My home backs up against a 200'-wide high-voltage power line easement. After
Ike, looking across this field, I can see maybe thirty fences knocked down
by the high winds. Every one of these downed fences was erected using wooden
posts.

On my side of the field - for reasons passing understanding - every one of
the fences remained intact and every one of the fences was erected using
metal poles.

In the interests of full disclosure, we did have one break on our fence; the
wind, using the pickets as a sail, fractured one cross-member, but the poles
on either side of the fracture remained upright.

Maybe the construction technique using the wooden posts was flawed, I can't
say for sure. But the metal post method survived the storm and the wooden
posts didn't.

on 10/3/2008 8:49 AM HeyBub said the following:
My home backs up against a 200'-wide high-voltage power line easement. After
Ike, looking across this field, I can see maybe thirty fences knocked down
by the high winds. Every one of these downed fences was erected using wooden
posts.

On my side of the field - for reasons passing understanding - every one of
the fences remained intact and every one of the fences was erected using
metal poles.

In the interests of full disclosure, we did have one break on our fence; the
wind, using the pickets as a sail, fractured one cross-member, but the poles
on either side of the fracture remained upright.

Maybe the construction technique using the wooden posts was flawed, I can't
say for sure. But the metal post method survived the storm and the wooden
posts didn't.

What type of fencing material was between the metal posts? High winds
are less likely to knock down chain link, wrought iron, or aluminum
fencing than wood picket or board fencing, only because the winds can
pass through the thinner metal fencing easier than the wider wood fencing..

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
in the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

willshak wrote:
on 10/3/2008 8:49 AM HeyBub said the following:
....
After Ike, looking across this field, I can see maybe thirty fences
knocked down by the high winds. Every one of these downed fences was
erected using wooden posts.

On my side of the field - for reasons passing understanding - every
one of the fences remained intact and every one of the fences was
erected using metal poles.
....

What type of fencing material was between the metal posts? High winds
are less likely to knock down chain link, wrought iron, or aluminum
fencing than wood picket or board fencing, only because the winds can
pass through the thinner metal fencing easier than the wider wood fencing..

That would be one of my first questions, too, as well as relative ages
and more thorough investigation of the construction.

But, I'd guess a great deal of it was simply relative surface areas as
just the WAG...

--

HeyBub wrote:
My home backs up against a 200'-wide high-voltage power line easement. After
Ike, looking across this field, I can see maybe thirty fences knocked down
by the high winds. Every one of these downed fences was erected using wooden
posts.

On my side of the field - for reasons passing understanding - every one of
the fences remained intact and every one of the fences was erected using
metal poles.

In the interests of full disclosure, we did have one break on our fence; the
wind, using the pickets as a sail, fractured one cross-member, but the poles
on either side of the fracture remained upright.

Maybe the construction technique using the wooden posts was flawed, I can't
say for sure. But the metal post method survived the storm and the wooden
posts didn't.


Hi,
Identical picket material between two fences? If not, your conclusion is
flawed. Near the HV power lines? Not a good location to live.

willshak wrote:
on 10/3/2008 8:49 AM HeyBub said the following:
My home backs up against a 200'-wide high-voltage power line
easement. After Ike, looking across this field, I can see maybe
thirty fences knocked down by the high winds. Every one of these
downed fences was erected using wooden posts.

On my side of the field - for reasons passing understanding - every
one of the fences remained intact and every one of the fences was
erected using metal poles.

In the interests of full disclosure, we did have one break on our
fence; the wind, using the pickets as a sail, fractured one
cross-member, but the poles on either side of the fracture remained
upright. Maybe the construction technique using the wooden posts was
flawed,
I can't say for sure. But the metal post method survived the storm
and the wooden posts didn't.

What type of fencing material was between the metal posts? High winds
are less likely to knock down chain link, wrought iron, or aluminum
fencing than wood picket or board fencing, only because the winds can
pass through the thinner metal fencing easier than the wider wood
fencing..

Good question and I apologize for the omission.

In all the cases, the fences were cedar or PT pickets, 6' tall with
negligible gaps between the pickets.

Tony Hwang wrote:
HeyBub wrote:
My home backs up against a 200'-wide high-voltage power line
easement. After Ike, looking across this field, I can see maybe
thirty fences knocked down by the high winds. Every one of these
downed fences was erected using wooden posts.

