DelDOT 843: Highway Lighting Electrical Testing

843.1Description.

This work consists of electrical testing for highway lighting systems.

843.2Materials.

Not applicable.

843.3Construction.

A.When this item is required to test a highway lighting system constructed as part of the contract,

include a 1-year warranty of the highway lighting system installed under the contract. The highway lighting system includes all items of work performed under the contract to provide lighting of roadways, bike paths, parking lots, or other areas.

B.The highway lighting system is comprised of all contract items for lighting, including conduits,

junction wells, cables, load centers, transformers, cabinet pads, pole bases, poles, high mast poles, light standards with and without davit arms, luminaires, service installations, and reworked or relocated existing lighting facilities.

C.Perform work in accordance with the latest editions of the NEC, the NESC, local utility company

requirements, state and local laws, and ordinances governing the work.

D.Perform work under the direct supervision of a master electrician licensed in the State of Delaware.

Submit a copy of the master electrician’s license to the engineer for approval.

E.Apply for, obtain, and pay for all permits, licenses, and inspections required by this bid item and

local regulations.

F.Engage a third-party Delaware-approved licensed electrical inspection agency to inspect all

electrical installations.

G.Submit the types, styles, or catalog numbers of testing equipment at least 30 calendar days before

beginning each test. Include a written certification stating when the testing equipment was last calibrated. Ensure the calibration date is within 180 calendar days of the date of testing. Perform all tests in the presence of the engineer. 843.3.1 Ground Resistance Testing.

A.Measure ground resistance with a 3-terminal, fall-of-potential, direct-reading, battery-powered

earth tester with a 0.50 to 500-ohm scale or digital read-out. Ensure the resistance is 25-ohms or less.

B.Perform the test in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and OSHA requirements.

Perform the test when the soil is dry. Do not add any chemical or salt solutions to any portion of the grounding system.

C.Install grounding rods and foundation grounds a minimum of 10 calendar days before testing,

unless otherwise determined by the engineer. Drive 2 auxiliary copper clad ground rods into the ground a minimum of 3-feet apart.

D.Provide the lateral spacing for each test rod in writing on a test report form. The engineer will

approve the spacing. Isolate each ground rod or foundation ground with the bond wires disconnected when performing the test. Ensure the resistance to ground is 25-ohms or less. Perform 2 ground resistance tests unless noted otherwise in the contract. HIGHWAY LIGHTING

843.3.2 System Testing.

A.Use a third-party master electrician licensed in the State of Delaware to perform system testing

for lighting installations.

B.Test insulation from ground, roadway lighting, performance burn-in, and illuminance circuits as

follows:

1.Insulation From Ground.

Test underground circuits for resistance to ground with a megger before and after burying the conduit and wiring and after placement and connection of ground rods. Inspect, repair, and retest circuits with measurement readings less than 10-megaohms to ground

2.Roadway Lighting Circuits.

a.Determine the insulation resistance on all cables of every circuit, except those installed in

lighting structures. The Department will not accept cable insulation with resistance measurement readings less than 10-megaohms at 500 volts DC.

b.If the insulation resistance test of any conductor is less than 10 megaohms, locate the fault. If

the fault is in a conductor between terminal connections, replace the conductor. If the fault is at a terminal connection, repair or replace the terminal device.

c.The Department will not consider removing water from the conduit of a faulty circuit as a

repair. If a circuit fails the insulation resistance test and water removal allows the circuit to pass, replace the conductors and re-test the new circuit. Allow at least 1-minute between circuit testing and any re-test.

C.Demonstrate to the engineer that all conductors are continuous, free from short circuits and

unspecified grounds, and that all circuits are properly connected.

D.Take voltage readings, with load and without load, at the power supply side of the control cabinet

main breaker. The tolerance for readings with load is +/- 5 percent of nominal voltage. Take voltage readings at the last light of each circuit. The Department will accept a voltage reading if it is within percent of the reading with load at the supply point.

E.Take current ampere readings with a full lighting load on the load side of each distribution breaker

in the control cabinet. The Department will accept a current reading if it does not exceed 80 percent of the breaker rating.

F.Performance Burn-In.

1.After addressing all testing issues to the satisfaction of the engineer, perform a 2-week burn-in

test on the lighting system. The burn-in test consists of normal dusk-to-dawn operation of all lighting system control equipment and apparatus to ensure function without interruption or failure. Conduct the burn-in test at the same time for all lights energized from the same utility company service point. The Department will not accept burn-in test of individual circuits or groups of lights.

2.At the end of the burn-in test, inspect all lights and equipment for normal operation. Correct

failures occurring during the test period. Make necessary repairs or replacements and then retest the repaired portion of the system.

G.Illuminance.

HIGHWAY LIGHTING

1.After energizing the lights for the minimum 2-week burn-in period, arrange a night-time

inspection with the Department’s master electrician to determine the optical qualities of each luminaire.

