Lighting is one of the last items on a road or district project, and one of the first things residents notice. Street lighting poles have to carry the luminaire at the right height, survive wind, earthquakes and decades of weather, and match the architecture of new residential districts. This guide covers what developers and road contractors should specify.
Pole types
| Type | Description | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Conical / polygonal steel pole | Tapered steel column, hot-dip galvanised | Roads, highways, residential streets |
| Pole with single or double bracket (arm) | Arm length 0.5–2.5 m | Carriageway lighting from the verge or median |
| Decorative / park pole | Lower pole with ornamental design | Boulevards, parks, residential courtyards |
| High-mast pole (15–30 m) | Raising/lowering luminaire ring | Junctions, interchanges, car parks, ports |
| Mid-hinged / tilting pole | Lowers for maintenance without a lift | Areas hard for lift trucks to reach |
Height and spacing
The lighting designer calculates height and spacing from the lighting class of the road (based on EN 13201). Typical starting points:
| Location | Mounting height | Typical spacing |
|---|---|---|
| Residential street | 6–8 m | 25–35 m |
| District main road | 8–10 m | 30–40 m |
| Urban arterial / highway | 10–12 m | 35–50 m |
| Paths and parks | 3–5 m | 15–25 m |
With modern LED luminaires, poles can often be spaced wider than in older sodium-lamp designs. Always confirm this with a photometric calculation.
Structural and durability points
- Standard: lighting columns are designed to EN 40 (dimensions, loads, verification).
- Wind and seismic loads: Georgia has windy coastal and mountain sites (Batumi coastline, passes) and is seismically active. Poles and foundations must be checked for the local wind zone and seismic conditions.
- Corrosion protection: hot-dip galvanising to ISO 1461 inside and out. Add a polyester powder coat (duplex system) for colour and extra life in coastal Batumi air.
- Base type: flange-plate pole on anchor bolts (easy to replace), or planted (buried) pole.
- Service door with a fuse/connection box at a reachable height; IP rating and anti-vandal lock.
- Earthing: a proper earth connection on every pole.
Foundations
Use precast or cast-in-place concrete foundations sized for the pole height, arm, luminaire and wind/seismic loads, with an anchor-bolt cage set accurately by template. Lay cable ducts through the foundation before casting. Ducts often run in the same trench as drainage or other utilities, which needs coordination.
What to write in the BOQ
*"Street lighting column, conical steel to EN 40, 10 m mounting height, single bracket 1.5 m, hot-dip galvanised to ISO 1461 + polyester powder coat RAL [x], flange base with anchor-bolt cage and template, service door with IP54 connection box and anti-vandal lock, earthing terminal; concrete foundation designed for site wind zone and seismic conditions."*
Quick selector
- New residential district streets → 6–8 m decorative or conical poles, duplex coating, LED.
- District arterial road with median → 10 m poles with double brackets in the median.
- Coastal Batumi project → duplex galvanised + powder coat, stainless fixings.
- Junction or interchange → high-mast pole with a lowering ring.
GON's road-infrastructure range
GON supplies road lighting poles and road-infrastructure products alongside the manholes, rain gratings and drainage delivered for Tbilisi road projects such as Akaki Tsereteli Avenue and Kakheti Highway. Contractors can source lighting, drainage and covers from one supplier, with offices in Tbilisi and Batumi.
Related products: Road infrastructure & lighting · Manholes & covers · Drainage & stormwater
Galvanised only, or galvanised plus painted?
Galvanised alone works well inland. On the coast and in polluted urban air, a duplex system (galvanised + powder coat) lasts much longer and allows city colours.
Steel or aluminium poles?
Steel is stronger and cheaper for road poles. Aluminium is lighter and corrosion-free, so it is used for decorative and coastal applications.
Get a project quote
Send the lighting layout or pole schedule to sales@gon.ge, or call +995 595 818 800.
GON supplies drainage, water, gas and road-infrastructure products to contractors, utilities and IFI-funded programmes across Georgia.