St. Louis Harbor Electroluminescent (EL) Bridge Lighting Project.
Abstract
In March 1986, Coast Guard R & D Center engineers deployed two prototype electroluminescent lighting arrays on the main span of the Poplar Street Bridge in St. Louis Harbor. THe objective was to demonstrate the concept of extended light sources as applied to aids-to-navigation engineering. These extended light sources were designed to assist south-bound tug pilots in identifying and safely transiting the main bridge span on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River. In prior years, pilots had experienced difficulty transiting St. Louis Harbor during the high water season, with the Poplar Street Bridge being involved in at least two serious tug/tow incidents and numerous minor ones. No accidents have been reported since the prototype arrays were deployed in March 1986. User feedback concerning the EL arrays, was consistently positive. The report describes the design, fabrication and deployment of the EL array, as well as reasons for perceived improvement in signal effectiveness. Keywords: Navigational aids; Visual aids; Conspicuity; Visual perception. (edc)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA195941
Entities
People
- M. B. Mandler
- T. S. Winslow
Organizations
- United States Coast Guard Research & Development Center