A. Introduction
Definition and Role of Driveway Lights on Ground
Driveway Lights on Ground (Driveway Lights on Ground) is a class of embedded ground lighting devices designed specifically for driveway scenes, usually embedded in a low form (height ≤ 10cm) in the road surface or kerbstone, through the uniform distribution of light for vehicles and pedestrians to provide guidance and auxiliary lighting. These ground lights are designed with weather-resistant materials and sealed structures that can withstand rainfall, vehicle crushing and extreme temperature differences, and seamlessly integrate with the groundscape while achieving functionality.
At their core, ground level driveway lights enhance safety at night by:
- Clarification of driving paths: Ground lights arranged in a linear or point-like manner strengthen the outline of the lane, helping drivers to accurately judge lane boundaries and turning angles at night and in rainy and foggy weather, and reducing the risk of straying from the lane.
- Pedestrian safety: In mixed lanes or entry areas, the soft ground lights illuminate steps, ramps and other potentially dangerous spots to prevent pedestrians from tripping and falling due to insufficient light.
- Anti-glare design: A downward projecting directional light source (beam angle usually 30°-60°) is used to avoid direct light to the human eye or vehicle cockpit, in line with road lighting safety regulations.
Based on functionality, ground level driveway lights have become an important element of modern landscape design:
- Aesthetic adaptability: Warm white light (2700K-3000K), neutral light (4000K) and other colour temperatures are available, and with square, round or customised shaped light bodies, they can be adapted to different architectural styles such as modern minimalist and new Chinese style.
- Intelligent interaction enhancement: Some high-end ground lights are integrated with human body sensing module, which automatically adjusts the light when vehicles or pedestrians are detected near, forming dynamic light effects, combining a sense of technology and energy saving.
- Low interference characteristics: compared with traditional high-pole street lamps, embedded ground lights have less light pollution, which can meet the basic lighting needs without destroying the quietness of the night environment.
B. Product classification of mainstream embedded lights
1. Classified by light source type
LED underground light
As the mainstream choice of ground driveway lights, LED light source occupies the core position with its low power consumption (single lamp power 3-15W) and long life (≥50,000 hours). It adopts constant current drive technology, which can output stable light without flicker, and with the secondary optical lens to achieve accurate light distribution, suitable for lane guidance, ladder warning and other scenes. Some high-end models support RGB colour mixing, and can switch dynamic light effects to match the festive atmosphere.
Fibre optic buried light
The remote light source is transmitted to the ground light body through the fibre optic bundle to achieve the special design of ‘zero heat generation from the light body and centralised management of the light source’. This kind of ground light is especially suitable for petrol stations, chemical plants and other scenes with electromagnetic sensitivity or flammable and explosive gases, and is not afraid of short-circuit risks caused by heavy rain and water. Its light effect is soft and even, but need to cooperate with the special room to store the light source generator.
Solar Underground Light
Built-in monocrystalline silicon solar panels and lithium iron phosphate batteries, through the off-grid power supply to achieve ‘ready to use’ wiring-free installation. Its luminous flux is usually 50-200 lumens, which is suitable for low-density illumination of country lanes or temporary venues (e.g. wedding lawns). The new generation products are integrated with MPPT Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technology, which allows them to maintain 3-5 days of battery life even on cloudy and rainy days.
2. Classified by material and structure
Stainless steel die-casting buried lights
304/316 stainless steel die-casting, surface brushed or titanium-plated treatment, salt spray corrosion resistance level up to ASTM B117-19 standard. The thickness of the lamp body is ≥3mm, can withstand 1.5 tonnes dynamic load, suitable for logistics parks, car park entrances and exits, and other heavy vehicles frequently run over the area.
Aluminium alloy heat dissipation buried lights
Aviation-grade aluminium alloy shell with fin type heat dissipation structure can control the junction temperature of high power LED (≥20W) below 65℃ to avoid light decay. This kind of ground light is mostly used in airport taxiway, tunnel articulation section and other high brightness demand scenarios, the light efficiency can reach 120lm/W or more.
Polycarbonate Translucent Cover Underground Lamps
The translucent cover is made of UV-resistant polycarbonate (PC) material, with light transmittance ≥ 92% and Mohs hardness up to 3H, which can resist the impact of gravel and chemical corrosion. Some of the products achieve self-cleaning function through nano-coating to reduce the loss of light transmission after rain and snow, especially suitable for dusty industrial park driveways.