2.Adjust all luminaires not meeting the manufacturer’s or DelDOT’s standards.

3.Conduct an illumination test to determine illumination characteristics of the roadway lighting

system. Submit test procedures to the engineer for approval 2-weeks before conducting the test. Submit 4 copies of the test results to the engineer. 843.3.3 Inspection.

A.The engineer will inspect and approve all work before covering it up.

B.Use a third-party inspection agency for certification and sticker placement for the entire electrical

system. Ensure that this inspection agency is independent and licensed to operate in the State of Delaware, having no affiliation with the Department or the contractor.

C.The Department will conduct inspections during and after completing the work.

D.The certification inspection includes the lighting control cabinets, cables, and all other

components of the lighting system.

E.Submit 4 copies of the inspection agency’s certification document to the engineer. The

Department will not allow energizing of the lighting system until receipt of a certification document. The Department will not conduct its final electrical inspection until after receipt of the inspection agency’s certification document. The Department will also require the inspection agency to submit a cut-in card to the utility company before energizing the service.

F.The Department will inspect the highway lighting system within the project limits for both day and

night acceptability, considering all the possible defects listed in Section 843.3. If the highway lighting system is defective because of abnormal operation or deterioration, as listed in Section 843.3, the Department will require repair or replacement of the defective equipment. 843.3.4 As-Built Plans.

A.Upon completion of the work, submit 2 sets of as-built plans, including 1 set of CADD files,

showing the location of all buried electrical circuits, with lighting system elements dimensioned from fixed objects or from survey stations.

B.Provide vertical dimensions related to the finished grade for all underground electrical facilities.

Include in the as-built plans the project plan and detail sheets, with changes shown.

C.Submit paper and electronic copies of catalog cuts of all equipment used for the lighting system.

Keep a daily record of where the items are placed to ensure the accuracy of the as-built plans. 843.3.5 Highway Lighting System Warranty.

A.Secure the manufacturer’s warranties or guarantees on electrical and mechanical equipment.

Submit the warranties or guarantees to the engineer upon final acceptance of the completed highway lighting system. In addition to the manufacturer’s warranties or guarantees, provide a warranty for the complete, installed highway lighting system for 1 calendar year beginning at the initial acceptance of the highway lighting system.

B.The Department will consider the highway lighting system defective if the Department discovers

any of the following conditions by visual inspection or by inspection with testing equipment within the warranty period: HIGHWAY LIGHTING

1.Non-operational lamps or ballasts;

2.failure to operate, in whole or in part;

3.power wire grounding less than 10 megaohms;

4.shifts in pole or foundation alignment;

5.short circuits or open circuits anywhere within the system;

6.deterioration of finishes, plating, or paint not normal and customary in the environment of

equipment installation;

7.settlement of trench backfill;

8.defective fuses; and

9.defective or improperly installed splices.

C.Repair defects identified by the Department during initial or periodic inspections in accordance

with this specification, including all highway lighting systems and components within the project limits. Begin highway lighting system repairs immediately following notice of the lighting system defect unless weather limitations prevent the corrective work. Provide notification to the Department before beginning corrective work.

D.The Department will not consider the highway lighting system as substantially complete until

correction of the deficiencies noted during the primary inspection. Provide a maintenance bond for item 843001 – Electrical Testing upon substantial completion. Provide a maintenance bond meeting the following requirements:

1.A bond sum equal to 100 percent of the value of all highway lighting system items the Department

paid to the contractor;

2.With original signatures, in ink, and not mechanical reproductions or facsimiles of any kind,

naming the contractor as the principle;

3.term of 1-year beyond the completion of the highway lighting system work; and

4.written by a surety or insurance company licensed to write surety bonds in the State of Delaware

by the Delaware Department of Insurance.

843.4Method of Measurement.

Not applicable.

843.5Basis of Payment.

A.The Department will pay for electrical testing at the contract lump sum price. Price and payment

will constitute full compensation for:

1.Providing all testing equipment, including ground rods;

2.performing the tests;

3.inspections by a licensed third-party inspection agency;

4.preparing the reports;

5.performing necessary retesting;

6.providing the warranties; and

HIGHWAY LIGHTING

7.performing necessary corrective work.

ITEM DESCRIPTION UNIT 843001 ELECTRICAL TESTING LS

Get an email when 843 changes

Delaware revises spec sections through supplementals and new editions. We check this one every week and email you the day it changes. Free, no account.

Source: Delaware Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, 2026 Edition. Pages 533–0 of 786. View official source ↗

← Previous

842 SERVICE PEDESTAL AND SAFETY SWITCH

844 EMERGENCY PREEMPTION DETECTOR

843HIGHWAY LIGHTING ELECTRICAL TESTING

Ask about Section 843