Consider that LEDs may not be appropriate for mogul illumination due to high glare and flicker. As mentioned, high-frequency flicker can cause strobe effect that may alter depth perception and associated timing. Glare… even daytime sun glare will flatten the snow surface appearance. This represents a dangerous condition for mogul skiers.
Installation Considerations
Infrastructure – Mountainside construction and installation is challenging and expensive. As any mountain manager can say, pouring concrete on a 45-degree slope is a difficult and costly process. Some projects have required pours from helicopters because trucks cannot negotiate such extreme angles. This is one reason why many steep-sloped venues have chosen not to install night lighting. Simply pouring casings for pole mounting can cost more than the fixtures. Hogadon Basin in Casper, Wyoming was quoted $1.3 million to install new lighting on two slopes. The majority of the cost was for pole infrastructure. At the same time, the company quoting the project warned that it would take up to eight weeks to pour the casings for light poles. Another four to six weeks would be required to allow the concrete to cure. Hogadon Basin was able to reduce the project from $1.3 million to $420,000.00 by using helical piles instead of concrete casings for pole mounting. Helical piles are essentially
large screws that drive into the ground like piles. The design is specific to the type of soil or rock. Such piles are able to support skyscrapers and bridges as well as chair lift towers and lighting poles. They are used for building foundations and other structures. The project manager contacted
the TorcSill® Foundation company to build appropriate helical piles that matched the mountain’s soil profile. The TorcSill® engineering department created a helical pile with a mounting plate that aligned with the lighting pole bolt pattern. A total of 78 poles were used. The entire installation was completed in two days, saving more than two months and eliminating risks associated with curing concrete. Other helical pile companies include Conte Company, Hubbell, and more that can be found on the internet. Environmental and planning advantages include the ability to remove the piles by unscrewing from the soil medium. Thus, slope topology can be reconfigured without removing infrastructure that is semi-permanent like concrete casings. This is considered more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Understand that helical piles can be used for ski lift towers, buildings, cell towers, wind turbines, and more.
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