Public lighting can look terrific with aluminium light poles
Education City in Qatar has made public lighting attractive with its decision to use aluminium light poles.
Education City has served for two decades as a center for innovation and knowledge, complete with universities, research centers and laboratories. The multi-university campus has students from across the world, and covers 14 square kilometers in the capital city of Doha.
Qatar Foundation, which is behind Education City, is now expanding the location to make it more accessible to local residents as well as international visitors. Part of its reasoning is the increasing number of conferences in the Doha area, as well as the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which Qatar is hosting.
Development projects include new recreation facilities and thoughtfully designed open spaces.
Aluminium light poles provide functionality and attractiveness
Education City has put considerable effort into making sure its public lighting covers the ambitions of the assorted modernization projects that are either ongoing or planned. It fixed a unique design and concluded that only aluminium could offer the attractivenessdesired.
In total, Education City is going to install as many as 6,000 new light poles.
The conical tube transition is almost beyond the limits of machine capability.
Challenging custom-made design
The light poles’ design is based on several aluminium profiles and a cast aluminium base plate. The main profile is attached to the base plate at four points, which in the original design was solved by four L-shaped brackets – to add strength. The profile also has door sections into which cables and other things can be integrated.
The conical tube transition is almost beyond the limits of machine capability. It is also complex, with 191 parts. A standard pole normally has around 30 parts.
Improving the design to add strength and reduce costs
After delivering the first 1,200 light poles for Education City – each containing about 200 kilograms of aluminium – Hydro and its partner Metrosmart International suggested a redesign for the next deliveries. The main difference is that the four brackets were replaced by an aluminium profile that has the same aesthetic value, and more strength.
Now the pole has the strength required, with no need of additional components, such as covers. This has a significant impact on the cost.
Durable aluminium light poles in challenging weather conditions
Design work aside, another key to the project was identifying the aluminium alloy and surface treatment that could stand up – and last – in the face of salt and sand, dirt and humidity.
“We managed by anodizing,” says Hydro’s Ayoub Kaddouri, who supports customers based in the Middle East. “They also wanted a logo on the transition cover. This is small, but it has significant decorative value for the customer. And it looks great.”
