LIGHT AND VISION 2-23

Table 2-3.
co
=
solid angle subtended by the poten-
tial-glare source, which is assumed
to be the circular area centered on
the axis of fixation (steradians)
Comfort-Discomfort Threshold Brightness of Various
Common Luminaires in Different Rooms
LAMP
BRIGHT-
NESS
OF
LUMI-
NAIRE
(ft-L)
SIZE OF ROOM IN FEET, NUMBER OF LUMINAIRES,
HEIGHT OF LUMINAIRE
LUMINAIRE
12 x 12 x 8
One
6.5 feet
30 x 30 x 12
Nine
10 feet
SO x SO x 12
Twenty-five
10 feet
Illumi-
nation
Level
(ft-c*)
Thres-
hold
Bright-
ness
(ft-L)
Illumi-
nation
Level
(ft-c*)
Thres-
hold
Bright-
ness
(ft-L)
Illumi-
nation
Level
(ft-c*)
Thres-
hold
Bright-
ness
(ft-L)
FILAMENT-LAMP LUMINAIRES
12" Diffusing sphere 150-watt 750 7.3 315 12.8 570 14.8 570
14" 200 785 10.2 325 18.2 590 21.0 595
16" 300 955 15.9 355 29.0 640 33.6 645
18" 500 1280 27.8 400 49.1 715 57.0 730
14" Semi-indirect 200 370 8.0 315 14.7 570 17.0 600
16" " 300 455 13.2 345 23.4 625 27.2 650
IS" " 500 610 23.0 390 39.6 690 46.0 715
16" Luminous indirect 200 180 7.0 285 12.8 535 15.7 540
18" 300 225 11.2 310 20.4 545 25 590
18" 500 380 19.0 360 34.5 630 42.3 685
20" 750 445 27.5 390 50.1 670 61.4 740
20" 1000 645 39.9 435 72.5 740 89 825
FLUORESCENT-LAMP LUMINAIRES
10"
x
4'
Half cyl
Diffusing
12"
x
4'
Half cyl
Diffusing
14"
x
4'
Half cyl
Diffusing
10"
x
4'
Half cyl
Semi-indirect
,12" x
4'
Half cyl
Semi-indirect
14"
x
4'
Half cyl
Semi-indirect
two 40-watt
four 40
two 40
four 40
two 40
four 40
two 40
four 40
two 40
four 40
two 40
four 40
220
440
9.6
19.2
290
360
16.4
32.8
490
610
18.9
37.8
185
370
9.6
19.2
275
345
16.4
32.8
470
590
18.9
37.8
160
320
9.6
19.2
270
335
16.4
32.8
455
570
18.9
37.8
115
230
8.7
17.5
280
350
15.3
30.7
475
590
17.7
35.4
95
190
8.7
17.5
270
335
15.3
30.7
455
565
17.7
35.4
80
160
8.7
17.5
260
325
15.3
30.7
440
540
17.7
35.4
495
620
475
595
455
570
485
610
460
5S0
445
560
*ft-c
= footcandles on work of about 80 per cent diffuse reflectance. _ These footcandle values must be
multiplied by 10 if the work has a diffuse reflectance of 8 per cent, by 4 if the work has a diffuse reflectance
of 20 per cent, and so on.
When the brightness of the potential glare source is known its value
may be substituted for B
g
and the formula solved for K, the index of com-
fort. Values of B
g
which result in values of K greater than 75.4 cause
discomfort which becomes "intolerable" when K

377; the smaller the
value of K below 75.4, the smaller the probability that encountering the
potential-glare source will cause discomfort. Since a shock is the cause,