2.5 miles of Airport security fencing installed at Bristol airport
5th December 2014
Selecting the optimum type of fencing requires a careful balance to be made between security, aesthetics and cost
Airport security enjoys a high profile today, with sophisticated systems being installed for scanning passengers and baggage. But just as important are front-line defences such as perimeter fencing to keep intruders out. Bristol International Airport has recently completed a project to upgrade its perimeter fencing with approximately 2.5 miles (3.8km) of high-security fencing supplied and installed by Procter Contracts.
Procter Contracts was initially invited to tender because of the high quality of a smaller project already completed for the airport. This, combined with a competitively priced tender, made Procter the natural choice for the airport.
Working in and around an airport brings with it an unusual set of challenges. For example, because of the security issues, the fencing integrity has to be maintained at all times, and there are limits on the movement of personnel and machinery.
To ensure that the fencing integrity was maintained one hundred per cent at all times during the project, a 3m-high deer fence was first installed inside the existing perimeter fencing in the areas being worked on. The existing chain link fence was then removed in sections to allow a trench to be excavated for the new fence to be positioned 0.5m from the line of the old fence. Posts were set in concrete at 3m centres, the mesh fixed in place and the trench back-filled to complete the installation.
The new fence is 2.4m high and extends below ground level. Two types of fencing are installed in different areas of the airport. The first has three rows of barbed wire, while the second has two rows of barbed wire in front plus two rows of razor wire in 900mm diameter coils above. Galvanised weld mesh panels are secured to the box-section steel posts using tamper-resistant stainless steel barrel winders concealed within the posts.
In addition to the perimeter fencing, Procter has installed further fencing around the control tower, four 8m-wide gates and five 4m-wide gates, all of which are to BS 1722-10 standard.
Carl Lapworth, Head of Engineering at Bristol International Airport, is pleased with the end result: “I am very impressed with both the quality of the fencing and workmanship. Procter Fencing Systems clearly had a thorough understanding of our requirements and expectations and worked extremely hard to meet them. The site foreman did an excellent job in leading his team to ensure that the work was carried out efficiently and to a consistently high standard. In fact, we have been so pleased with the work that we have since invited Procter Fencing Systems to quote for further fencing projects at the airport.”
For every project, Procter appoints a Contracts Manager to oversee all aspects of the work and act as a single point of contact for the customer. This helps to simplify matters for the customer and ensures that there is always somebody available who can respond to queries about materials, installation and the contract – even for the largest of projects.
As well as security fencing and gates, Procter Contracts also designs, manufactures and installs a wide range of fencing types and styles for industrial, commercial, agricultural and domestic applications. Fencing is available in a variety of formats, such as chain link, welded mesh panels, vertical bar railings, palisade or to bespoke designs. In addition, the company also offers matching gates and a choice of access control systems. With over 100 years of experience in fencing and gates, Procter Contracts is able to apply traditional skills and modern technology to the design and manufacture of fencing systems that meet the needs of architects, specifiers and contractors. Because all processes are controlled in-house, Procter Fencing Systems can design, manufacture and install standard or customised systems extremely rapidly.
For more information about security and other fencing, please email Procter Contracts or telephone us.