On my side of the field - for reasons passing understanding - every
one of the fences remained intact and every one of the fences was
erected using metal poles.

In the interests of full disclosure, we did have one break on our
fence; the wind, using the pickets as a sail, fractured one
cross-member, but the poles on either side of the fracture remained
upright. Maybe the construction technique using the wooden posts was
flawed,
I can't say for sure. But the metal post method survived the storm
and the wooden posts didn't.


Hi,
Identical picket material between two fences? If not, your conclusion
is flawed. Near the HV power lines? Not a good location to live.

Virtually identical material (cedar of PT pickets). As to location, it has
it's advantages.

1. No neighbor behind me to throw garbage over the fence.
2. Conversely, I can throw garbage over the fence and no one complains.
3. My cats can prowl to their hearts content - very little hazards like
cars.
4. It's kinda cute to watch glowing bunnies, at night, hopping around,
taking care of their bunny-business (odd, though, my cats don't glow as much
as the rabbits).

HeyBub wrote:
willshak wrote:
....

Good question and I apologize for the omission.

In all the cases, the fences were cedar or PT pickets, 6' tall with
negligible gaps between the pickets.

Still to many potential variables to answer specifically. One would
guess as another wrote that the metal posts were set in concrete while
the wood weren't and/or were deeper. Another question would be was the
failure mode turnover of the post or did they break off? Age and amount
of rain/water would also be effect as would, potentially, the wind
direction and effective shielding perhaps of one side of the cleared
area vs the other such that despite proximity actual wind loadings
weren't the same...far too many possibilities yet to draw definitive
conclusions.

--

"Tony Hwang" wrote in message
...
HeyBub wrote:
My home backs up against a 200'-wide high-voltage power line easement.
After Ike, looking across this field, I can see maybe thirty fences
knocked down by the high winds. Every one of these downed fences was
erected using wooden posts.

On my side of the field - for reasons passing understanding - every one
of the fences remained intact and every one of the fences was erected
using metal poles.

In the interests of full disclosure, we did have one break on our fence;
the wind, using the pickets as a sail, fractured one cross-member, but
the poles on either side of the fracture remained upright.

Maybe the construction technique using the wooden posts was flawed, I
can't say for sure. But the metal post method survived the storm and the
wooden posts didn't.
Poses the question; Why do tornados demolish all of the houses on a block
and leave one untouched?
Perhaps the houses on your side of the transmission line blocked the wind
enough to save your fences, perhaps those fences blocked the wind to save
your fence but suffered as a consequence. Several times the winds have torn
up the trees on the vacant lot next to me and left my trees alone. Mother
Nature does as she likes, I guess.

Tom G.

On 03 Oct 2008 20:05:17 GMT, TD sayd the following:

"HeyBub" wrote in
om:

My home backs up against a 200'-wide high-voltage power line easement.
After Ike, looking across this field, I can see maybe thirty fences
knocked down by the high winds. Every one of these downed fences was
erected using wooden posts.

On my side of the field - for reasons passing understanding - every
one of the fences remained intact and every one of the fences was
erected using metal poles.

In the interests of full disclosure, we did have one break on our
fence; the wind, using the pickets as a sail, fractured one
cross-member, but the poles on either side of the fracture remained
upright.

Maybe the construction technique using the wooden posts was flawed, I
can't say for sure. But the metal post method survived the storm and
the wooden posts didn't.




Our fence was installed in the 1970s with galvanized posts. The fence
still stands (tho kinda ugly).


is it electric fence?

volts?

Mine needs to be 80-100 voltage AC range with 50K pulses in first 1ms

dpb wrote:
HeyBub wrote:
willshak wrote:
...

Good question and I apologize for the omission.

In all the cases, the fences were cedar or PT pickets, 6' tall with
negligible gaps between the pickets.

Still to many potential variables to answer specifically. One would
guess as another wrote that the metal posts were set in concrete while
the wood weren't and/or were deeper. Another question would be was
the failure mode turnover of the post or did they break off? Age and
amount of rain/water would also be effect as would, potentially, the
wind direction and effective shielding perhaps of one side of the
cleared area vs the other such that despite proximity actual wind
loadings weren't the same...far too many possibilities yet to draw
definitive conclusions.

