Exactly, which just echoes my previous post as to why the ground was not scanned prior to works. There's an example photo I put up in the Yorkshire thread a few weeks back whereby there were two markings for a new column, with the words "or here" and an arrow pointing to an alternative location if the excavation team couldn't get suitable foundations for the first choice. These holes will have been marked after a scan of the area showed where services already lied under the surface. And whilst these examples are one for one replacements, there may be cases whereby a junction in some other service (water, broadband, phone etc) prevents a replacement column from being put anywhere near the column it is replacing - and so an alternative arrangement is required.

At the very least, I reckon that cantilevered root columns will see much more marking and identification on the root plate from now on - you might see the root plate actually cast with "street lighting" into the metal, or something similar.

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No excavation work around any column is great, as it always runs the risk of dislodging the foundations or fracturing a cable. I have seen on many occasions where the council has had to come and re-set columns after nearby roadworks. Ideally electric should all be run overhead apart from city centres. This means there is less change of a cable strike for other utility workers, no additional columns would be needed as streetlighting could be attached do wood and steel poles and faults can be repaired without ripping up roads.

In the case where an offset base plate has to be used it should have as mazeteam suggested streetlighting cast into it and a label in the column base stating it too. If on a bridge etc where offset plates can be found they should just use low height lighting such as bollards or  the Thorn Orus.

Although cables are prone to strikes when run underground, this is a lot less of a risk to the general populus than if everything was run on overheads. Plus the streetscene would be incredibly cluttered. The general trend today is to gradually move overhead services underground as and when possible.

Yes, some of the over head lines round my way especially in the town centre have became incredibly cluttered although the concentric types look neater and are also safer as they are insulated. Its the old lead lined cables that are the most prone to exploding when they are struck, so I am told anyway. I imagine newer SWA to be more resistant.  I suppose this is because they become brittle. Last year there was a large stretch of underground High Voltage lead lined cable that faulted, the costs of digging up and it replacing must of been too great so wood poles were used and an overhead system was set up, this was in a rural location though.

This one not far from me:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ppost.html

Never mind the car, what about the Stanton and the Alpha 4!

It just goes to show the damage that can be done by a 10 m concrete column! Interesting sleeve!

The Alpha 4 is suprisingly in one piece apart from the lost of bowl and possibly lamp, as for the car, that'll buff out

What also suprises me is that the Peugeot was left with a fair dent in the front where it struck the column, I was expecting to see the front portion of it completely missing.

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From streetlighting to radio, dance through the night whilst the streetlights are glowing outside.

Raise your hands if you believe the pug was being driven by a drunk driver.... The car must have been going at some speed for it to shear off a concrete column.

Even if this is the case, the driver will get some points on his license and at best a £200 fine - which doesn't even come close to recompensing the bloke for his wrecked Lincoln nevermind the cost to the council for a new column and transfer.

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I was always under the illusion that the insurance company covered the cost of replacing damaged equipment and so the council didn't end up footing the final bill.