WORKING PLANE FOR A
MAXIMUM OF 20% ILLUMINATION VARIATION).

UNIFORMITY OF ILLUMINATION

IN ANY SPACE INTENDED TO BE LIGHTED UNIFORMLY WITH MULTIPLE DISCRETE CEILING MOUNTED LIGHT
SOURCES (RATHER THAN A LUMINOUS CEILING). IT IS NECESSARY TO ESTABLISH A FIXTURE SPACING THAT WILL
GIVE ACCEPTABLE UNIFORMLY OF ILUMINATION. A ATIO OF MAXIMUM TO MINIMUM ILLUMINATION ON THE
WORKING PLANE 9F 1.2 IS ACCEPTABLE AND 1.3 IS TOLERABLE. FOR GENERAL BACKGROUND OR CIRCULATION
LIGHTING, UP· TO 1.6 IS ACCEPTABLE. THE DATA GIVEN BY MANUFACTURERS

THE FOREGOING DISCUSSION OF ILLUMINATION UNIFORMITY CONCERNED ITSELF WITH UNIFORMITY ON A

HORIZONTAL PLANE. OCASSIONALLY, IT IS NECESSARY TO KNOW THE DEGREE OF UNIFORMITY VERTICALLY
(ON HORIZONTAL PLANES AT DIFFERENT ELEVATIONS) FOUR DIFFERENT LIGHTING SITUATIONS ARE NORMALLY
ENCOUNTERED. THEY ARE:

A. PLOINT SOURCES SUCH AS INCANDESCENT DOWNLIGHTS.

B. LINE SOURCES SUCH AS CONTINUOUS - ROW FLUORESCENT FIXTURES,

C. INFINITE SOURCES SUCH AS LUMINOUS CEILINGS WHETHER TRANSILLUMINATED OR INDIRECT.

D. PARABOLIC REFLECTOR BEAMS SUCH AS FROM PAR TAMPS.

LUMINAIRE MOUNTING HEIGHT

THE MOUNTING HEIGHT OF LUMINAIRES IS NORMALLY ESTABLISHED BEFORE SPACING, AND UNIFORMLY
REQUIREMENTS GOVERN SPACING AS EXPLAINED ABOVE. IN ARRIVING AT A MOUNTING HEIGHT FOR FIXTURES
WITH AN UPWARD COMPONENT, A BALANCE MUST.BE STRUCK BETWEEN THE REQUIREMENT OF LOW-CEILING
BRIGHTNESS AND GOOD UTILIZATION OF LIGHT (LOW MOUNTING) AND THE RETICENCE TO DOMINATE AN AREA,
PARTICULARLY A LARGE ROOM BY USING SUCH A LOW MOUNTING HEIGHT THAT THE APPARENT CEILING HEIGHT
IS AFFECTED.
LIGHTING FIXTURES

THE ARCHITECT SHOULD CONSIDER THAT LIGHTING FIXTURES CONSTITUTE 25 TO 30% OF THE ELECTRICAL
BUDGET OR 4 TO 5% OF THE OVERALL BUILDING BUDGET, TO APPRECIATE THEIR IMPORTANCE. SINCE THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A QUALITY UNIT AND AN INFERIOR ONE IS OFTEN NOT READILY VISIBLE TO THE CASUAL
OBSERVER, PARTICULAR CARE MUST BE TAKEN IN THE SPECIFICATION OF LIGHTING FIXTURES AND IN
EXAMINATION OF SHOP DRAWINGS AND SAMPLES. ALL FIXTURES IF APPLIED PROPERLY WILL GIVE A SUFFICIENT
QUANTITY OF LIGHT, BUT ONLY A GOOD UNIT WILL COMBINE QUANTITY WITH GOOD QUALITY, EASE OF
INSTALLATION, FACILITY OF MAINTENANCE AND INDEFINITE LIFE. IN ADDITION, REGARDLESS, OF THE
MANUFACTURING DETAILS OF A LIGHTING FIXTURE, INSTALLATION PROCEDURE MUST BE PROPER TO INSURE
MECHANICAL RIGIDITY AND SAFETY, FREEDOM FROM EXCESSIVE TEMPERATURES, AND REQUISITE ACCESSIBILITY
OF COMPONENT PARTS AND OF THE FIXTURE OUTLET BOX.

LIGHTING FIXTURE CONSTRUCTION

(A) ALL FIXTURES SHALL BE WIRED AND CONSTRUCTED TO COMPLY WITH LOCAL CODES.

