A campus has three fences, a dozen gates and a bollard at every door, and chain link covers almost none of it. The welded steel is a fabrication package; buy it that way.
Sourcing fencing & gates for a data center project? Call 601.892.5017 or email collin.t@fabtekindustries.com — send the drawings and the spec and we quote to print.
- Separate chain link (fence contractor) from welded steel (fabricator): substation panels, security panels, gate frames, bollards, screening.
- Gate frames are detailed to the operator manufacturer's drawings; name the operator in the RFQ.
- Specify galvanizing, with powder coat over it where the architect wants color.
- Crash ratings belong to the rated system and its foundation; the fabricator builds the frames and sleeves.
What you are buying
Substation fencing to the utility's standard with grounding provisions; welded security panels (welded wire, pale, anti-climb, ornamental) to the security consultant's design; cantilever, swing and sliding gate frames detailed to the operator; pedestrian gates; fixed, removable and crash-rated bollard sleeves and barrier frames; and the steel behind screening walls, guard booths and canopies. HSS and pipe posts and rails, bar and plate, welded, galvanized and often powder coated over the galvanizing.
Where it sits in the project
GCs and developers buy the fence and gate package with the site steel; utilities and EPCs buy substation fencing with the structures; security integrators buy gate frames and bollards to go with their operators and controls. Fencing closes the site early, so it releases with the site steel; gates follow the operator selection.
What to put in the RFQ
| Fence plan | Layout with fence types by segment, heights, grounding requirements for the substation fence |
|---|---|
| Security specification | Panel type, anti-climb and cut-resistance requirements, finish, color |
| Gates | Type, clear opening, operator make and drawings, hardware, pedestrian gates |
| Bollards and barriers | Fixed, removable or crash-rated; rating and the rated system's requirements |
| Screening | Screening walls, guard-house and canopy frames per the architect |
| Finish | Hot-dip galvanized (ASTM A123); powder coat over galvanizing to color |
| Installation | Fence contractor installs or fabricator erects; installation drawings |
How to qualify a fabricator
- Galvanizing partner and powder coat over galvanizing. Perimeter steel lives outside and gets hit by trucks.
- Gate trial-hang. Gates hung in the shop against the operator's track before they ship.
- Substation fence experience. Grounding and clearance requirements are utility-specific.
- Site steel coordination. A fabricator doing the substation structures can carry the fence.
Lead time, sequencing and delivery
Release fence panels and posts with the site steel so the perimeter closes early. Release gates when the operator is selected and its drawings are in hand. Ship galvanized, trial-hung gates with installation drawings to the fence contractor or erector.
Common mistakes
- Specifying crash ratings to the fabricator alone. The rating is a system with a foundation; the fabricator builds the frames and sleeves to it.
- Gates before the operator. Track and hardware come from the operator's drawings.
- Powder coat on bare steel outdoors. Galvanize first.
- Substation fence without grounding details. The utility will reject it.
How FabTek supplies it
FabTek fabricates fencing, bollards and gates at four plants in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, galvanized through finishing partners and powder coated in-house, and ships them with the substation structures, generator enclosures and yard steel for the same campus.
Frequently asked questions
What fencing does a data center campus need?
A substation fence to the utility's standard, generator and cooling-yard fences that screen and secure the plant, and a perimeter security fence designed by the security consultant, plus gates and bollards.
Who installs fabricated fence panels and gates?
Usually the fence contractor, with the fabricator supplying panels, posts, gate frames and bollards with installation drawings; some fabricators erect yard steel in their service area.
Are crash-rated bollards fabricated or bought as a system?
The rating applies to a tested system including its foundation. The fabricator builds the bollard sleeves and barrier frames to the rated system's requirements.
Who fabricates substation fencing and security gates for data centers?
FabTek Industries fabricates welded fence panels, gate frames, bollards and barrier frames to the security specification for developers, GCs, utilities and security integrators at its Mississippi plants.
