Skip to content 
Adelaide temporary fencing is a ground problem before it is a wind problem. For much of the year the surface under a panel line is dry and hard, and a base that depends on a spike has little soil to key into. The panel above it is mostly hole, so the gust load is smaller than a solid sheet would take, but the load still has to travel from the mesh into a clamp, a foot and whatever bearing the ground will give.
The published numbers are specific enough to plan with. The 70 x 100mm panel listing carries 4.0mm wire at 70 x 100mm openings in a 32 x 2.0mm frame, hot-dip galvanised over 42 microns; the heavy-duty 2400 x 2100mm line is listed at 40mm tube, so check which SKU a quote names. The feet come at 17kg for the rubber base and 26kg and 32kg for the plastic feet with concrete fill, each with a published footprint. What the page does not publish is a wind rating or a footing design, and those belong to the site.
Key Takeaways
- On dry ground a block foot spreads load over a footprint; a spike depends on soil that will close around it.
- Published footprints: 700 x 200mm recycled rubber at 17kg, 610 x 230mm blow-moulded plastic at 26kg, 560 x 240mm injection-moulded plastic at 32kg with concrete infill.
- Load per square metre of footprint works out at about 121, 185 and 238 kg/m² for those three bases.
- On the 70 x 100mm mesh, the 2400 x 2100mm panel is about 91 per cent open, so its solid area is roughly 0.46m² of 5.04m².
- The City of Adelaide requires a City Works Permit for any activity in the public realm, with a traffic management plan and a public liability certificate in the application pack.
- Bracing is published at 1.5m and 1.8m. Ballast blocks are listed as accessories, but their mass is not published.
The Ground Comes First
A panel foot does one of two jobs. A spike transfers load into the soil and relies on friction and soil strength around the shaft. A block foot sits on the surface and spreads load across its base. In dry, compacted ground the spike has little to grip, and on imported fill or sand a small base can punch in. That is why the base dimensions matter as much as the mass on an Adelaide site.
The panel page lists a recycled rubber base at 700 x 200 x 125mm and 17kg, a blow-moulded plastic foot at 610 x 230 x 150mm and 26kg, and an injection-moulded plastic foot at 560 x 240 x 130mm and 32kg with concrete. The separate rubber foot page lists the same base at 760 x 200 x 125mm. The 60mm difference between the two pages is a quoting question, not a detail to guess at.
| Base | Published size | Mass | Load per m² of footprint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recycled rubber | 700 x 200mm | 17kg | About 121 kg/m² |
| Blow-moulded plastic | 610 x 230mm | 26kg with concrete | About 185 kg/m² |
| Injection-moulded plastic | 560 x 240mm | 32kg with concrete | About 238 kg/m² |
Those figures are arithmetic, not a bearing capacity. Divide the mass by the footprint and the heaviest base becomes the most demanding on the ground: 32kg with concrete on 0.134m² is 238 kg/m², against 17kg on 0.14m² at 121 kg/m². On a concrete slab or a compacted crushed-rock pad, both are modest. On loose fill, the smaller, heavier base is the one that will sink first. Match the base to the surface, then add ballast only after reading what the page does and does not publish; ballast masses are not listed.
Gusts, Open Area and Load Path
Work out how much of the panel a gust actually meets. At 70 x 100mm openings with 4.0mm wire, a 74 x 104mm cell carries about 696mm² of steel in 7696mm² of area, which is 9 per cent steel and 91 per cent open. A 2400 x 2100mm panel is 5.04m², so the solid area is about 0.46m². The rest is hole, and air passes through it.
That does not make the line weightless. The load that remains travels through the panel frame into the clamps, then into the feet, then into the ground. The weak point tends to sit at the ends, corners and gate posts, where fewer neighbouring panels share the load. Bracing is published in 1.5m and 1.8m heights; the spacing and the number of braces are site decisions, and the page leaves them to the installer’s detail or the engineer’s layout.
Adelaide is not a cyclone market, so the design case is usually gust and frontal wind rather than cyclonic pressure. That still needs a number from someone who knows the site: exposure, topography, nearby buildings and the length of the run all change it. The product page publishes no wind rating for the panel, and a supplier’s generic claim would not replace a site-specific check. Ask your engineer what the line has to resist, then ask the supplier for the panel, foot and bracing specification that meets it.
