Aluminium fence to protect Europe's biggest outdoor music festival

UNIQUE FENCE: Constructed from modular aluminium sections, Hydro Aluminium Profiler UK (HAP) designed an "invincible" fence that stood 3.6 metres high and stretched the entire 6.9 km length of the Glastonbury site.

(July 23, 2002) Temporary access specialist Eve Trakway employed the design expertise of Hydro Aluminium Profiler UK (HAP) in the construction of a unique perimeter fence used to prevent gatecrashers to Europes biggest outdoor music festival Glastonbury.

Fabricated from extruded aluminium supplied by HAP, Eve Trakway’s Super Fortress Fence helped cut crime at this year’s event, which took place in late June and secured the future of the festival.  After the failure of the number control procedures in 2000, Glastonbury Festivals Ltd. was forced to take a year off to review the security arrangements for the event.

Working in partnership with Glastonbury Festivals Ltd., Eve Trakway put together a proposal for the design of a new fence that covered all the criteria to be addressed and in turn enlisted the help of specialist design engineers at HAP in conjunction with Eve Trakway’s own R & D Department.

HAP designed a fence that stood 3.6 metres high and 6.9 km long, comprising modular aluminium sections. It complied with all engineering standards, with the number of fixings minimised and those fixings that were visible welded to prevent any attempts to dismantle it. A roadway, consisting of heavy-duty panels was attached to the outside of the fence which meant it could not be tunnelled under and there were 45° overhangs to prevent climbing. The design accommodated the sloping nature of the site and featured struts that could be adjusted up and down and supporting poles of varying lengths.

The original proposal presented by the organisers of Glastonbury was to design a steel security fence. However, the versatility of aluminium and its many inherent characteristics made it the preferred choice. Aesthetically pleasing aluminium was chosen because of its considerable lightweight, which allowed easy handling of the panels during the assembly of the fence. The structure of the ‘invincible’ fence was able to withstand impact loads and HAP carried out pre-tests on the fence, using various loads to assess its ability to absorb impact energy.

Eve Trakway also supplied mesh type fencing, which formed a second internal barrier around the site, heavy duty panels laid for access roads within the site and three vehicular bridges.

Commenting on the success of the project Simon Messenger, Site Services Manager at Eve Trakway said:  “Detailed design of the fence began in March and with the date for construction of the fence on site set for early May, the timescales involved were very tight. Hydro adopted an extremely professional approach to the project, working closely with us right from the early concept stages through to completion. Their knowledge of what aluminium can do proved invaluable to the design process.”