I agree. Wind direction, streaming neutrinos from the Solar Wind, Voodoo, or
a malevolent foreign deity may be behind the difference. Still, some thirty
of my neighbors' fences built with wooden posts are all in a pile while a
similar number using metal are still standing.

HeyBub wrote:

I agree. Wind direction, streaming neutrinos from the Solar Wind,
Voodoo, or a malevolent foreign deity may be behind the difference.
Still, some thirty of my neighbors' fences built with wooden posts
are all in a pile while a similar number using metal are still
standing.

My first thought when I saw your post was that one side of the
right-of-way was upwind and the other was downwind. The upwind side
would be in the wind shadow of houses and trees. On the downwind side
the wind would be able to get a little meaner as it passed under the
power line towers.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

SteveBell wrote:
HeyBub wrote:

I agree. Wind direction, streaming neutrinos from the Solar Wind,
Voodoo, or a malevolent foreign deity may be behind the difference.
Still, some thirty of my neighbors' fences built with wooden posts
are all in a pile while a similar number using metal are still
standing.

My first thought when I saw your post was that one side of the
right-of-way was upwind and the other was downwind. The upwind side
would be in the wind shadow of houses and trees. On the downwind side
the wind would be able to get a little meaner as it passed under the
power line towers.

Also a good point. However, being in Houston, the wind went one way, then,
when the eye passed, the wind with the other. It averaged out.

In the aftermath, I saw a LOT of wood things down (mostly trees), but very
few metal things (like light poles, fireplugs, or street signs) blown down.
Empirical evidence supports the theory that wood sucks.

On Oct 3, 5:49*am, "HeyBub" wrote:
My home backs up against a 200'-wide high-voltage power line easement. After
Ike, looking across this field, I can see maybe thirty fences knocked down
by the high winds. Every one of these downed fences was erected using wooden
posts.

On my side of the field - for reasons passing understanding - every one of
the fences remained intact and every one of the fences was erected using
metal poles.

In the interests of full disclosure, we did have one break on our fence; the
wind, using the pickets as a sail, fractured one cross-member, but the poles
on either side of the fracture remained upright.

Maybe the construction technique using the wooden posts was flawed, I can't
say for sure. But the metal post method survived the storm and the wooden
posts didn't.

Steel is stronger then wood and does not weaken over time like wood.

HeyBub wrote:
....

In the aftermath, I saw a LOT of wood things down (mostly trees), but very
few metal things (like light poles, fireplugs, or street signs) blown down.
Empirical evidence supports the theory that wood sucks.

You've still not even established the failure mode...

--

dpb wrote:
HeyBub wrote:
...

In the aftermath, I saw a LOT of wood things down (mostly trees),
but very few metal things (like light poles, fireplugs, or street
signs) blown down. Empirical evidence supports the theory that wood
sucks.

You've still not even established the failure mode...

Oh.

Sorry.

Failure mode: Fences fell down due to wind (99.998% confidence factor).

HeyBub wrote:
dpb wrote:
HeyBub wrote:
...

In the aftermath, I saw a LOT of wood things down (mostly trees),
but very few metal things (like light poles, fireplugs, or street
signs) blown down. Empirical evidence supports the theory that wood
sucks.
You've still not even established the failure mode...

Oh.

Sorry.

Failure mode: Fences fell down due to wind (99.998% confidence factor).

No, that's cause, not mode...did the posts come out of the ground or did
they break?

--

dpb wrote:
HeyBub wrote:
dpb wrote:
HeyBub wrote:
...

In the aftermath, I saw a LOT of wood things down (mostly trees),
but very few metal things (like light poles, fireplugs, or street
signs) blown down. Empirical evidence supports the theory that wood
sucks.
You've still not even established the failure mode...

Oh.

Sorry.

Failure mode: Fences fell down due to wind (99.998% confidence
factor).

No, that's cause, not mode...did the posts come out of the ground or
did they break?

Oh.

I didn't know, so I went and looked.

They broke. At ground level. Many "stumps" remained, stuck in concrete.

Evidently they rotted at ground level or below and just died of shame.