Fence project

[Mark4510]

I want to install some pasture fencing for our horses and need some advice. The plan is to use 5' "no climb" with steel corner posts and "T" posts every 8' or so with a hot wire to keep the horses off of the fence. My question is regarding the corners, gates or places where there are big slope changes. The local fence guys always have the corner post, another post about 6' away, a pipe connecting the top of each with "X" braces between them that they tighten down to stiffen it. When I run the numbers, based on corners, gates and grade changes it looks like a lot of galv pipe. Do I sacrifice a lot by using a simple 45 degree brace running from the ground up to the top of the corner post?

The longest run between corners, gates or grade change is 130' if that helps.

I looked for a thread on this but did not see one but I might have missed it.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[cowboydoc]

No you will be fine that way. All you really need is the brace going from the bottom of the one post to the top of the other post. Or you can put a top brace on and then just use wire and a strainer to pull the posts tight. Anything less than 500' I only use one set of posts. For above 500' I usually go ahead and set two sets of post with a top brace and an angle brace.

 

[Mark4510]

This particular pasture is one I am reclaiming and, as a result of dumping shavings and manure for a couple of years, I have 4-6" of pretty good topsoil. Below that I have red clay. It seems like if I sunk the posts 24" and added a 90lbs bag of concrete that should be enough of an anchor. Or is there a better way?

 

[NoTrespassing]

The pipe is used to push the corner post back and I think it's necessary myself. The corner post will be taking all the pull from the fence. I use 3" dia. cheap treated posts from Menards or Lowes. As far as changes in the grade, woven no-climb fence will pull down pretty good. I use a brace post on any sudden change in direction too. If I were you I would consider a wooden corner post.

An X is not necessary unless you're getting pull from both directions like when you hang a gate. The fence is pulling one direction and the gate is pulling the other. Thats the only time I use an X. Your brace wire should be on the bottom of the corner post when using a single brace wire. The X will defeat your purpose and 1/2 of the X will be pulling the same way the fence is.


Corner
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/269093-braceposts.jpg


Slice on noclimb horsefence
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/269097-fencesplice.jpg


End post next to gate
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/269099-endpost.jpg

Kevin

 

[NoTrespassing]

I use wooden posts about 30" deep and backfill with peagravel. They tighten up by themselves and the peagravel lets the water drain away from the wood. I've heard some say in drought situations that the gravel falls into cracks in the earth but I haven't see our land crack like that. We do have a lot of clay and thats about the worst thing to set posts in.

Kevin

 

[cowboydoc]

I never go less than 4' on corner posts. For line posts I go 3'. 24" wouldn't hold much even with concrete.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The local fence guys always have the corner post, another post about 6' away, a pipe connecting the top of each with "X" braces between them that they tighten down to stiffen it. When I run the numbers, based on corners, gates and grade changes it looks like a lot of galv pipe. Do I sacrifice a lot by using a simple 45 degree brace running from the ground up to the top of the corner post? )</font>

The only problem with the simple corner brace you've described is there is a tendancy for the brace to jack the corner post out of the ground. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif The shorter your distance between the corner post and the brace post the more this action is exaggerated.

Probably what your fence guy is describing is what the industry calls a "box brace". The corner brace photo link reflects a double box brace.

If you look close at what happens in a box brace is the corner post is forced to work against itself. The bottom of the post is forcing the top back via the horizontal pipe and the twisted wire diagonal.

We used to use those successfully on industrial chainlink fence without a top rail. If you crank the wire up too tight though you can jack the corner post out or the ground.

What I use as a rule of thumb is about two inches. Without any pressure on the corner post from fence fabric I twist the diagonal wire until I've pushed the top of the corner post back about two inches.

For you diagnonal wire you can use nine gauge smooth wire. If your posts are pipe then a double wrap with an over and under will keep the wire in place. It the posts are wood then a simple wrap and a half with a staple or two to keep it in place.

The diagonal wire goes from your horizontal brace on the brace post down to the bottom of the corner post.

Here in North Texas we have killer clay. On a fence like you're describing I would put my corner posts down at least three feet, probably more.

I'm getting ready to start a job of about eight hundred feet of five feet non climb. The framework will be two and three eighths schedule forty galvanized pipe. There will be no fittings. It's all welded, top rail same size pipe, braces at corners, gates, and ends that size too. All my holes start out at thirty nine inches deep by twelve to thirteen inches diameter. I get nine posts set per yard of concrete.

Today I happened to stop in and visit an old customer. I did their fence ten years ago, ten acres. Sometimes too much is just about right.

 

[Mark4510]

As usual, great info.

I managed to get a good deal on about 24 7' 2 3/8 heavy galv pipe and thought those would work......so I bought them. Seems like I will need to go deeper than 24" and rethink the bracing.

Perhaps I can use them in concrete as an inline post to support the T posts. Is there a recommended distance for inline posts where I should drop something in heavier than a T post? Is a T post every 8 feet reasonable or should I go shorter?

 

[cowboydoc]

Every 8' would be fine. The 7' galv. line posts would be fine too.

 

[rambler]

So, how is the concrete used in making fences? No one in my part of Minnesota uses concrete for a regular fence. In the yard or lot maybe, lot sturdier post & rail there, but not for a regular old fence. In fact, all that concrete would be a real problem when you want to change your mind. Also, frost would tend to work a lump of concrete upwards, you would need to be below 4' with crete or the posts would all be leaning in a few years.

Just curious, is it because of soil conditions?

--->Paul