But what are the brace bars every 25 meters for?

But what is the purpose of brace arms every 25 meters?

I pose a question: is it necessary to insert diagonal brace arms every 25 meters in a fence? Why is it done? Let's find out together. Before proceeding, I remind you to like the video if you enjoy it and subscribe to the channel to stay updated on the world of fences. We will publish a video every week.

It is a fairly common practice to place brace arms every 25 meters, something we often see, especially in highway fences. In a recent job of ours on a highway section, the specifications required these brace arms every 25 meters. But are they really needed?

This habit probably derives from old specifications that mandated a double brace arm at every 25 meters. Why is it done? Probably because rolls of mesh are generally 25 meters long, so ending the mesh at that specific point allows it to be attached and stretched, supporting the tension with these brace arms. This way, another roll can be added and continue for another 25 meters.

Does it make sense? Let's do a test. Let's imagine this is our fence running in this direction, and my arm is the post. We are talking about intermediate posts: after 25 meters in the long line, we find a post. The mesh runs when we pull it. The post is stationary; what is the need for a braced post in this case? We are not talking about bracing it back and forth for a push. If it were the first post, it would make sense to brace it, but for intermediate posts, it serves no purpose.

Think about the cost of materials: every 25 meters two brace arms, 25 meters another two, all those in the corners and the starts. Holes to make, plates to fasten it, cement used, hours of work to make the holes. All of this for resistance to a force that does not exist. If the principle is to stretch the mesh every 25 meters, it doesn't make sense because we can stretch the mesh after 200 meters, adding 10 rolls if necessary. The mesh runs past the post without needing to be braced.

If necessary, we can put a provisional wire on a post tied to the other, but it is not worth leaving a finished job with double brace arms and all the costs that come with them. So, to answer the initial question: does it make sense? No, it does not make any sense. It's money thrown away. What makes sense is to put the essential brace arms on starting posts and corner posts; this is fundamental for the fence's stability.

Well, this short video ends here. I hope I have clarified a fairly requested concept and offered you some useful tips. I remind you to subscribe to the channel, leave a like, and visit our websites www.reteplastic.it for the institutional site and www.fenceshop.eu for our e-commerce. See you in the next video, bye and thank you!