Question: How is the light weight fencing panel constructed?
Answer: The RhinoRock fence panel has an outer shell constructed of a high performance concrete that is heavily fiber reinforced. In fact, enough fiber to fill a 55 gallon drum half full. The interior of the fence panel is a typical EPS foam core. The fiber reinforced concrete shell is just under 3/8″ thick. The heavy fiber reinforcing in the concrete combined with the foam core makes the fence panel impact resistant and light weight. Although product is impact resistant, it can be damaged by equipment, hammers, and other larger hard objects. However, it can be easily repaired at minimal cost.
Question: How long and tall is the fencing panel?
Answer: The center of column to center of column is 9 feet and the panel is 6′ tall.
Question: Are shorter panels available?
Answer: The panels can be easily cut to any dimension shorter than 6′ tall.
Question: Are panels taller than 6′ available?
Answer: Currently the panel is only made in 6′ tall in the RhinoRock automated facility. In the event that a 7′ or 8′ tall fence is desired the fence system can be attached to a 1′ or 2′ tall poured in place grade beam supplied by a local contractor. This is more economical because you don’t have to ship taller panels, but the grade beam can be poured by a local contractor.
Question: What kind of footing is used for the fence?
Answer: Most installations will use a 14″ diameter pier footing 36″ deep spaced at 9′ centers. See specifications page for a drawing detail.
Question: What is the wind rating of the fence?
Answer: The RhinoRock fence panel has been tested and can withstand wind speeds up to 140 mph. However, when the fence length exceeds 250′ without any corners, then the rating is reduced to 120 mph. This testing was for the actual fencing panel, but not for the footing. In high wind areas the footing must be designed by a local engineer.
Question: Will freezing temperatures cause damage to the fence?
Answer: No, extensive freeze thaw testing has shown that it is freeze thaw resistant because it utilizes a high performance concrete. Unlike plastic or wood it is much more durable in regards to extreme temperatures.
Question: Will the surface fade in the sun?
Answer: No, since the shell is made of concrete it is totally UV stable.
Question: Can the fence retain soil?
Answer: Less than 12″ is recommended.
Question: What is the natural color of the fence?
Answer: The panels are a natural concrete grey, but the fence can be color stained after the fence is installed with a product that is specifically made for staining concrete.
Question: How much does the fencing panel weigh?
Answer: 250 lbs.
Question: Can the fence be installed if the property is already landscaped?
Answer: Yes, since the panels are light weight they can be hand carried into the property. However, it requires less labor to have the fence installed prior to any landscaping and therefore the installation is less expensive.
Question: Can the fence be installed on ground that is sloping?
Answer: Yes, as long as the grade doesn’t change more than 12″ every foot. In some cases you can go up steeper slopes but will require using custom sized panels.
Question: How is the column cap attached to the column?
Answer: The cap has a steel tab that is cast into the bottom of the cap that is embedded into the concrete grout cell in the column. The steel tab makes it so that cap cannot be removed. This is unique to our system.
Question: Can the fence be installed by the Do-It-Yourselfer?
Answer: For the best installation it is recommended to be installed by a trained RhinoRock installer. Since the fencing system is covered by two patents the “Do It Yourself” installers must have written permission.
Question: Will the fence stop weeds from coming from neighbor’s property?
Answer: Typically if the bottom of the fence panel is installed more than 3″ below the landscaping then weeds will typically not grow under fence.
Question: Can the fence support the weight of someone climbing on it?
Answer: Yes, the fence panel is strong enough to support the weight of 10 men.
Question: Can the fence be damaged by normal backyard activities?
Answer: After 7 years of backyard installations, we have had no reports of the fence being damaged by backyard activity. However, large riding lawn mowers can damage the fence on direct impact. But in most cases damages can be repaired easily.
Question: Can the fence be repaired if damaged?
Answer: Yes, since the material is made out of concrete, small damage less than 6″ in diameter can be repaired with a simple polymer modified mortar patch available at most hardware stores. In the event of damage caused by vehicles or large equipment, two men can replace a panel in about 30 minutes.