Chapter 3: The Role of the Perimeter Fence in the Modern Era.

In the last few hundred years, millions of refugees from have sought out the United States in pursuit of life, liberty & happiness. Tribes of oppressed people’s from all over the world have come to stake their claim on their very own piece of land; The American Dream. In more recent times, perimeter fencing has become prevalent for setting boundaries between much smaller structured civilizations rather than larger ones colonies of the past where neighbors were few and far between.

Increasingly compact urban populations and the invention of the sub-burbs not only allow for property owners to mark territory but they now encompass a homeowner's unique vision, and trends within popular culture and security specifications. 

Fence types, styles and materials vary thanks to the industrial revolution the fence options absolutely endless in the modern era. Aluminum, Wood, Privacy gates, security fence systems are just a few.

In the past century, there have been some highly notable and peculiar fencing structures that are well worth a fence google. Especially because the history of modern civilization and fence structures of all kinds go hand-in-hand.

 

AQUA FENCE: TURKEY 

    

Mehmet Ali Gökçeoğlu, a successful businessman and topographical engineer from Turkey, recently built the “world’s most fantastic” fence for his luxurious villa in Çeşme, Izmir. Eight years ago he replaced the wrought iron metal fence at the front of his property with a specialty 50-meter-long aquarium filled “fence” structure with hundreds of fish and octopuses. Above are the pictures to prove it.

Located just a few feet away from the shores of the Aegean Sea, Mehmet Ali Gökçeoğlu’s property has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Çeşme, attracting up to a thousand visitors a day, according to its owner. The villa itself is pretty impressive, but it’s not what draws so many people to this place. They come to see the aqua-fence. Eight years ago, the Turkish businessman had the eccentric idea to replace the front fence of his home with a giant aquarium full of various marine creatures from the Aegean Sea. Building the transparent structure was actually the easy part of the project. The hard part was linking the aqua-fence to the Aegean through a 400-meter-long buried pipeline, so the water could be changed continuously to keep the aquarium looking clean and its inhabitants happy. Gökçeoğlu hired a team of private divers to perform the task, and ended up paying approximately 40,000 Turkish Lira ($21,000) to fulfill his dream. The businessman says just seeing people line up outside his house staring at his specialty fence creation makes it all worth it.

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DINGO BOUNDARY FENCE: AUSTRALIA

   

The longest man-made perimeter structure is the Australian Dingo Fence. In fact it is also the world's longest fence EVER. 

link
Stretching across two southeastern Australian states, Queensland and South Australia, the Dingo Fence is 5,614 kilometers long. 

Quick Facts about The World’s Longest Perimeter Fence:

5614 kilometers is the total length of the Dingo Fence.
8614 kilometers was the total length of the Dingo Fence up until 1980, where due to repair costs it was shortened to its present length.
26.5 million hectares of sheep and cattle grazing country is what the Dingo Fence protects.
5,614,000 meters of wire mesh, that stands 180 centimeters in height and is a further 30 centimeters underground, was used to build the Dingo Fence.
623,777 wooden and steel posts hold the Dingo Fence together. 

The perimeter fence has a wide-range of cultural, psychological and historical tones. We put fences around everything. From the physical to the meta-physical. It’s in our nature. A fence evokes ownership pride of your surroundings It's the semblance just a small part of the planet we all share. Very few human characteristics can imply so much so without words. The fence concept is just another fascinating example of what it means to be a human being.

 

More noteworthy fence posts:

World’s most elaborate chicken coop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAahQXL-Sgk

SICK Technologies: Sensor Intelligence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stJf-Aw_9Rc

  

The Boundary Markers of the Original District of Columbia are the 40 milestones that mark the four lines forming the boundaries between the states of Maryland and Virginia and the square of 100 square miles (259 km²) of federal territory that became the District of Columbia in 1801.While abandoned long ago, these structures are actually our nations first perimeter marker.

The Residence Act of July 16, 1790, as amended March 3, 1791, authorized President George Washington to select a 100-square-mile site for the national capital on the Potomac River between Alexandria, Virginia, and Williamsport, Maryland.

President Washington selected the southernmost location within these limits, so that the capital would include all of present-day Old Town Alexandria, then one of the four busiest ports in the country. Acting on instructions from Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Major Andrew Ellicott began surveying the ten-mile square on February 12, 1791.  