(B) FIXTURES SHALL GENERALLY BE CONSTRUCTED OF 20 GAUGE 10.0359 IN.) THICK STEEL MINIMUM. CAST
PORTIONS OF FIXTURES SHALL BE NO LESS THAN 1/16 IN. THICK.

(C) ALL METALS SHALL BE COATED. THE COATING SHALL BE A BAKED - ENAMEL WHITE PAINT OF MINIMUM 85%
REFLECTANCE; ON TOP OF A RUST-INHIBITING PFIMING PROCESS. UNPAINTED SURFACES SHALL BE FINISHED WITH
A CLEAR LACQUER EXCEPT FOR ANODIZED OR "ALZAC" SURFACES. ALL HARDWARE SHALL BE CADMIUM-PLATED
OF OTHERWISE RUST-PROOFED.

(D) LAMPHOLDERS IN INCANDESCENT FIXTURES SHALL BE PORCELAIN, WITH NICKEL PLATED SCREW SHELL

(E) AN INCANDESCENT FIXTURE SHALL NOT CAUSE A TEMPERATURE EXCEEDING 90° ON ANY OUTSIDE SURFACE.

(F) NO POINT ON THE OUTSIDE OF A FLUORESCENT FIXTURE SHALL EXCEED 900.

(G) EACH FIXTURE SHALL BE IDENTIFIED BY LABEL CARRYING THE MANUFACTURER'S NAME AND ADDRESS AND
THE FIXTURE CATALOGUE NUMBER.

(H) GLASS DIFFUSER PANELS IN FLUORESCENT FIXTURES SHALL BE MOUNTED IN A METAL FRAME. PLASTIC
DIFFUSERS SHALL BE SUITABLY HINGED. "LAY-IN" PLASTIC DIFFUSERS SHOULD NOT BE USED,

(I) PLASTIC DIFFUSERS SHOULD BE OF THE SLOW-BURNING OR SELF-EXTINGUISHING TYPE WITH LOW SMOKE
DENSITY RATING AND LOW HEAT DISTORTION TEMPERATURES. THIS LATTER SHALL BE LOW ENOUGH SO THAT THE
PLASTIC DIFFUSER WILL DISTORT SUFFICIENTLY TO DROP OUT OF THE FIXTURE BEFORE REACHING IGNITION
TEMPERATURE,

(J) IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT PLASTICS USED IN AIR-HANDLING FIXTURES BE OF THE NONCOMBUSTIBLE, LOW-
SMOKE-DENSITY TYPE. THESE REQUIREMENTS ALSO APPLY TO OTHER NONMETALLIC COMPONENTS OF SUCH
FIXTURES.

(K) ALL PLASTIC DIFFUSERS SHALL BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH THEIR COMPOSITION MATERIAL, TRADE NAME, AND
MANUFACTURER'S NAME AND IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MANY PLASTIC DIFFUSERS
CHANGE RADICALLY WITH AGE AND EXPOSURE TO ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT. GLASS AND ACRYLIC PLASTIC ARE STABLE
IN COLOR AND STRENGTH. OTHER PLASTICS MAY YELLOW AND EVEN TURN BROWN THUS. DIMINISHING LIGHT
TRANSMISSION RADICALLY AS WELL AS CHANGING THE FIXTURE APPEARANCE. SOME PLASTICS THAT ARE
INITIALLY VERY, TOUGH AND "VANDALPROOF" EMBRITTLE WITH AGE AND EXPOSURE TO WEATHER OR THE
ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT OF A MERCURY OR FLUORESCENT SOURCE. THUS, THE LONG-RANGE AS WELL AS INITIAL
CHARACTERISTICS OF ALL DIFFUSER ELEMENTS MUST BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE SPECIFICATION APPROVAL.

(l) BALLASTS SHALL BE MOUNTED IN FIXTURES WITH CAPTIVE SCREWS ON THE FIXTURE BODY, TO ALLOW BALLAST
REPLACEMENT WITHOUT, FIXTURE REMOVAL.

(M) ALL FIXTURES MOUNTED OUTDOORS, WHETHER UNDER CANOPIES OR DIRECTLY EXPOSED TO THE WEATHER,
SHALL BE CONSTRUCTED OF APPROPRIATE WEATHER - RESISTANT MATERIALS AND FINISHES, INCLUDING
GASKETING TO PREVENT ENTRANCE OF WATER INTO WIRING, AND SHALL BEMARKED BY THE MANUFACTURER.
"SUITABLE FOR OUTDOOR USE".
LIGHTING FIXTURE INSTALLATION

(A) FIXTURES MAY NOT BE USED AS A CONDUCTOR RACEWAY UNLESS SPECIFICALLY SO DESIGNED AND LABELED
BY THE MANUFACTURER.

