Zoo animal barrier

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Author Message George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: geverding Post Number: 85 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2005 - 01:08 pm:    I've been asked to track down a product that some of our designers have seen in zoos: a barrier composed of vertical piano wires held in tension. I am thinking that this is a custom fabrication, rather than an off the shelf product, and the only reference I have found googling is http://www.pwrconcepts.com/asbi.html (Power Concepts Corporation - American Steel Builders). Anybody with zoo experience know of anything more "off the shelfy" and less "build it yourselfy"? Thanks. Sheldon Wolfe Senior Member Username: sheldon_wolfe Post Number: 173 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2005 - 01:14 pm:    Is it just a cable rail with vertical cables? See www.feeneygateway.com/ or www.thecableconnection.com/ Helaine K. (Holly) Robinson CSI CCS CCCA Senior Member Username: hollyrob Post Number: 195 Registered: 07-2003 Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2005 - 01:16 pm:    This CSI member worked on the Indianapolis Zoo - you may wish to ask him: Mr. Paul T. Pierson, CSI, AIA 9604 Cotesworth Lane Knoxville, TN 37922-3430 Email: paulpierson@comcast.net Occupation: Architect Home Chapter: Knoxville Richard L Matteo, AIA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: rlmat Post Number: 128 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2005 - 01:18 pm:    I doubt it was piano wire - too thin. I worked on the Central Park Zoo some years back - I don't remeber exactly what we did, but It was probably thin wire rope as Sheldon suggests. Ron Beard CCS Senior Member Username: rm_beard_ccs Post Number: 87 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2005 - 01:31 pm:    Gee! One would think I would have an answer to this question having spent so much time in a zoo. :-) Richard L Matteo, AIA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: rlmat Post Number: 129 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2005 - 01:35 pm:    Don't we all!! Lynn Javoroski Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 258 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2005 - 03:23 pm:    The barrier will be completely dependent on the animals - giraffe are different from orangs are different from brown bear are different from elephant are different from people. Are you trying to keep the one in and the other out? Which animal is more likely to present the biggest problem? Which one is heaviest/smartest? It's not piano wire - unless it's electrified, which is possible - it's a cable barrier like Sheldon suggested. Look at Jakob Stainless Steel Wire Rope Railings. Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 254 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Friday, November 18, 2005 - 08:21 am:    Had experience at the Cincinnati Zoo some years ago where we installed panels of Lexan between H-columns as the barrier between the white tigers and public. Used high-voltage snap-wire inside the barreir to move animals back that got too close, but even calculated the thrust force of an 800 pound tiger running at full speed hitting the barrier in full attack mode. Gave the public an unobstructed view. Still there as far as I know.