Skanderborg Municipality is gaining a dynamic understanding of how its lighting masts actually behave over time, enabling continuous assessment of their remaining service life.
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Today, many Danish municipalities face a growing challenge. A large share of the country’s lighting masts are between 30 and 70 years old. They have stood for decades, exposed to wind, weather, salt, and traffic-induced vibrations yet their true condition and remaining lifetime are largely unknown. The key question is how to accurately document their condition and make the right decisions at the right time. It is therefore essential to understand the condition of masts before they fail and to determine how to plan timely replacements.
In Skanderborg Municipality, a new data-driven approach to replacing lighting masts is being introduced. Together with the operations contractor AURA and DAV NORDIC, a pilot project has been launched where remaining lifetime is based on actual data rather than assumptions.
Traditionally, the lifetime of lighting masts has been assessed based on age and visual inspections. While this provides an indication, it does not form a complete decision-making basis. Moreover, this approach requires knowledge of the age of all masts something many municipalities lack.
The problem of not knowing the remaining lifetime is twofold:
If masts are replaced too late, there is a risk of structural failure. A fallen mast can lead to serious accidents and significant liability claims. If replaced too early, it results in unnecessary capital expenditure and avoidable environmental impact from the production, transport, and installation of new steel masts.
The lifetime of lighting masts therefore has major implications for safety, cost efficiency, and responsible resource use.
The pilot project in Skanderborg focuses on taller lighting masts, where the consequences of failure are greatest. A non-destructive solution based on intelligent technology – ModeSense AI™ from Aluminium Lighting Company – is used.
The solution consists of a node installed directly on each mast or luminaire. The mast’s structural condition is then monitored 24/7. The node records movement, vibrations, and loads, transmitting real-time data via mobile technology to a user-friendly system. The data is analyzed in a secure cloud environment, where algorithms evaluate changes in the mast’s structural response.
This means the municipality does not just receive a snapshot assessment. Instead, it gains a dynamic picture of the mast’s actual behavior over time enabling continuous evaluation of remaining lifetime.
Thus, lifetime assessments are based on documented data collected by the node rather than general assumptions.
A key part of the project is calculating the remaining lifetime of each individual mast. Instead of relying on fixed replacement intervals, Skanderborg Municipality can now prioritize replacements where there is documented need. Most importantly, they can avoid mast failures due to end-of-life.
This enables a fundamentally different approach to asset management.
The municipality can:
Remaining lifetime thus becomes a concrete management tool in the overall operation of municipal street lighting.
Street lighting is just one of many important responsibilities of the municipality. Out of respect for our other tasks, it is essential that we only request the funds we truly need. A data-driven asset management approach helps us identify this need precisely. Mariann Brun, Planner, Roads & Traffic, Skanderborg Municipality
Street lighting is just one of many important responsibilities of the municipality. Out of respect for our other tasks, it is essential that we only request the funds we truly need. A data-driven asset management approach helps us identify this need precisely.
Mariann Brun, Planner, Roads & Traffic, Skanderborg Municipality
For shorter lighting masts, a different approach is applied. Here, systematic visual inspections are carried out, providing a solid indication of condition.
This differentiated strategy ensures that resources are focused where the risk is highest, while maintaining a documented overview of the entire lighting mast portfolio.
With this pilot project, Skanderborg Municipality is moving from reactive maintenance to data-driven decision-making.
Previously, actions were taken in response to damage or based on general age principles. Now, it is possible to work proactively planning replacements before issues arise and making investments based on data rather than intuition.
For AURA as the operations contractor, this provides more concrete data to support dialogue with the municipality. For DAV NORDIC, it means combining technical expertise with documented monitoring and practical consultancy.
“Traditionally, lighting mast assessments have been based on visual inspections and general lifetime expectations. With structural monitoring, we obtain continuous measurements of the mast’s dynamic response, providing a much more accurate picture of its actual condition. This allows lifetime assessments to be based on documented load data and developments over time. For us as operators, this provides significantly stronger technical insight for collaboration with the municipality.” says Steffen Bahnsen, Project Manager, AURA Installation
There is also a significant financial dimension to the project.
Replacing masts before the end of their lifetime ties up capital unnecessarily. At the same time, producing new steel masts generates considerable CO₂ emissions. By documenting lifetime and safely extending service life where possible, both capital costs and environmental impact are reduced.
Each mast that can safely remain in operation for additional years represents a tangible CO₂ saving and more responsible use of existing resources.
The pilot project in Skanderborg demonstrates how monitoring, data analysis, and technical consultancy can be combined into a unified solution for lighting masts.
Many municipalities face the same challenges: aging mast portfolios, limited budgets, and increasing demands for documentation and sustainability. With intelligent monitoring and systematic lifetime assessment, replacement decisions can be based on actual data rather than assumptions.
This leads to:
Increased safety for road usersImproved financial controlReduced environmental impact
At DAV NORDIC, we focus on combining technical expertise, data-driven monitoring, and practical experience from infrastructure projects. The pilot project in Skanderborg Municipality is a concrete example of what the future of asset management for lighting masts can look like.
Contact our colleague if you would like to hear more about the solution in Skanderborg Municipality or if you have any questions regarding condition assessments and remaining lifetime of lighting masts.
