Illumination Guidelines for Nighttime Highway Work (2003)

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T R A N S P O R T A T I O N R E S E A R C H B O A R D WASHINGTON, D.C. 2003 www.TRB.org NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM NCHRP REPORT 498 Research Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in Cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration SUBJECT AREAS Materials and Construction • Maintenance • Safety and Human Performance Illumination Guidelines for Nighttime Highway Work RALPH D. ELLIS, JR. SCOTT AMOS ASHISH KUMAR University of Florida Gainesville, FL

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM Systematic, well-designed research provides the most effective approach to the solution of many problems facing highway administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local interest and can best be studied by highway departments individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportation develops increasingly complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research. In recognition of these needs, the highway administrators of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials initiated in 1962 an objective national highway research program employing modern scientific techniques. This program is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of the Association and it receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of Transportation. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies was requested by the Association to administer the research program because of the Board’s recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. The Board is uniquely suited for this purpose as it maintains an extensive committee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; it possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; its relationship to the National Research Council is an insurance of objectivity; it maintains a full-time research correlation staff of specialists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those who are in a position to use them. The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified by chief administrators of the highway and transportation departments and by committees of AASHTO. Each year, specific areas of research needs to be included in the program are proposed to the National Research Council and the Board by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Research projects to fulfill these needs are defined by the Board, and qualified research agencies are selected from those that have submitted proposals. Administration and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Research Council and the Transportation Research Board. The needs for highway research are many, and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program can make significant contributions to the solution of highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement rather than to substitute for or duplicate other highway research programs. Note: The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the individual states participating in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of this report. Published reports of the NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet at: http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America NCHRP REPORT 498 Project G5-13(2) FY1996 ISSN 0077-5614 ISBN 0-309-08780-5 Library of Congress Control Number 2003114933 © 2003 Transportation Research Board Price $20.00 NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing Board’s judgment that the program concerned is of national importance and appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National Research Council. The members of the technical committee selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and, while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical committee, they are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical committee according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol- ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and techni- cal matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Acad- emy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve- ments of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad- emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both the Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, which serves the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The Board’s mission is to promote innovation and progress in transportation through research. In an objective and interdisciplinary setting, the Board facilitates the sharing of information on transportation practice and policy by researchers and practitioners; stimulates research and offers research management services that promote technical excellence; provides expert advice on transportation policy and programs; and disseminates research results broadly and encourages their implementation. The Board’s varied activities annually engage more than 4,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org www.national-academies.org

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF FOR NCHRP REPORT 498 ROBERT J. REILLY, Director, Cooperative Research Programs CRAWFORD F. JENCKS, Manager, NCHRP AMIR N. HANNA, Senior Program Officer EILEEN P. DELANEY, Managing Editor KAMI CABRAL, Associate Editor ANDREA BRIERE, Associate Editor NCHRP PROJECT G5-13 PANEL Field of Traffic—Area of Illumination and Visibility EDWARD J. PETROU, STV Inc., New York, NY (Chair) KARL A. BURKETT, Texas DOT BENJAMIN H. COTTRELL, JR., Virginia DOT ROBERT GARRETT, National Council on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Sunrise, AZ ELLIS KING, University of North Carolina–Charlotte SUSAN LODAHL, Minnesota DOT DALE LOUIE, Indiana DOT RICHARD PARKER, Oregon DOT JONATHAN DAN TURNER, FHWA Liaison Representative RICHARD PAIN, TRB Liaison Representative AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research reported herein was performed under NCHRP Proj- ect 5-13(2) by the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Florida. Ralph D. Ellis, Jr., Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Florida, was the Principal Investigator. Other con- tributors to this report were Zohar Herbsman, Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Florida; Scott Amos, former graduate research assistant, now Assistant Professor, Pittsburgh State Uni- versity; and Ashish Kumar, former graduate research assistant. The work on this project was performed under the general super- vision of Professor Ellis with assistance from Scott Amos and Ashish Kumar, research assistants.

This report provides guidelines for illumination for nighttime highway work, work zone illumination design, and use of temporary roadway lighting for construction and maintenance work. These guidelines will help highway agencies and the public accrue the benefits of nighttime highway work while ensuring a safe environment for motorists and workers. The report is a useful resource for state construction engineers and oth- ers involved in nighttime construction and maintenance work on highways. An increasing amount of nighttime highway work is being performed on both divided and undivided highways in urban and rural settings to minimize the congestion effects of daytime reductions in capacity and/or to accelerate the work. This often necessitates the use of illumination to facilitate the work while maintaining a safe work area for motorists and workers. As nighttime work continues to increase in frequency, illumination guidelines that identify the types of light sources and the minimum and maximum levels of illumination required for a variety of nighttime work in typical sit- uations need to be developed and made available to public agencies and contractors. Without such guidelines, illumination will continue to be provided on a trial and error basis, which can be costly in both time and safety. NCHRP Project 5-13 and subse- quently Project 5-13(2) were conducted to address this need. Project 5-13 produced preliminary illumination guidelines for construction and maintenance activities. Under NCHRP Project 5-13(2), “Illumination Guidelines for Nighttime Highway Work,” The University of Florida was assigned the objectives of (1) developing illu- mination guidelines for nighttime highway work, (2) developing guidelines for work zone illumination design, and (3) developing guidelines for the use of temporary road- way lighting for construction and maintenance work. To accomplish these objectives, the researchers reviewed relevant domestic and foreign literature, surveyed state departments of transportation (DOTs) to establish the extent of use of nighttime con- struction and maintenance work, and adapted illumination guidelines developed by other industry sectors to the specific needs of transportation construction and mainte- nance. Also, the researchers conducted field visits and monitored nighttime highway construction and maintenance activities on several projects to assess the suitability of the preliminary guidelines developed in the initial phase of research and to provide a basis for developing improved guidelines. The survey of transportation agencies revealed that nighttime construction and maintenance work is performed by at least 28 state DOTs. The construction activities most commonly performed at night are resurfacing, barrier walls and traffic separators, milling and surface removal, marking and stripe painting, bridge deck construction, concrete pavement construction, base course construction, ditch and channel excava- tion, embankment filling and compaction, and highway signing. The maintenance activities most commonly performed at night are sweeping and cleanup, concrete pave- ment repair, bridge deck rehabilitation and maintenance, resurfacing, milling and sur- FOREWORD By Amir N. Hanna Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

