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Fence Post & Footing Design Guide for Wind and Ice Loading

Fence posts and post footings are structural elements that are used to support the body of a fence and resist a variety of environmental loads.  They are expected to remain plumb and undamaged for decades with little to no maintenance. 

Considered “non-building structures”, the design of fence posts and post footings are typically relegated to design by rules of thumb that do not take into consideration site-specific environmental factors and the aerodynamic properties of the fencing materials.  Proper design can prevent expensive overdesign or short lived under design that blows over in the first storm.

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Why use this Guide?

• Building codes do not directly address fencing design and the available design data has to be interpreted & translated to properly size posts and footings.
• Post footing design information in the building codes is not worded clearly and is easily misinterpreted.
• Fence post manufacturers are typically under-reporting their post strengths based on obsolete building codes.
• Actual wind area of chain link mesh can be anywhere from 17% higher to 10% lower than published data.
• There are no widely available published methods for determining wind forces for fence posts near ends and corners.
• Building codes require ice loading for around 95% of the US, but it is typically neglected in fencing design.

The information provided in this guide is based on the currently used building codes and reference standards in the United States, and standard structural engineering methods.  Using modern design methods, fence posts and post footings can be specified that are more economical in labor and materials, increase the service life of the fence, and reduce liability for installers.

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Disclaimer

The materials set forth herein are for general information only.  They are not a substitute for competent professional advice.  Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered professional engineer.  Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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