**NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE\
CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATION**

**FENCES**

1\. SCOPE

> The work shall consist of furnishing and installing fences, including
> gates and fittings, as shown on the drawings.
>
> The completed job shall present a workmanlike appearance and shall
> conform to the requirements indicated and shown on the drawings.
>
> All operations shall be carried out in a safe and skillful manner.
> Safety and health regulations shall be observed and appropriate safety
> measures used. Contractor shall not begin construction prior to
> confirming buried utilities have been located.

2\. MATERIALS

> Materials for fences shall conform to the requirements shown on the
> drawings except the tolerance for minimum diameter of wooden line
> posts shall be within 1/2 inch of the standard as measured on the
> small end. All other posts shall conform as indicated on the drawings.
>
> Wooden posts shall consist of high quality species with high
> resistance to decay (which include black locust, red cedar (diameter
> shall be at least 50% heartwood), catalpa, osage orange, iron bark
> eucalyptus or other wood of equal life and strength and approved by
> NRCS). Pressure treated wood shall be treated with pentachlorophenol
> (0.4 lbs/ft3), creosote solution (6.0-8.0 lbs/ft3), or chromated
> copper arsenate (0.4 lbs/ft3). Landscape timbers shall not be used.
>
> Brace pins shall be class III galvanized steel with a minimum diameter
> of 3/8 inches. Brace pins shall be a minimum length of 5 inches on the
> end post and 10 inches on the pull post. The horizontal brace piece
> for \"H\" braces shall be placed between 6 and 12 inches of the top of
> the post and be a minimum 84 inches long. No used material shall be
> utilized.

3\. POST INSTALLATION

> Wood posts may be set in holes and backfilled with concrete or tamped
> earth except where otherwise specified. Steel and fiberglass posts
> shall be and wood posts may be driven unless otherwise specified. Wood
> posts may be set in holes with tamped ground limestone except where
> otherwise specified.
>
> Post holes shall be at least 6 inches larger than the maximum diameter
> or side dimension of the posts when set in concrete or tamped ground
> limestone. Posts holes shall be at least 4 inches larger than the
> maximum diameter or side dimension of the posts when tamped with earth
> except where otherwise specified.
>
> Earth and limestone backfill around posts shall be thoroughly tamped
> in layers not thicker than 4 inches and shall completely fill the post
> hole up to the ground surface. Concrete backfill around posts shall be
> rodded into place in layers not thicker than 12 inches and shall
> completely fill the post hole up to the ground surface except where
> otherwise specified. All backfill types shall be crowned up around
> posts at the ground surface. No stress shall be applied to posts set
> in concrete until at least 24 hours after the concrete has set.

4\. PULL ASSEMBLIES

> Unless otherwise specified, corner assemblies shall be installed at
> all points where the fence alignment changes 15 degrees or more, at
> any section end including at gates, at midline for stretches over 1320
> feet, and where the vertical angle change exceeds 15 percent or as
> otherwise specified. Double assemblies shall be used in corner and end
> assemblies in high tensile fence stretches over 1320 feet with more
> than 3 wires including high tensile woven and barb wire. The
> horizontal bracing in an H brace, if wood, must have a minimum
> diameter of 4 inches or be 4 inches square on the small end. The
> horizontal bracing materials may also be steel with a minimum 2.5 inch
> diameter or 2 inches by 3/16 inch or heavier angular. The minimum
> horizontal brace length shall be 84 inches.

5\. WIRE AND ATTACHEMENT TO POSTS

> Wire shall conform to the requirements shown on the drawings. Staples
> shall conform to the requirements shown on the drawings. Staples shall
> allow for wire movement. Wire attachment to steel and fiberglass posts
> shall be according to post manufacturer's recommendations or two turns
> of 14 gauge galvanized wire.
>
> Fencing wire shall be placed on the livestock side of the post for
> permanent fence. On curves and corners, fencing may be placed on the
> outside.
>
> The fencing wire (woven and barbed) shall be fastened to each end
> post, corner post, and pull post by wrapping each horizontal strand
> around the post and tying it back on itself with not less than three
> tightly wound wraps. High Tensile wire shall be fastened likewise
> except it shall be wound no less than five tight wraps or attached
> with a crimping sleeve.
>
> Wire shall be spliced by means of a Western Union splice or by
> suitable splice sleeves applied with a tool designed for the purpose.
> The Western Union splice shall have not less than 8 wraps of each end
> about the other. All wraps shall be tightly wound and closely spaced.
> Splices made with splice sleeves shall have a tensile strength not
> less than 80 percent of the strength of the wire. Spliced high tensile
> wire shall have a minimum of two single crimping sleeves or one double
> crimping sleeve.

6\. ENERGIZERS

> Barbed wire shall not be energized.
>
> Energizers will be installed and grounded according to manufacturer's
> recommendations. All energizers will be protected by a lightning
> arrestor and a surge protector. Energizers will be high power, low
> impedance with a minimum 5,000 volt peak output with a short pulse
> that is less than 300 mAmps in intensity, finished within
> 300-millionths of a second (0.0003 seconds) at a rate of 35-65 pulses
> per minute and a high impact weather resistant case. Ground rods shall
> not be placed inside buildings. The grounding system when applicable
> shall be heading towards the center of the energized acreage. Do not
> put ground rods near milking barns, water pipes or any other metal
> leading into barns or working areas.

7\. [ADDITIONAL ITEMS WHICH APPLY TO THIS JOB]{.underline}