The stones had all but disappeared but were recovered by volunteers from the Maryland Society of Surveyors while working on a resurvey of the D.C. line. David R. Doyle of Silver Spring, Maryland, placed the marker in his garage in 1991. Just south of Washington DC in Arlington, A survey team in 1791 led by Major Andrew Ellicott placed these fenced in markers. A humbly sit 39 milestones that mark the four lines forming the boundaries between the states of Maryland and Virginia and the square of 100 square miles (259 km²) of federal territory that became the District of Columbia in 1801.

Before the surveyors stepped in, the relics of our nation's infant stage had been ignored and were largely unknown, even by those who live a few feet from them. No one has been quite sure what to do with them for more than 200 years. 
Only one, the boundary stone in is a National Landmark. The other 39 are on the National Register of Historic Places, but receive no federal preservation money and no maintainence.
Some of the stones are all but gone, some have been moved to accommodate road and building construction and others have been stolen or lost, according to the Nation’s Capital Boundary Stones Committee’s Boundarystones.org site. All 10 stones within Arlington’s limits are authentic originals. They are at the following locations: 

As Hurricane Fence Company wraps up the AMTRAK Middle River MD project, we're reflecting on what an important project this was for contractors, authorities & commuters alike. 

Above: Effectual video footage of the Amtrak High speed rail at Middle River, MD

A specific case highlighting numerous deaths in Middle River Maryland, which is northeast of Baltimore City, showed the urgent need for safety fencing near heavily populated areas with exposed rails. All of the Middle River Amtrak deaths were  tragic and included the death of Anna Marie Stickel. Anna was a 14 year old girl who was killed on the hi-speed tracks in January of 2010. This particular death and numerous related incidents initiated a dramatic public response that promted Amtrak to take swift action in the wake of a serious problem.

Not only was this project important to a distressed Middle River MD community, but also to Hurricane Fence Company as the exclusive fence contractor for the project.

An article published by The Amtrak Police Department titled; Amtrak installing new heavy steel fence along High-speed tracks in Middle River, Maryland informs the public that Amtrak is installing a heavy steel, 8-foot high, high security fence along a portion of its high-speed tracks in Middle River, Maryland to deter access to the railroad.

The Middle River community is located about 11 miles north of Baltimore and is within the busy Northeast Corridor home to frequent and daily Amtrak train service. The section of track where the fencing was installed includes Acela Express and Northeast Regional service that operates at speeds up to 125 mph carrying commuting passengers, and the occasional freight train. Amtrak went above and beyond it's government requirements and spent $3.1 million, rip out the chain-link fence entirely and replacing it with a barrier it believes will deter even the most determined would-be trespasser. The new 8-foot-high fence runs from Martin Boulevard to Stemmers Run Road, a section that includes the spot where Anna died. Amtrak spokeswoman Danelle Hunter said the railroad was investing in an Impasse Anti-Scale Fence System, so named because it is designed to be difficult to get over. Hunter said it will be sunk into the ground so intruders can't get under it and will be made of sturdier material than chain link so an intruder can't get through it with bolt cutters.

 “The new fence will make it harder for a person to access the tracks, but to achieve maximum safety individuals must make the right decision to stay off the tracks and not use it as a shortcut,” says Amtrak Chief of Police John O’Connor.

In late April, Hurricane Fence Company began the installation of new Ameristar brand fencing on both sides of the tracks from Martin Boulevard southwest to where it meets up with an existing fence. (See Fence Contractors) A portion of the existing fence was also upgraded and replaced.  In all, more than 6,400-feet of fencing was installed and additional “No Trespassing” signs were posted.   

Todd Jones, Hurricane Fence Company Vice President had this to say,

I have come to understand that intruders on the track are a great concern to the train operators. Having the potential stress of hitting pedestrians or vehicles causes the conductors undue work related fatigue.

The $3.1 million fencing project ran from April-October 2013 (about 6 months from start to completion) There is now two miles continuous fencing from Martin Boulevard to Stemmers Run Road. Train passengers may use the pedestrian underpass at Martin Boulevard, which has also been upgraded for this construction.

“Our most important goal is safety, “I am pleased Amtrak is taking these significant steps, building taller and stronger fencing. I thank everyone who had a role in this project, working together to make Middle River a safer community for everyone." Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger remarked.

 

Hurricane Fence Company will happily contact Miss Utility on the behalf of homeowners and general contractors when excavation work is needed in Virginia. Miss Utility can be reached directly by dialing 811 or calling 1-800-552-7001.
 
We will need to gather the following information from the customer prior to calling:

• Contact information (name, phone number, email address)
• The address of where the work will take place, along with any cross streets
• The city or county where the work will take place
• The name of the subdivision and lot number (*required for new subdivisions)
• A detailed description of where the work will be conducted on the property
• Whether or not the work area has been marked with white paint (*required when a specific location of an excavation cannot be given)
• Any special instructions about gaining access to the property (such as locked gates or unrestrained animals)
• Driving directs when needed (especially to rural locations)

 
Once the call has been placed and all of the customer’s information has been given, Hurricane Fence will be issued a ticket number and a list of utility companies that are notified by Miss Utility of Virginia. Not every company is a member of Miss Utility, and not every member has underground lines on your property. The markings made by Miss Utility are valid for 15 working days. If the project is not completed by the end of the 15^th day, Hurricane Fence will request an updated ticket.
  

WHAT DOES MISS UTILITY DO?

From the website: www.missutilityofvirginia.com
 
“Miss Utility is the “one call” Virginia communications center for excavators, contractors, property owners, and those planning any kind of excavation or digging. The Miss Utility center notifies participating utilities of the upcoming excavation work so they can locate and mark their underground facilities in advance to prevent possible damage to underground utility lines, injury, property damage and service outages.
The Virginia Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act requires that Miss Utility be called at least 3 working days in advance of the planned work to allow time for marking, that the marks be respected and protected, and that excavation is completed carefully. Utility locators have 48 hours beginning at 7 am on the next working day (after our call) to locate the lines and place their response on the Positive Response System.”

 

Article contributed by Michael Fugere.

 

If you are a homeowner in the city of Norfolk, Virginia and you are considering purchasing a new fence for your home; you may be wondering if the city of Norfolk, Virginia requires a permit for erecting a fence. The answer is yes!  They require a permit on all fencing projects. Whether the homeowner is replacing an existing fence or having a new fence installed a permit is required by the City of Norfolk, Virginia.

The first step you, the homeowner, need to take is to insure that you have a legal copy of the survey of your property. This survey should have an actual drawing of your property that indicates the location of your exact property lines. If you are not sure if you have this document first check in the paperwork you received when you purchased your home. If you cannot locate this document it will not help to contact the City of Norfolk, as they do not keep a copy of residential surveys on file. You will need to contact a certified land surveying company to perform a survey of your property. This document will be required by the City of Norfolk in order to obtain a building permit to erect your new fence. As far as the cost of obtaining a fence permit, the city of Norfolk, Virginia does not charge for a fence permit.

As stated earlier, all fencing projects whether installing a new or replacing an existing fence, will require a building permit. Before starting the procedure of obtaining a permit for you fence project it is beneficial to know what the city of Norfolk will allow you to do as far as height and or style of fencing.

As long as your home is not on a corner lot the rules are fairly simple. The maximum height allowed is 6-feet for any style of fencing that will not to extend past the front corner of your home. For homeowners wanting to fence in their front yard, the maximum height allowed is 4-feet. In both of these situations the fence may be installed up to but not actually on or over your property line. If your home is on a corner lot there are additional requirements you will need to know. If you are installing a 4-foot high fence on a corner, again you may install the fence up to, but not on or over your property line. If you are considering a 6-foot high fence, you have two options to consider. The first option would be to install a 6-foot tall solid privacy fence. For this, you will need to install the fence 10-feet inside your property line. The second option would be to install the fence up to but not over the property line and the fence will must be a semi-private style. This code restriction is in place is to insure that motorists can see oncoming traffic when approaching a corner. As you can see this requirement gives you a few things to consider. You must decide whether you maintain privacy and give up space in the fenced portion of your yard, or do you forfeit privacy in order to maintain as much space in your yard as possible.   

The need for a permit to install or renew a fence can be intimidating or even frustrating. A experienced fence company can certainly help you to design a permit friendly fence and they will have knowledge of how to actually get the permit for you.  If you choose to install your own fence you will definitely needs to do your research and adhere to they local guidelines for building permits.

Article contributed by fence professional Jamie Patterson.