(B) FIXTURES MOUNTED ON COMBUSTIBLE SURFACES SHALL NOT SUBJECT THESE SURFACES TO A TEMPERATURE
EXCEEDING 90°C, IN A 40°C AMBIENT SPACE. TO THIS END INSULATING MATERIAL SPACERS OR SIMPLY AN AIR
SPACE MAY BE USED.

(C) ALTHOUGH MOST CODES ALLOW FLUORESCENT FIXTURES LESS THAN 40 LB IN WEIGHT TO BE MOUNTED
DIRECTLY ON THE HORIZONTAL METAL MEMBERS OF HUNG-CEILING SYSTEMS EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT
VIBRATION, MEMBER DEFLECTION, ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OPERATION ON EQUIPMENT IN HUNG CEILINGS AND
POOR WORKMANSHIP CAN CAUSE SUCH FIXTURES TO FALL, ENDANGERING LIFE. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED
THAT ALL FIXTURES, SURFACE, PENDANT OR RECESSED, WHETHER MOUNTED INDIVIDUALLY OR IN ROWS. MUST
BE SUPPORTED FROM THE BLACK CHANNEL IRON SUPPORTING THE CEILING SYSTEM (PURLINS) OR DIRECTLY
FRQM THE BUILDING STRUCTURE, BUT IN NO CASE BY THE CEILING SYSTEM ITSELF. THIS IS PARTICULARLY
IMPORTANT IN THE CASE OF AN EXPOSED "Z" SPLINE CEILING SYSTEM.

(D) FIXTURES INSTALLED IN WET PLASTER CEILINGS SHAFT UTILIZE PLASTER FRAMES INSTALLED FOR THAT
PURPOSE.

(E) FIXTURES IN STALLED IN BATHROOMS SHALL NOT HAVE AN INT~ RECEPTACLE AND WHEN INSTALLED ON WAHS
SHALL HAVE NONMETALLIC BODIES. THESE ARE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.

(F) THE VOLTAGE TO GROUND ON BRANCH CIRCUITS SUPPTYIRIG LAMPHOLDERS AND LIGHTING FIXTURES SHALL
BOT EXCEED 1 50 V EXCEPT FOR:

1. MOGUL-BASE LAMPHOLDERS MOUNTED NOT LESS THAN 8FT. ABOVE THE FLOOR, AND ACCESSIBLE ONLY TO
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL.
2. FLUORESCENT LAMP FIXTURES, PERMANENTLY INSTALLED WITH APPROPRIATE BALLASTS, IN WHICH CASE THE
VOLTAGE MAY BE UP TO 300 V SUCH FIXTURES MAY NOT HAVE INTEGRAL SWITCHING BUT MUST USE WALL
SWITCHES. THIS RULE ALLOWS THE USE OF 277 V FLUORESCENT AND MERCURY LIGHTING. USE OF LIGHTING
CIRCUITS ABOVE 150 V IS NOT PERMITTED IN RESIDENCES.

STANDARDS FOR RECESSED FLUORESCENT LUMINAIRES

LUMINAIRE DIFFUSING ELEMENTS

THE DIFFUSING ELEMENTS USUALLY CONSIDERED INCLUDE WHITE PLASTIC, STRIPED AND PRISMATIC GLASS,
PRISMATIC PLASTIC, HIGH-REFLECTANCE ALUMINUM (ALZAC), BAFFLES, AND MINIATURE EGGCRATE LOUVERS. IN
ADDITION TO THESE TYPES THERE ARE VARIOUS SIZES AND SHAPES OF METAL AND PLASTIC LOUVERS AND
BAFFLES, WHITE GLASS, RIBBED GLASS, ETC. EACH OF THESE DIFFUSERS MUST BE CONSIDERED ON ITS MERITS
AND A DECISION ARRIVED AT (60 TO NEXT LINE) BASED ON PHOTOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS, COST EASE OF
MAINTENANCE, APPERANCE, AND FIRE SAFETY.

(A) PLAIN WHITE DIFFUSERS

THESE HAVE A CIRCULAR DISTRIBUTION G1VMG EQUAL LIGHT IN ALL DIRECTIONS. DIFFUSION IS GOOD, VCP IS
POOR, AND ESI IS GENERALLY POOR.