3. Classified by Intelligent Function
Human body sensor triggered buried lights
Integrated microwave radar (5-8m detection distance) or PIR infrared sensor (120°detection angle), automatically activate the lighting when vehicles or pedestrians are detected approaching, and the delayed switch-off time can be set (15s-5min). This kind of ground light can reduce 80% of ineffective energy consumption, and at the same time enhance the security warning effect, commonly used in villas and private houses driveway.
Light-controlled automatic start-stop buried lights
Built-in high-precision photosensitive sensor, the illumination threshold can be adjusted in the range of 1-100lux. When the ambient light is lower than the set value, the light will automatically turn on and off at dawn, realising unattended operation throughout the year. Some models support linkage with astronomical clock to automatically calibrate the switching time of different seasons.
Network Controllable Underground Light
Supporting Zigbee 3.0, LoRa or WiFi communication protocols, the brightness, colour temperature and group control can be adjusted remotely via mobile phone APP or intelligent central control system. For example, in the driveway of a commercial complex, it can be programmed to achieve ‘welcome wave light effect’ or linkage with the car park system to display the status of the parking space, and a single network can control up to 500 ground lights.
C Key Specifications of Installation Engineering
1. Pre-embedded construction standards
Depth of base trench excavation (≥15cm, including drainage slope design)
Before installing the ground driveway lights, the base trench should be excavated according to the size of the lamps and lanterns by 5cm, with a depth of not less than 15cm, to ensure that the top of the lamp body is flush with the road surface. The bottom of the base trench needs to be set with 2%-5% drainage slope to prevent water from seeping into the lamp cavity. For rainy areas, it is recommended to lay a gravel permeable layer on the side wall of the base trench to enhance the drainage performance around the ground light.
Concrete base proportion (C25 strength, pre-bolted fixing)
C25 strength concrete (cement:sand:stone=1:1.5:3) is used to pour the base, and M8 stainless steel expansion bolts are pre-buried (the spacing is matched with the fixing holes of the lamp body). The surface of the base needs to be calibrated with a levelling device, and the flatness error is ≤2mm, so as to avoid the deformation of the shell caused by the uneven force after the installation of the ground driveway light.
Cable casing protection (PVC pipe buried depth ≥ 30cm)
Ground lamp power cable needs to be threaded into Φ20mm flame retardant PVC pipe, buried depth ≥ 30cm, over the road section needs to be installed galvanised steel pipe protection. The bending radius of the casing is ≥8 times the diameter of the pipe, to prevent damage to the cable from bending. In the high incidence of rodent infestation area, need to be wrapped in the casing outside the stainless steel woven mesh, blocking nibbling.
2. Waterproof sealing process
Silicone ring multi-layer sealing structure
The ground driveway light adopts double-layer silicone sealing ring (Shore hardness 50±5) with 304 stainless steel compression bolt to ensure IP68 waterproof. Silicone grease should be applied during installation to enhance sealing, and the elasticity of the sealing ring should be checked regularly (it is recommended to replace it once every 2 years).
Glueing the edges of the translucent cover
Neutral weatherproof sealant (e.g. Dow Corning 791) is continuously injected into the joints of the light cover and the lamp body, the width of the adhesive layer is ≥3mm, and a 24-hour water immersion test is required to verify the waterproof reliability of the ground light after curing.
Drainage holes at the bottom to prevent silting
Φ5mm drainage holes are installed at the bottom of the lamp body, and a one-way ventilation valve is installed inside the holes (air permeability ≥500mL/min), which can discharge condensate and prevent sediment from backing up. In the sandy and dusty area, it is recommended to install stainless steel filter (mesh number ≥200) to intercept particles.
3. Points to avoid pits safely
Avoid underground pipelines (gas/cable) safety distance
Before the construction, it is necessary to use the pipeline detector to locate the underground facilities, to ensure that the horizontal distance between the pre-embedded position of the ground driveway light and the gas pipeline is ≥1m, and the cable pipeline is ≥0.5 m. The cross area needs to be excavated manually to avoid mechanical damage.
Anti-skid texture treatment in ramp area
When installing ground lights in lanes with a slope of >8%, it is necessary to press a diamond-shaped anti-skid pattern on the surface of the light-transmitting cover (depth of 0.5-1mm), with a coefficient of friction of ≥0.6 (ASTM E303 standard), so as to prevent vehicle tyres from skidding. At the same time, the spacing of lamps and lanterns should be encrypted to 70% of the conventional value to enhance visual continuity.
