There are a lot of misconceptions about using bannermesh in a high-wind area, or on a particularly windy site. Firstly, there are really two separate issues to deal with when it comes to wind:
1. Mesh ripping and blowing off the fence
2. The entire fence blowing over or collapsing
Mesh ripping and blowing off the fence
We’ll deal first with mesh ripping or blowing off a fence. A lot of the time, this is caused by incorrect installation, as seen in the images below, where the mesh is either too wide for the fence, or hasn’t been tied off on every eyelet.
Both of these issues will cause the mesh to flap in the wind, increasing the strain on the fixings, which may result in either the eyelet or the cable tie failing, causing the mesh to rip or blow off. Fixing off every eyelet distributes the load more evenly, decreasing the chance of an eyelet or tie breaking. Similarly, choosing the correct height bannermesh for your fence will reduce the flapping, which will also decrease the load on the ties and eyelets.
There are also other approaches we can take, such as increasing the number of eyelets, using rope edging and changing to a more porous mesh.
The entire fence blowing over or collapsing
We can look at the more serious issue of a fence collapsing or blowing over. This is obviously a major hazard, as it can cause serious harm to pedestrians, vehicles and site services. This is often a result of inadequate bracing on the fence. As Sitemax is not a fencing contractor, we can’t advise on correct bracing methods, although we have noticed over many years and many sites, that most contractors tend to brace every panel with multiple blocks.
Once the fencing is braced, we can of course look at the option of a more porous mesh product, Maxflow. As you can see in the images below, the Maxflow mesh is much more open-weave, compared to the premium Select mesh.
This obviously allows for greater wind flow, therefore lessening the load on the fencing. Another popular solution is cutting wind-holes or wind-flaps in mesh. While the idea does have some merit, there is very little proven benefit. The flap option is only really effective if the wind is consistently blowing from the back of the fence, to keep the flaps open. There is also an argument that the movement and flapping caused by this approach can actually increase the dynamic loading on the fence, only adding to the problem.
In summary, there are multiple approaches that can be taken to reduce the risk posed by using bannermesh on a windy site: