World Fence News

54 • JULY 2019 • WORLD FENCE NEWS Keener Dupont Wire Co., LLC Where wire is our only business. Look for it at your local supplier or Call 800-749-7181 • E-mail: sales@kdwire.brcoxmail.com AND MENTION WFN! H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H PATENTED Tension Gauge makes installation a snap! When it conforms to post it should be tight enough. KDTwist Power Twist Tie Save Money, Save Time, Prevent Installer Fatigue Available in Galvanized Class B Coating or Less, Aluminized AND NOW VINYL COATED Available in 12 ga, 11 ga, 9 ga, 7 ga, 6 ga – Sizes for 1-5/8 pipe up to 8-5/8 – 9 ga & 6 ga conform to ASTM F626-96A – Pigtail, Square, T-post KDT available – Special sizes or shapes on request US Patent No: 8,266,771 B2 Move KDTwist to post at a 45° angle; it pops on. The installer does not have to pry apart legs. had published one of the first for- mal specifications, The Chemical Composition and Physical Properties of Steel Rails. It was anything but a best-seller. The paper proved less than welcome to steel producers supplying rails and steel to the railroad and many firms ramped up their claims that this new genre of specification would prove unnecessarily expensive and count- er-productive to the steel producers. Push-back escalated. Some manu- facturers even flatly rejected the spec- ification, telling the railroads – and Dudley – they could have the rails as they were already being made … or they could have nothing at all. But the genuine need for stan- dardization and specification purity remained a sound and justified cause, and it wasn't long before it grew grudgingly apparent to both sides of the issue that the only way to truly resolve the issue was by getting all opposing parties together to hammer out an inclusive, constructive and mu- tually-beneficial dialogue between the players. Basically, it was time for both sides to learn from one another. Of course, it wasn't easy, but by 1898 and after over a decade of giving, taking, antagonism, compromise and the crashed relationships, 70 members from all sides met in Philadelphia to form the American Section of the In- ternational Association for Testing Materials, later to become ASTM in 1901, and later ASTM International, which it is today. The die was cast. Product standards were here to stay. One unique aspect of ASTM (and likely a reason it's been so successful) is that the members create the data. Working in open and transparent en- vironments (which today may include the use of ASTM's sophisticated IT infrastructure), member organiza- tions, manufacturers and committees work in partnership to develop and agree upon minimum levels of stan- dards, guides and practices for simi- lar-realm products in order to assure sincere and genuine benchmarks of fair trade and honest commerce. Not that the standards are set in stone. Far from it. With notable foresight, early founders of ASTM acknowledged openly "it is thoroughly appreciated that in the rapid advances made in the process of manufacture, and the increased demands made by the en- gineers in their specifications, that no standard specification can be in force for a long time. It will of neces- sity have to be modified from time to time." And so, it has been. Version after version of the standard have been up- dated, created and adopted over many years (including two world wars and the electronic age) and – as we look to the future and begin to contemplate never-before-dreamt-of technologies like machine-learning/AI, nanotech- nology and autonomous vehicles, ASTM will continue to grow, adapt and mature to ensure the standards and practices in all industry remain up to par. But after all this, you might still be wondering what all of this has to do with you, the fencing profession- al. Well, fear not, for with virtually all things construction, ASTM has a sec- tion devoted exclusively to you. In 2014, the 13th edition of the ASTM Standards for Fence Materials and Products was made available to the public, primarily targeting fencing manufacturers, architectural/engi- neering firms, and the contract fenc- ing community. Fencing standards are, and long have been, developed under ASTM Committee F14 on Fences. (http:// astm.org/committee/f14.htm). A compilation of new and revised fencing and fencing-related standards, ASTM Standards for Fence Materials and Products, is published periodical- ly, and it is vital to keep up to date and refer only to the most recent versions available. The compilation contains approx- imately 50 ASTM International stan- dards that cover: • Chain-link and wire fence fab- ric; • Fence construction and installa- tion practices; • Fences for playgrounds, sports fields, sports courts and other recre- ation facilities; • Fence fittings and protective coatings; • Industrial and commercial hori- zontal slide gates; • Fencing materials used in deten- tion and correctional facilities; and • Design and fabrication of wood fencing, among many more. Three new standards included in the latest 13th edition include: • ASTM F2919, Specification for Welded Wire Mesh Fence Fabric (Metallic-Coated or Polymer Coated) with Variable Mesh Patterns or Mesh- es Greater than 6 in. 2 [3871 mm 2 ] in Panels; • ASTM F2957, Specification for Ornamental Aluminum Fence Sys- tems; and • ASTM F3000 / F3000M - 13(2018), Standard Specification for Polymer Privacy Insert Slats for Chain Link Fabric and Privacy Chain Link Fabric Manufactured Contain- ing Pre-Installed Privacy Slats, Spec- ification for Polymer Privacy Insert Slats for Chain Link Fabric and Pri- vacy Chain Link Fabric Manufac- tured Containing Pre-Installed Priva- cy Slats. Going global Nowadays, ASTM is not just an American only institution. Crossing over borders, disciplines, and indus- tries, the organization now harnesses the expertise of over 30,000 members worldwide to create product/man- ufacturing standard consensus and improve performance in materials, products and processes, systems and services. They also have far more than just written/electronic copies of standards and practices. ASTM offers seminars/ webinars, symposiums, workshops – and you can often find an ASTM booth at industry trade shows. You can even become a member yourself for a small fee. If you'd like to add a copy of the ASTM Standards for Fence Materials and Products to your own personal/ business library, order from ASTM (Stock#: FENCECMP) through the web site www.astm.org. Contact ASTM International at 610-832-9500; fax 610-832-9555 or e-mail service@astm.org. With over 40 years in construc- tion, primarily as an estimator and project manager, Steve Saucerman now writes, speaks and serves as a consultant to the con- struction industry. Steve has been a contributor of columns to World Fence News for the past several years. ASTM and the fence industry continued from page 52 Nowadays, ASTM is not just an American institution. Crossing over borders, disciplines, and industries, the organization now harnesses the expertise of over 30,000 members worldwide… A compilation of new and revised fencing and fencing-related standards, ASTM Standards for Fence Materials and Products, is published periodically, and it is vital to keep up to date and refer only to the most recent versions available.

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