Anti-frost expansion base design for permafrost region
For seasonal permafrost area (freezing depth > 50cm), the ground driveway light base should be wrapped with foam glass insulation board (thickness ≥ 10cm) and filled with coarse sand to replace the frozen expansive soil. The pre-embedded depth should exceed the maximum freezing depth of 20cm, to avoid the frost expansion force causing the lamp body to buckle.
(Note: Laser level and torque spanner should be used throughout the construction to ensure the installation accuracy and sealing reliability of the ground driveway light, and the acceptance standard refers to GB 50617-2010 ‘Code for Construction and Acceptance of Building Electrical Lighting Installations’)
D Maintenance and Troubleshooting
1. Daily Maintenance Regulations
Quarterly translucent cover cleaning (neutral solvent wiping)
The translucent cover of the ground level driveway light needs to be cleaned quarterly by wiping the surface with a soft cloth dipped in a neutral cleaning agent (e.g. 3% concentration of soapy water), avoiding the use of corrosive solvents such as alcohol and strong acids. For stubborn stains, it can be gently scrubbed with a nano sponge, rinsed with deionised water and air-dried after completion to ensure that the light transmission rate is ≥90%.
Rainy season drainage channel inspection
Before and after the rainy season, you need to check whether the drainage holes at the bottom of the ground light are blocked, use Φ2mm steel wire to unblock the holes, and clean up debris such as fallen leaves and silt around the base channel. In rainy areas, it is recommended to check once a month to ensure that the drainage efficiency is ≥1L/min (refer to ASTM D5085 penetration test standard).
Tips for Ice Melt Prohibition in Snowy Areas
Avoid spreading chlorine salts ice-melting agent (e.g. NaCl, CaCl₂) on the surface of the ground driveway lights in the cold northern regions to prevent corrosion of the stainless steel shell and sealant. It is recommended to use physical snow removal (soft bristle broom) or use potassium acetate type of environmentally friendly snowmelt (pH 6-8), and rinse the lamp body with water in a timely manner after the operation.
2. Typical troubleshooting
Severe light failure: check the stability of the power supply voltage
If the brightness of the ground lights down more than 30% (to the initial lumen value as a benchmark), you need to use a multimeter to detect the input voltage fluctuation range (allowed ± 10%). Abnormal check line voltage drop or driver failure, priority replacement of constant current driver (output current error ≤ 3%).
Lamp water: seal replacement process
When water is found to accumulate in the lamp cavity, immediately disconnect the power and dismantle the translucent cover, take out the aging silicone ring (hardness > 55 Shore A or cracked). Before installing the new sealing ring, it is necessary to evenly apply silicone grease (thickness 0.5mm) in the groove and gradually lock the bolts in diagonal order (torque 4-6N-m).
Sensing failure: sensor sensitivity calibration
For microwave radar type ground lane lights, the detection distance can be set by adjusting the potentiometer (usually located at the back of the driver) (2-8m adjustable). the PIR sensor needs to clean the Fresnel lens and calibrate the triggering angle (±15° fine-tuning), to avoid false triggering or missed detection.
3. Lifetime Extension Strategy
Reserve space for driver cooling
When installing the driveway light on the ground, ≥5cm air layer should be reserved between the driver and the light body, or filled with thermally conductive silicone pad (thermal conductivity ≥3W/m-K). Aluminium alloy heat dissipation fins can be added in high temperature areas to ensure that the driver operating temperature ≤ 75℃ (UL certification safety threshold).
Avoid chemical corrosion (snow melting salt/weed killer)
It is prohibited to spray acidic herbicides such as glyphosate within 10cm around the ground light (pH <5), if it has been exposed to it needs to be neutralised immediately with soda water. It is recommended to use 316L stainless steel lamp body in coastal areas, and spray polyurethane anti-corrosion coating (dry film thickness ≥ 80μm) every year.
Periodic grounding resistance testing
Use grounding resistance tester (e.g. Fluke 1625-2) to measure the grounding resistance of the ground driveway lights every year, and the resistance value should be ≤ 4Ω (TN-S system). If it exceeds the standard, it is necessary to supplement the lowering agent (such as bentonite) or additional vertical grounding pole (length ≥ 2.5m), to ensure the effectiveness of lightning protection and leakage protection.
(Note: It is recommended to set up the operation and maintenance files of ground lights to record the cleaning cycle, fault codes and parts replacement records, so as to provide data support for the whole life cycle management).
