358 Security Fence
358 Security Fence
358 Anti-Climb Mesh Fence Panels for High Security Sites
358 mesh is named for its own geometry: a 3 inch by 0.5 inch aperture in 8 gauge wire — about 76 mm by 12.7 mm. That opening is too narrow for a boot to stand in and too small for fingers to curl through, which is what makes the panel non-climbable. Every intersection is welded rather than woven, so the aperture cannot be opened up with a lever.
Most perimeter fences are defeated at the climb, not at the cut. A chain link or wide-aperture welded panel gives a boot a step and a hand a grip. 358 panels remove both: the horizontal opening will not take a boot, and the vertical opening will not take a hand.
The consequence is that a 358 panel has to be supported differently from an open mesh fence. Because it is dense, it presents its full face to the wind, so post spacing and post section are set by wind load rather than by panel weight.
Every crossing is resistance welded, not woven. A woven panel can be deformed by working a single wire loose; a welded panel cannot, because the aperture is fixed by the weld at each intersection. Wire is galvanised before welding so the coating is present at the joint, and cut ends are treated after fabrication.
Panels finish with a flat or folded edge rather than exposed wire ends, because an exposed end is both a damage point and a hand injury point. A folded edge also stiffens the panel, which matters when the panel is held with clips rather than set in a frame.
Panels are held with full-height clips or bolts rather than spot fixings at the corners. A panel fixed at four points rattles and distorts under load; a panel held along its full height behaves as a stiff plate and keeps its line.
The post is the part that decides whether the run stands. On a 358 run the post section is normally heavier than on an open mesh run of the same height, because the panel gives the wind nothing to pass through. Posts are set in concrete footings on open ground and base-plated on a slab.
Height is chosen against the threat rather than against a catalogue. A run that only has to stop casual entry differs from one that has to resist a determined attempt with tools, and the two should not be quoted at the same height and section. Where the run turns a corner or changes level, panel joints are placed at posts so that no single panel spans the corner.
Panels are supplied hot dip galvanised, or galvanised and then powder coated in a colour. The powder coat is a colour and a second barrier, not a replacement for the galvanising underneath: where both are specified, the galvanising remains the corrosion barrier at cut edges and welded joints.
Perimeter runs around industrial and utility sites
Storage yards and compounds holding plant and materials
Internal partition panels inside a building envelope
Boundary runs where an open mesh fence would be too easy to climb
Runs combined with a topping where the client's specification allows it
Run length and height, plus the number and width of any gates
Coating: hot dip galvanised, or galvanised and powder coated, with a colour reference
Post fixing: concrete footing or base plate on slab
Whether panels are required alone or with posts, clips and gates
Destination port, so packing and freight basis are quoted correctly
Supply only outside China. Installation is by the client's contractor.
Three inches by half an inch aperture in 8 gauge wire. It is a description of the mesh geometry, not a product code, which is why panels from different works can differ in wire quality and coating even when both are called 358.
358 is the most common anti-climb geometry, but anti-climb describes the performance rather than the mesh. Any panel with an aperture too small to take a boot and too narrow to take a hand performs the same function.
They can be cut, but the cut edges then need treating, and a cut panel loses its folded edge. Where a run needs adjusting it is better to set out to post positions than to cut panels.
Not always. A panel held to posts along its full height does not need a rail to keep its shape. Where a rail is specified it usually carries a topping or ties the run together at height.
Toppings are a client specification decision and depend on local rules for the site. We supply the panel and post; any topping is quoted as a separate item against the client's specification.
Galvanised alone is the corrosion barrier and is the usual choice where colour does not matter. Powder coating adds colour and a second barrier; it does not replace the galvanising beneath.
Spacing follows the wind load on the panel face, the panel height and the post section, so it is set per project rather than quoted as a fixed figure. Send the wind region and the height and we will specify the spacing with the quotation.
Yes, single and double leaf gates in the same panel and post system, with hinges and latch specified against the leaf weight.
Related: galvanised 358 security fence and the anti-climb fence specification guide.
