Schallberg Tunnel Lit with LED Lighting
Thanks to LED lighting from Tridonic, the Schallberg tunnel on the Simplon Pass is much brighter. The extensive, two-and-a-half-year renovation transformed the dark 1970s constructed tunnel in the Swiss Alps. The 45 km long Simplon Pass between Brig and Iselle is one of the most important transit routes in the Swiss Alps that has numerous tunnels, bridges, and galleries, most of which have been in operation since the 1960s or 70s and greatly need of repair. The Renovation of the 500 m long Schallberg tunnel at the beginning of the pass could not be delayed.

“This was a complete renovation job, involving all the tunnel elements. Among other things, we repaired the two galleries, built a new escape tunnel, lowered the road in some places to provide adequate clearance for trucks, and put down a new road surface,” said Mark Siegenthaler from ASTRA, the Swiss Federal Roads Office.

In addition to replacing the lighting and lighting controls, the renovation upgraded the operational and safety equipment, the ventilation system, and the power supply. Tridonic points out that now the Schallberg tunnel with its new LED lighting is bright and inviting.

Swiss lighting specialist, Rigamonti supplied a total of 100 transition zone luminaires and 150 interior zone luminaires, and Tridonic supplied the “inner workings” of the luminaires. Also, the emergency lights on the walls, the escape exit signs, the escape route lights, and the escape route indicators all use LED components from Tridonic.

The transition zone luminaires in the entrance and exit zones feature new RLE series LED modules that Tridonic developed specifically for tunnel lighting according to Rigamonti’s specifications.

Although the entrances and exits of tunnels are high-risk areas for accidents because of the abrupt change in lighting conditions, the risk can be reduced with the right artificial lighting.

Each transition zone luminaire contains two LED modules. The modules operate at a current of 350 mA, consume 112 W and generate a luminous flux of 18,350 lm. Only the last three luminaires of the transition zone use only one LED module. This lower light level eases the lighting transition as vehicles proceed to the interior zone.

The LED technology allows the luminaire to have a low-profile design. The luminaires measure 1,550 mm long and 170 mm wide but only 40 mm (4 cm) deep.

Tridonic based the new customized LED modules for the interior zone on its LLE Series modules. Five of the customized modules were put in each luminaire.

With an operating current of 300 mA, the interior zone luminaires consume 38.25 W and provide 6,365 lm. An emission angle of 120° and correlated color temperature of 6,500 K combined with the light output produce the recommended average carriageway luminances of 45 cd/m2 in the entrance zone and 3 cd/m2 in the tunnel’s interior.

The Rigamonti luminaires use 1-100% dimmable constant-current LED drivers from Tridonic’s Premium series to help ensure optimum operating conditions for the LEDs modules. The drivers allow adjustable output currents and have integrated short-circuit, overtemperature, and overload protection.

The one4all interface enables dimming via DALI as well as DSI, switchDIM, and corridorFUNCTION and also has the ready2mains digital interface. While the transition zone luminaires have one driver for each of the two LED modules, the tunnel interior luminaires need just one driver per luminaire.

Source: tridonic, solidstatelightingdesign