Properly performedinstallation of a concrete fencewill provide property owners with safety, protection against the eyes of bystanders and trouble-free operation of the fence for many years. And although in the case of the construction offencing made of ready-made concrete elementsthe matter seems simple, during assembly you need to remember a few rules. Here are our instructions on how toinstallation of a concrete fenceSubstantive consultation: Wojciech Średniawa, chief designer of Polbruk.
Antara II concrete fence by Polbruk. Photo Polbruk
How to put aconcrete fenceto keep its properties even for several dozen years? The next stages of work are presented on the example ofAntara II fence by Polbruk , which consists of fence blocks made of split hollow bricks. The individual elements are placed on a concrete slab.
Installation of a concrete fence - planning
Before we start the actual stage of works, that isassembly of the concrete fence , first of all, we should plan and measure them carefully. The way we do it will later determine the functionality and stability of our structure.
At the planning stage of the individualconcrete fence elementsyou have to make a decision, among others about the height of the posts and the foundation, how many spans the fence will consist of (plan their spacing and construction form), where the wickets will be, or - how wide the entrance gate will be (minimum width is 2.4 m).At the very beginning, it is also necessary to consider whether the fencing system should integrate a space for storing, sorting and collecting solid waste, bearing in mind that such a place should be located at least 3 m from the plot border and 10 m from the nearest windows.
Installation of a concrete fence - foundations
The next stage of work before the start ofinstallation of the concrete fenceis the preparation of the ground. After removing the obstacles and leveling any unevenness, it's time to mark the fence line using wooden stakes and lines, and then dig the foundations. - Under the fence walls, a continuous foundation should always be made, with a minimum width of 30 cm, and the depth adapted to the type of native soil and the depth of the frost zone - different for different regions of Poland. The foundation should be placed below this zone and then poured with C16 / 20 concrete - explains Wojciech Średniawa, chief designer of Polbruk.
At this stageof concrete fence installation , we should also remember to make expansion joints, which will protect the structure from the negative effects of uneven foundation subsidence, changes in temperature and humidity, as well as uneven sun exposure.
Installation of the concrete fence - fixing the elements
So much for preparations. The properassembly of the concrete fencebegins with checking the surface of the strip footing. If we notice any inequalities or deviations from the level, it is necessary to sand it.
When everything is even and dry (which usually takes place after 24 hours), it is time to prepare the main reinforced concrete footing formwork, into which the following will be installed: longitudinal reinforcement, transverse reinforcement of Antara II posts and intermediate reinforcement of spans.
After carefully checking the distance between the transverse reinforcement of the posts, the whole is poured with concrete of C20 / 25 class with a plastic consistency. The height of the reinforced concrete footing should be at least 30 cm, and the width should not exceed the width of the wall.
So prepared and additionally covered with insulationfoundation for concrete fencewill be a solid base for prefabricated elements in the form of Antara II concrete blocks.
Installation of theseconcrete fence elementsshould start with dry laying, and then proceed to laying combined with filling the chambers of blocks with previously prepared C20 / 25 concrete, with a dense-plastic consistency. The concrete in the chambers must be thoroughly spread and compacted. We repeat this action layer by layer. "
The spans are installed after the blocks have been laid, and the span anchors are inserted into the slots previously cut in the blocks, before the given element is filled with concrete. The same applies to wickets and gates.
The last stage ofinstallation of the Antara II concrete fenceis covering it with roofs (optionally flat or gable), which is performed after a minimum of two days from the installation of the fence elements.This time is needed for the initial setting of the concrete filling the block chambers.
More details onconcrete fence assemblycan be found on the website www.polbruk.pl, in the downloadable materials.
