For the construction of the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia, client Losberger De Boer sought a way to illuminate the dome properly while attaching the sheet metal to the top of the dome. Standard mobile light masts did not offer a solution for this, simply because of the enormous size and height of the superdome.
JEL therefore designed a solution in collaboration with the client that illuminated the workstations on top of the dome from the four crawler cranes who applied the sheet metal.
With a diameter of 210 meters and a height of 46 meters, it was virtually impossible to illuminate the dome from the ground with mobile light towers, as is normally customary. The workstations were located on top of the dome, at great height and far from any fixed light source.
The task was to illuminate those workstations evenly and well, while simultaneously preventing shadows, especially under the loads hanging above the dome. Only then could work continue safely into the evening hours.
Conventional construction site lighting the ground was not sufficient for a dome of this size. The light had to come from above, close to the workstations on the dome.
JEL therefore engineered a solution together with the client where the fixtures were mounted on the four crawler cranes, with a safe and smart electrical installation right up to the cranes.
Contact our engineering team to discuss construction lighting, lighting from cranes, or a complete lighting scope.
Mega construction project, construction lighting from cranes
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Losberger De Boer
Dome construction with a 210 m diameter and 46 m height, working at height, night work
Conventional ground-level lighting fell short for a dome of this size.
Lighting design and engineering, safe electrical installation, supply of fixtures, distribution units, and cables in the cranes.
32 Orca LED Floodlights (8 per arm, 4 arms), 106,000 lumens per fixture
200 lux with a uniformity of 0.65 horizontally on the dome, virtually shadowless.
EN 12464-2 in conjunction with IEC 60364 (electrical installation).
JEL designed it lighting concept from the actual construction situation: a dome with a 210-meter diameter, workstations at a height of 46 meters, and suspended loads that could cause shadows. The four crawler cranes with 150-meter jibs, reaching up to 45 meters above the dome, formed the attachment point.
By first determining the situation and positioning, and only then selecting the luminaires and optics, uniform and virtually shadowless light was created. The lighting design was tested against EN 12464-2; the electrical installation was executed in accordance with IEC 60364.
JEL provided the complete lighting solution for the construction of the Jeddah Superdome: from lighting design and engineering to the fixtures, distribution units, and cabling in the four cranes.
JEL designed the light so that the workstations on top of the dome would be evenly lit, across the full curve and length of the crane jib.
The fixtures are mounted on the four crawler cranes that applied the cladding. Their 150-meter booms reached 45 meters above the dome, the ideal point for overhead illumination.
Due to strategic positioning and overlapping light beams, the shadow beneath the suspended loads was limited to a few meters above the dome, allowing work to continue safely.
JEL provided a safe and smart electrical installation down to the faucets, with distribution units and cabling adapted to the height and the moving crane setup.
The design achieved 200 lux with a uniformity of 0.65, measured horizontally on the dome curvature along the entire boom length.
Using 32 Orca fixtures, each producing 106,000 lumens—a groundbreaking output in 2021—it was possible to illuminate a dome that would have been impossible to light using conventional lighting.
The solution achieved 200 lux with a uniformity of 0.65, measured horizontally on the curve of the dome along the full length of the crane boom. Due to the overlapping beams, the shadow beneath the loads was limited to a few meters above the dome.
This allowed construction to be safely extended into the evening hours, in a location where conventional lighting from the ground was simply insufficient.
The installation was performed with Orca LED Floodlights8 luminaires per crane, distributed across four cranes, totaling 32 luminaires. Each luminaire delivers 106,000 lumens, a groundbreaking light output in 2021.
JEL not only supplied the fixtures, but the complete lighting installation: from fixtures to distribution units and the wiring in the cranes, designed for a safe and smart power supply at high altitudes.
With a diameter of 210 meters and a height of 46 meters, the dome was too large and too tall to be illuminated from the ground with mobile light towers. The workspaces were on top of the dome, far from any fixed light source, so the light had to come from above.
JEL worked with the client to engineer a solution in which Orca fixtures were mounted on the four crawler cranes. Their 150-meter booms extended 45 meters above the dome, an ideal vantage point for evenly illuminating the workstations from above.
By strategically positioning the fixtures and working with overlapping light beams, the shadow beneath the suspended loads was limited to a few meters above the dome. This allowed work to continue safely.
32 Orca LED floodlights, 8 per crane across four cranes, each providing 106,000 lumens. Together, they delivered 200 lux with a uniformity of 0.65 on the dome.
The construction could be safely extended into the evening hours, with even and virtually shadowless light in a place where lighting from the ground was insufficient.
Are you working on a lighting project for a large-scale construction project, a dome, or another application where ground-level lighting is insufficient? JEL designs and supplies custom work lighting, including from cranes, for the toughest conditions.
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