The City Works Permit Pack
Inside the property boundary, a City Works Permit is generally not the trigger, though other approvals or site rules may still apply, so confirm with the council. Put a foot, a panel or a gate on the road or footpath and the City of Adelaide treats it as an activity in the public realm. The council’s published development advice notes state that any such activity requires a City Works Permit, with 48 hours’ notice before work starts.
The application is a document pack, not a single form. The council’s notes list a traffic management plan drawn as a map showing the works location, street, property line, hoarding or mesh line, lighting, pedestrian signs, spotters and distances. They also ask for a description of the equipment, a public liability insurance certificate and copies of consultation with affected businesses or residents. Payment is required upfront.
| Item | What the council asks for |
|---|---|
| Traffic management plan | Map with the mesh line, lighting, pedestrian signs, spotters and distances |
| Equipment | Description of what will stand on the public realm |
| Insurance | Public liability certificate of currency |
| Consultation | Copies of consultation with affected businesses or residents |
Two more items sit around the permit. A Building Site Management Plan is expected before construction starts, and it covers work in the public realm, street occupation and hoarding. Damage to the footpath, kerb, road or verge is also priced back to the applicant under section 779 of the Local Government Act. Photograph the surface before the first foot lands, and photograph it again at removal.
Specifying the Adelaide Order
A quote that lists only “temporary fence panels” leaves three decisions open: the base (size, mass and footprint, and whether it is rubber or plastic), the bracing (1.5m or 1.8m, and how many braces per run) and the coating figure. A coastal or exposed site asks more of the finish than an inland yard does.
The 70 x 100mm listing publishes 2400 x 2100mm panels, 4.0mm wire, a 32 x 2.0mm frame in Q235 low carbon steel and hot-dip galvanising over 42 microns; the heavy-duty 2400 x 2100mm line is listed at 40mm tube. Clamps are hot-dip galvanised, and bracing comes at 1.5m or 1.8m. The temporary fence line’s 42 microns is not the 18-28 micron figure published for the Australian cattle panels; the two belong to different product lines and should not be swapped.
Then set the supply clock against the permit clock. Quotations are promised within 24 hours, stock items carry a 7-day dispatch claim, and bulk production runs 20-25 days from a 100-panel minimum. The City Works Permit needs 48 hours’ notice, which is short, but the traffic management plan and insurance certificate take longer to assemble. Start the permit pack first and let the panel order run beside it. Our foot compatibility chart is the quickest way to match a base to panel weight before you send the enquiry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for temporary fencing in Adelaide?
Generally not for a City Works Permit itself, though other approvals may still apply. A fence on the road or footpath needs a City Works Permit from the City of Adelaide, with 48 hours’ notice as published. Confirm with the council before you lodge.
Which fence foot suits dry ground?
A block foot spreads load over its footprint where a spike needs soil to grip. Match the footprint to the surface: the published bases range from 700 x 200mm at 17kg to 560 x 240mm at 32kg with concrete.
How much wind load does a temporary fence panel take?
The panel is about 91 per cent open, so its solid area is roughly 0.46m² of 5.04m². The remaining load still needs a site-specific check; the product page publishes no wind rating.
What galvanising is specified for Adelaide?
The temporary fence line is published as hot-dip galvanised over 42 microns. Ask for that figure in writing and do not apply the 18-28 micron cattle panel figure to it.
What is the minimum order and lead time?
The panel line starts at 100 panels, bulk production runs 20-25 days, and stock items carry a 7-day dispatch claim. A 24-hour quote is the published response time.
Conclusion
An Adelaide line stands on three decisions: the base and what it bears on, the bracing at the ends and corners, and the permit pack for any ground that is not yours. Get those settled before the panel specification, and the quote becomes a comparison rather than a guess.
Send the surface type, the run length, the height and whether any foot lands on public ground. Ask for the base size and mass, the brace height, the coating figure and the dispatch date in writing. A quote comes back within 24 hours.
