Agricultural Fence Design (NRCS Standard 382)

A guide to designing and inspecting fences for agricultural conservation. And othe stuff.

Created byTim Clark

Last updated 2/2017

English

What you'll learn

Understand how Fences can benefit soil and water conservation
Choose good locations for agricultural fences
Inspect installed fences for defects
Write fence specifications for contract documents

Course content

3 sections • 15 lectures • 44m total length

How to use this course1:20
Learn NRCS standard 382 aligned fence design for New York State technicians with little experience, covering class work, a conservation approval project, and online resources.

The H-Brace4:16
Getting the end brace is the key to long lasting fences, and the H-brace is the most used style for fencing in New York.
Posts5:09
Wood, metal, plastic and fiberglass: all you'll ever need to know about fence posts!
Posts in Weak Soil4:12
What to do when a you need to place a post in weak soil.
Fence Hardware4:20
Staples, pins, and insulators - what are they and what do they do?
Electric Fences6:08
Learn how an electric fence charges pulse current through the fence wires, grounds back through moist soil, and how grounding, batteries, and solar power enable off-grid operation.
High Tensile Steel Wire4:21
Explore electrified high-tensile fencing using 12.5 gauge class 3 galvanized wire, with inline strainers and a tension indicator. Knots or crimped sleeves are acceptable, with H-brace and corner-post considerations.
Barbed Wire3:36
Explore barbed wire within NRCS standard 382 guidelines, highlighting galvanization classes, four-point versus two-point barbs, and safe practices to avoid electrifying fencing, noting its use for repairs and non-electric setups.
Woven Wire4:10
A brief discussion of woven wire, differences with welded wire, and what gauge wire is needed.
Electro Plastic Twine (Polywire) & Electrified Ribbon1:31
Explore polywire and electrified ribbon as durable conductors for rotational grazing and temporary fencing, and learn how poly rope, tape, and braid support permanent horse fences.

The NY NRCS Fence Specs0:47
This lecture introduces the two NY NRCS fencing specifications. In addition, you'll need to review NY Technical note 38, which covers number of fence strands or boards for different animals.
NY NRCS Specs
Writing good specs1:30
Compare full and shortened NRCS standard 382 specs and adopt a one-page site-specific version, noting gates, underground wires, and tying electricity to the fence system.
Simple High Tensile Layout0:47
Estimate a 200 by 200 foot paddock with quarter chopped off, using four-wire high tensile fence per NRC specs and technical note thirty eight, with corner, brace, and line posts.
Complex High Tensile Layout0:55
Explore designing a complex high-tensile fence layout under NRCS standard 382, estimating brace and post quantities, cross members, line posts, and wire for a pasture with a stream crossing.
Course Project1:43
Estimate materials for a woven wire fence around a riparian area on a real horse-farm site, with two stream crossings (culvert and at-grade), for conservation approval.

Requirements

You should be familiar with how fences are used in agriculture, including access control, laneways, buffers, and pastures.

Description

I designed this course to help soil and water conservation professionals understand how agricultural fencing contributes to environmental conservation, and how it is installed on the landscape. I cover high tensile steel, barbed wire, and woven wire fences. We will also cover how electric fences work.

Design and Estimate Fencing for Conservation Projects

Discover why high tensile steel has become so popular
Understand the difference between woven and welded wire
Write a great construction specification for you project
Learn how electric fence circuits are connected

Make sure your fences are constructed correctly

We'll examine the existing NY NRCS state specifications and discuss how to adapt them to your own project. You'll work through 2 fencing scenarios and estimate quantities fore each one. Then you'll complete and more advanced final project and submit it to me for grading. Students who complete the final project qualify for Conservation Approval Authority in New York State.

Who this course is for:

This course is meant for soil and water district staff, NRCS staff, private planners, and engineers looking for the basics on permanent fences. No prior experience with fencing is required. This course will not cover rotational grazing or how to set up paddocks for pasture systems.

Agricultural Fence Design (NRCS Standard 382)

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction1 lecture • 1min

Fence Materials9 lectures • 38min

Design and Build a Fence5 lectures • 6min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: