Basement Illumination – Cast Iron Pavement Lights

Technical | Basement illumination

It is generally accepted that the presence of natural light within a room, enhances the appearance of the space while also improving the mood and wellbeing of those using it. Due to its inherent structural properties, Cast Iron permits a much greater level of natural illuminance than Pavement Lights made from some other materials. As shown in the table below, Hargreaves Foundry cast iron pavement lights have a much higher percentage of visible glass than on comparable concrete versions.

Table 1

Table showing percentages of visible glass to total area of pavement light unit.

*percentage variance depends upon glass block used

The load bearing abilities of cast iron provides the opportunity to reduce pavement light section depth. This means that a greater proportion of light approaching the pavement light at an oblique angle can pass unhindered by the frame and be distributed throughout the space below the pavement light unit.

Testing undertaken by our Technical team have shown that natural illumination below our pavement light units is variable depending on external light conditions. The table below outlines a comparison between Hargreaves Foundry Illuminance readings taken 750mm below our pavement lights with values taken from the UK Health & Safety Executive document HSG38 (Lighting at work).

Table 2

Table showing data from HSG38 (Lighting at work) and Hargreaves Foundry Illuminance beneath Pavement Lights