Fence wire Brown started his discussion on fence wire with the
question, “Is there a difference between barbed wires other than cost? They are all kind of shiny. Some are thinner and some are made differently. If the wire’s coating is real shiny, it must be good.” “Galvanization is the zinc coating on wire,” ex-
plained Brown. “Thickness of the coating tells us the class of wire and how long it will last. There is no stated amount of zinc or tensile strength on Commercial Class wire, but it should last 3 to 15 years. “Class 1 12.5-gauge wire has 0.28 ounces of zinc
coating per square foot and should last 8 to 21 years. “Class 3 12.5-gauge
Even if the pocketbook won’t allow it all now, having a plan helps you do what you can afford today and have it match what you do tomorrow.
wire has 0.80 ounces per square foot and lasts 3 times as long as Class 1 wire (10 to 35 years). If you want wire to last from 10 to 50 plus years, buy Class 40 ZA. This wire has a combination of 95 percent zinc and 5 percent aluminum coating. It will last 2 times longer than Class 3, and 7 times longer than Class 1. Longevity of any class of wire depends on the environmental con-
ditions of the area in which it is installed. ” Other information you need to know about wire
includes break load, elongation and tensile strength. Break load is the measured point at which wire
breaks or pulls apart from an exerted force, such as an impact from an animal. It is measured in pounds. Elongation is how far a wire will stretch and pull
Table 1. Types of Wire Gauge
12.75 - 13 12.5 15.5 14 9
12.5
Strength Low Tensile
Low Tensile Hi-Tensile Hi-Tensile
Low Tensile Hi-Tensile
Type Class
No Standard 1 & 31
Barbed Wire Barbed Wire Bull Wire
3 – 40 ZA 3 – 40 ZA 1 & 3
Fixed Knot Wire 3 – 40 ZA 1
90 The Cattleman June 2015 Must be special ordered.
down in diameter and strength before it breaks. It is expressed as a percentage of the length of the gauge used in elongation testing. Tensile strength is the force needed to pull 1 square
inch of wire apart, and is measured in pounds per square inch. For instance, high-tensile wire elongates 3 to 4 percent and low tensile wire elongates 10 to 12 percent. Examples of different wire types are shown in Table 1. “All government cost-share projects refer to meeting
ASTM specifi cations,” said Brown. “ASTM International, the American Society for Testing and Materials, was established in 1898 and sets standards for manufac- turing that are critical to producing quality products.”
T-post selection As with wire, there are quality factors to consider
in t-post selection. T-posts are generally designated as 1.33, 1.25, 1.1 or 0.95, referring to the weight in pounds per linear foot. Actual weights can vary from designated weights
as much as 5 percent. Imported posts are also available and their weight variance from designated weights is usually 7 to 8 percent. The number of rivets on t-post plates varies — more is better. “The present-day painted t-posts are not as good
as they were 10 to 15 years ago,” Brown emphasized. “Lead-based paints were originally used on t-posts and they lasted 18 to 20 years before rusting. Water-based paints are currently applied and rust appears in 3 to 8 years. The life of any fence on rusty posts is a shorter period of time. A good option is to buy hot-dipped gal- vanized t-posts. Fences can be further protected from rust by using Class 3 t-post clips on Class 3 or zinc- aluminum wire, although Class 3 t-post clips are not normally stocked by fence supply retailers and have to be special ordered.”
Brace material “Various materials are used for building fence braces,
such as drill stem or used oil fi eld pipe, galvanized pipe, treated timber and cedar posts. Drill stem or used oil fi eld pipe is a choice in areas where it is readily avail- able. Make sure it didn’t come out of a sulphur well and that it is not heavily magnetized,” cautioned Brown. “Find out if the pipe is “new seconds”, and if so, why.
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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