The Fence Post

Wonders to Behold in the Cardrona Valley 

In early 1999, four women's bras were attached to a wire fence along a road in rural New Zealand. The local land owner left the bras on the fence. News spread and The Cardrona Bra Fence quickly became a controversial tourist attraction. By the end of February 60 bras had been hung.

Shortly thereafter someone took on the task of removing all the bras from the fencing. The local press got wind of the story and the news spread throughout New Zealand. Bras soon began to reappear on the fence. By October 2000 the total number of bras reached 200.

Once again all the bras were removed. When this was reported by the press the news spread far beyond the shores of New Zealand. The Cardrona Valley now had a genuine tourist attraction. Not only did people come in person to hang bras, but also people sent bras from other areas to be hung. By 2006 the number of bras on the fence approached 800.

Brassiere Reaction

The Cardrona Bra Fence received mixed reviews from the local population. Some saw it as a potential hazard, distracting motorists. Some considered it a tourist attraction, bringing people to the area. Others felt strongly that it was a blot on the rural landscape. Some even claimed that the fence might offend visitors from other cultures.

In April of 2006, after several legal attempts to have all bras stripped from the fence, The Cardrona Bra Fence was declared a "traffic hazard" and an "eyesore". By September, when the local council finally took action, 1,500 were removed. The fence itself is still in place. Without its bras, some may now look upon it as a naked fence.

How would you feel about a bra fence being in your area?

Would you see it as an "eyesore"?

Would you welcome it as an unconventional tourist attraction?

Could be next on your list of projects?

Have you ever heard of a fence made out of papercrete?

The ingredients for papercrete--roughly.

• 30 pounds of concrete
• 18 pounds of joint compound
• 1 pound of boric acid
• 90 pounds of newspapers
• Just add water and you're good to go!

But would you really want a papercrete fence around your house?

Strong winter winds can cause dangerous driving conditions. Not only does blowing snow dramatically reduce visibility but also treacherous drifts can accumulate across roadways and other open unprotected areas.

A Natural Barrier

Several states have successful programs in place using living snow fence. The Iowa DOT has been developing and improving theirs for over 40 years. Living snow fencing is a natural barrier created by planting a combination of shrubs, trees and grasses that act as a windbreak. In Iowa, rows are five feet apart and shrubs are set three feet apart within the row. Plantings are arranged so that the gaps in one row are filled by the plants in the next row.  As the speed of the wind is disrupted and decreased, snow settles among and downwind from the plantings. Research shows that drifts will form downwind 10 to 12 times the height of the trees (100 to 120 feet downwind from a 10 tree). A concentrated and closely spaced placement of trees and shrubs results in shorter and deeper drifts.

When positioned properly, living snow fences can greatly reduce the amount of plowing needed to keep roads open for travel. Winter travel is safer.

Native Species with Reduced Erosion 

There are benefits in addition to safety when living snow fencing is used:

• Highway beautification is enhanced with native species of plants.
• Environmental stewardship is promoted.
• Trees, shrubs and grasses are excellent wildlife habitat all year.
• Living snow fences slow and reduce erosion.
• When measured during winter months the temperature of the pavement surface in areas protected by living snow fence were higher than the surface temperature in unprotected areas.
• In areas with severe cold, this greatly increases the effectiveness of chemicals used to prevent icing.
• It is no longer necessary to install and remove wood or plastic snow fence.

If you live in an area that gets lots of snow, what type of snow fence does the DOT use?

Wood, plastic or natural living snow fence: which type of snow fencing would you prefer to see?

Interested in other types of living fence? Read our blog article Living Fencing.

- photos from NYSDOT

Keeping it simple! Instructions for installing a farm gate.

On the Land or on the Sea

New types of security fencing are currently being developed and evaluated. One type is called "floating" fence. There are two different "floating" fences - one for use on land and the other one on water. 

Floating Fence Used on Land

A 15-foot high fence stretches along a seven-mile section of the US-Mexico border in the Imperial County sand dunes between Calexico, California and Yuma, Arizona. This particular area is subject to drifting sand which causes changes in the topography.

Built at a cost of $40 million, the unique floating fencing is designed to be unfastened to anything below the sand's surface. When drifting sand starts to bury the fence line, sections can be lifted up by a machine and placed back on top of the sand allowing the 15-foot height to be maintained. New fencing does not have to be erected. Known as the "floating fortress" and "sand dragon", this new fence design is credited with reducing not only illegal immigrants but also drug smuggling.

See a picture of the floating fence. 

Floating Fence Used on Water

The other type of "floating" fence is being used by the US Navy as a way of protecting ships from terrorist attacks. Termed a "Waterfront Force Protection Barrier System", over 30 kilometers of floating fences have been successfully installed around Navy installations.

The floating fence, capable of stopping high-speed boats, is adapted from a fixed security barrier system. The fencing consists of independent 35 to 50-foot modules that are connected to each other. Pontoons support a steel structure. Vertical steel nets, usually 9 feet tall, are secured to this structure and sit on cylindrically shaped floats that form the actual fence. Variations in currents and tidal ranges up to 30 feet are accommodated. Gates are incorporated into the design as required.

Read the PDF about floating fences from Harbor Offshore Barriers, Inc.

Can you think of other situations where either of these fences could be of use? Do you think they're cost-effective?