face removal, lighting system repair, traffic signal maintenance, marking and stripe painting, surface treatment, and barrier walls. The research concluded that nighttime highway work can be performed safely and with a level of quality and economy comparable to that achieved from daytime con- struction, and the study produced three stand-alone sets of guidelines: (1) “Illumina- tion Guidelines for Nighttime Highway Work,” (2) “Guidelines for Work Zone Illu- mination Design,” and (3) “Guidelines for the Use of Temporary Roadway Lighting.” These guidelines address relevant topics, including visibility requirements, lighting equipment, lighting configuration and arrangement, lighting system design, system operation and maintenance, and economic considerations. The guidelines will assist in planning, designing, and operating nighttime highway work zone lighting and should, therefore, be particularly useful to highway agencies and contracting firms involved in nighttime construction and maintenance work.

S-1 SUMMARY 1-1 SECTION ONE: BACKGROUND, RESEARCH APPROACH, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1-3 CHAPTER 1 Background and Research Approach Background, 1-3 Research Objectives, 1-3 Research Approach, 1-3 1-5 CHAPTER 2 Summary of Findings and Recommendations Summary of Findings, 1-5 Recommendations, 1-5 Organization of the Report, 1-5 1-6 REFERENCES 2-1 SECTION TWO: ILLUMINATION GUIDELINES FOR NIGHTTIME HIGHWAY WORK 2-3 CHAPTER 1 Introduction and Research Approach Introduction, 2-3 Research Approach, 2-3 Approach to Development of Illumination Requirements, 2-5 2-14 CHAPTER 2 Development of Illumination Requirements Illuminance Level Categories, 2-14 Comparison of Nonhighway and Highway Work Tasks, 2-15 Development of Recommended Illumination Criteria, 2-16 2-20 CHAPTER 3 Field Demonstration of Illumination Guidelines Introduction, 2-20 Demonstration Objectives, 2-20 Demonstration Procedure, 2-20 2-25 CHAPTER 4 Recommended Illumination Guidelines Introduction, 2-25 2-27 REFERENCES 2-28 APPENDIX FOR SECTION TWO Lighting Design for Demonstration 3-1 SECTION THREE: GUIDELINES FOR WORK ZONE ILLUMINATION DESIGN 3-3 CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Design Guidelines Purpose of Guidelines, 3-3 Nighttime Highway Construction, 3-3 Organization of the Guidelines, 3-3 3-5 CHAPTER 2 Visibility Requirements Introduction, 3-5 Lighting Conditions, 3-5 Human Factors, 3-6 Recommended Illumination Level Categories, 3-6 Recommended Illumination Levels, 3-6 Summary, 3-8 3-9 CHAPTER 3 Selecting Lighting Equipment Introduction, 3-9 Light Sources, 3-9 Summary, 3-10 CONTENTS

3-11 CHAPTER 4 Configuration of the Lighting System Introduction, 3-11 Temporary Systems, 3-11 Portable Systems, 3-11 Equipment-Mounted Systems, 3-11 Glare Avoidance, 3-13 Summary, 3-14 3-15 CHAPTER 5 Designing the Lighting System Introduction, 3-15 Design Criteria, 3-15 Illumination Design, 3-15 Computer Design Applications, 3-19 Practical Lighting Configuration Guidelines, 3-19 Summary, 3-19 3-23 CHAPTER 6 System Operation and Maintenance Introduction, 3-23 Power Source Maintenance, 3-23 Lighting Hardware Maintenance, 3-23 Summary, 3-24 3-25 CHAPTER 7 Economic Considerations Introduction, 3-25 Cost Elements, 3-25 Benefits, 3-25 Summary, 3-26 3-26 REFERENCES 3-27 APPENDIX FOR SECTION THREE Lighting Design Example 4-1 SECTION FOUR: GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF TEMPORARY ROADWAY LIGHTING 4-3 CHAPTER 1 Introduction Purpose of Guidelines, 4-3 Nighttime Highway Construction, 4-3 Organization of Guidelines, 4-3 4-5 CHAPTER 2 Visibility Requirements Introduction, 4-5 Visual Components of the Driving Task, 4-5 Visibility Requirements of the Work Tasks, 4-5 Summary, 4-8 4-9 CHAPTER 3 Temporary Roadway Lighting Design Considerations Introduction, 4-9 Results of Field Visits, 4-9 Need for Coordination with Maintenance of Traffic Plans, 4-9 Mounting Supports and Other Details, 4-9 Maintenance and Operational Considerations, 4-10 Cost Considerations, 4-10 Summary and Conclusions, 4-11 4-11 REFERENCES