(B) PRISMATIC LENS

THERE AFE DOZENS OF DESIGNS THAT VARY ONE FROM ANOTHER CONSIDERABLY. THE FIGURE CAN BE TAKEN
AS,TYPICAL OF THIS GENRE. THEY PRODUCE GOOD DIFFUSION, HIGH VCP AND FAIR ESI, DEPENDING ON VIEWING
ANGLES AND POSITIONS.
(C) LOUVERS AND BAFFLES
THESE ARE MADE OF METAL OR PLASTIC, IN VARIOUS SHAPES AND SIZES. THEY GENERALLY HAVE CIRCULAR TO
EGG-SHAPED DISTRIBUTION, PROVIDING GOOD-DIFFUSION, GOOD VCP AND POOR ESI.

(D) PARABOLIC LOUVERS

THESE ARE AVAILABLE IN SMALL AND LARGE DESIGNS, THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTIC OF WHICH IS EXTREMELY
LOW BRIGHTNESS YIELDING VERY HIGH VCP.

(E) BATWING DIFFUSERS

THESE DIFFUSERS ARE MADE IN A NUMBER OF DESIGNS. THEY ARE GENERALLY PRISMATIC LENSES MODIFIED TO
GIVE THIS SPECIAL CHARACTERISTIC.
INTERIOR ILLUMINATION
CALCULATIONS HAVING SELECTED A LUMINAIRE ON THE BASIS OF ALL THE FOREGOING CRITERIA, IT REMAINS
ONLY TO CALCULATE THE NUMBER OF SUCH UNITS REQUIRED IN EACH SPACE FOR GENERAL ILLUMINATION. AND
TO PROPERLY ARRANGE THEM. ALTHOUGH A NUMBER OF CALCULATION METHODS ARE AVAILABLE, THE LUMEN
METHOD IS SIMPLEST AND MOST APPLICABLE TO OUR NEEDS FOR AREA LIGHTING CALCULATIONS. INTENSITY
CALCULATION FROM POINT, LINE, OR AREA SOURCES IS COVERED IN THE NEXT SECTIONS.
LIGHT LOSS FACTOR (LLF) IN LUMEN CALCULATIONS
THE LUMEN ·METHOD OF CALCULATION IS A PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING THE AVERAGE MAINTAINED
FOOTCANDLE ILLUMINATION INTENSITY ON THE WORKING PLANE IN A ROOM THE. METHOD PRESUPPOSES
THAT LUMINAIRES WILL BE SPACED SO THAT, UNIFORMITY OF ILLUMINATION IS PROVIDED IN ORDER THAT AN
AVERAGE CALCULATION HAVE VALIDITY. THE METHOD IS BASED ON THE DEFINITION OF ONE FOOTCANDLE AS
ONE LUMEN INCIDENT ON ONE SQUARE FOOT OF AREA.
ZONAL CAVITY CALCULATION METHOD

IN THE ZONAL CAVITY METHOD, THE ROOM IS DIVIDED INTO THREE CAVITIES, THAT IS, CEILING, ROOM, AND
FLOOR, AND THE "EFFECTIVE" REFLECTANCE OF EACH CAVITY CALCULATED. A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE
METHOD PLUS SEVERAL ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES WILL DEMONSTRATE ITS USE.
WE SELECT FROM THE TABLE ON WALL LUMINANCE COEFFICIENTS (PREVIOUS PAGES), FOR TWO LAMPS, WHICH
HAS SEMI-DIRECT DISTRIBUTION, LOW BRIGHTNESS FOR HIGH VCP (STUDENTS SPEND A LARGE PROPORTION OF
THEIR TIME IN HEADS-UP POSITION, REQUIRING HIGH VCP), BATWING TYPE CROSSWISE DISTRIBUTION FOR HIGH
CRF AND LOW VEILING REFLECTION, AND GOOD CU WHICH MEANS HIGH EFFICIENCY AND LOW ENERGY USE.
FURTHERMORE, MAINTENANCE CATEGORY LL IS EXCELLENT AS IN THE WIDE LATERAL SPACING POSSIBLE WITH
THE 1.5 S/MH LISTED. ARRANGEMENT OF FIXTURES WILL BE IN ROWS, FRONT-TO-BACK. BASED ON EXPERIENCE,
WE WOULD HERE DESIGN FOR 80 RAW FC TO OBTAIN THE REQUISITE 70-FC, ESL AVERAGE.
CHAPTER 16

LIGHTING APPLICATION