Barbed wire could be exposed to heavy bombardments because it could be easily replaced, and its structure included so much open space that machine guns rarely destroyed enough of it to defeat its purpose. However, barbed wire was defeated by the tank in 1916, as shown by the Allied breakthrough at Amiens through German lines on August 8, 1918. [31] Most gates can be opened by push post. The chain is then wrapped around the tractor post and pulled onto the nail, stronger people can pull the gate tighter but anyone can jar off the chain to open the gate. Therefore clear signage warning of an injurious topping on your wall or fence will limit your liability providing that signage is specific to the risk, e.g. ‘Danger of Injury Do not climb over spikes’ and the danger can be seen. It therefore follows that you shouldnotput injurious toppings on the inside face of a fence or wall (such as carpet gripper) or otherwise hide them, even if you have put up warning signs. The Kansas Barbed Wire Museum in La Crosse, Kansas is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to barbed wire and the history of fencing. "History of the invention of barbed wire". Archived from the original on July 21, 2010 . Retrieved July 21, 2010.

During the United States' World War II Internment of Japanese Americans, barbed wire was used to enclose the concentration camps, such as Manzanar. [35] [36]In the 1930s and 1940s Europe the Nazis used barbed wire in concentration camp and extermination camp architecture, where it usually surrounded the camp and was electrified to prevent escape. Barbed wire served the purpose of keeping prisoners contained. Zinc-aluminum alloy coated steel wire. Barbed wire is available with zinc, 5% or 10% aluminum alloy and mischmetal steel wire, which is also known as Galfan wire. [7] The term ‘nuisance’ has been interpreted to mean something that is likely to cause injury to people and animals using the highway and most highway authorities consider things that can cause injury lower than 2.4m to be a nuisance. a b Krell, Alan (2002). The Devil's Rope: A Cultural History of Barbed Wire. London: Reaktion Books Ltd. p.28. ISBN 9781861891440. If you live in an area, which has open planned front gardens there is likely to be a covenant restricting the erection of any fence or hedge to the front of the dwelling and you must therefore refer to the local planning authority before you carry out any work

Galvanized wire is classified into three categories; Classes I, II, and III. Class I has the thinnest coating and the shortest life expectancy. A wire with Class I coating will start showing general rusting in 8 to 10 years, while the same wire with Class III coating will show rust in 15 to 20 years. Aluminum-coated wire is occasionally used, and yields a longer life. Because that’s the thing about barbed wire: It’s a physical object—you could hold it in your hand if it wasn’t so sharp—but it’s also an idea. The use of barbed wire in the West I like the idea put forward by someone that the intruder should do his own risk assessment before he enters what is in effect his workplace. (Companies are regularly fined for not doing risk assessments on the simplest of tasks when a worker gets injured). Single strand. Simple and light duty structure with single line wire (also known as strand wire) and barbs. This led to disputes known as the range wars between open range ranchers and farmers in the late 19th century. These were similar to the disputes which resulted from enclosure laws in England in the early 18th century. These disputes were decisively settled in favor of the farmers, and heavy penalties were instituted for cutting a barbed wire fence. Within 2 years, nearly all of the open range had been fenced in under private ownership. For this reason, some historians have dated the end of the Old West era of American history to the invention and subsequent proliferation of barbed wire.a b Anderson, Terry Lee & Leal, Donald (2001). Free Market Environmentalism. 0-312-23503-8. pp.30–31.

Where it appears to a competent authority for any highway, or for any other road or footpath to which the public has access— There are lots of disputes over boundaries and their heights and so, if you can, always speak to the neighbour first if you are going to alter a boundary or grow something through it. I know it’s not always possible, but everything is so much easier if you get on with your neighbours. Communication is the key. U.S. Patent 66,182 – Lucien Smith, Kent, Ohio, Wire fence – "rotary spools with projecting spurs" (June 1867) The American Experience Technology Timeline: 1752 - 1990". The American Experience. Public Broadcasting Systems. 2000. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009 . Retrieved January 28, 2009.Krell, Alan (2002). The Devil's Rope: A Cultural History of Barbed Wire. London: Reaktion Books Ltd. p.16. ISBN 9781861891440. Smaller companies were decimated because of economies of scale and the smaller pool of consumers available to them, compared to the larger corporations. The American Steel and Wire Company established in 1899 employed vertical integration: it controlled all aspects of production, from producing the steel rods to making many different wire and nail products from that steel. It later became part of U.S. Steel, and barbed wire remained a major source of revenue. [20] [21] In the American West [ edit ] A rangeland fence which has caught a tumbleweed An occupier of premises owes the same duty, the “common duty of care”, to all his visitors, except in so far as he is free to and does extend, restrict, modify or exclude his duty to any visitor or visitors by agreement or otherwise. Home". wildlifefriendlyfencing.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016 . Retrieved February 1, 2017. Ferriman, Annabel (February 9, 2002). "Human rights group uncovers evidence of torture in Zimbabwe". BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.). BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. 324 (7333): 317. doi: 10.1136/bmj.324.7333.317. PMC 1122260. PMID 11834551. Archived from the original on February 12, 2008.

Other ObjectionsLocal councils sometimes object to householders placing barbed wire on their properties and may insist that it is removed. Even if the householder has complied with the legal restrictions, the council may be concerned about their own legal position if someone is injured. Neighbours may object to obvious deterrent methods such as barbed wire because they look unattractive or because they may give the impression that a neighbourhood is more dangerous than it is. Single barb. Also known as 2-point barbed wire. It uses single barb wire twisted on the line wire (strand wire). Police AdviceThe police advise against the use of such methods of intruder prevention due to the risk of legal action if someone is injured. Of course, it is not only intruders and trespassers who risk being injured by barbed wire or broken glass. Householders owe a much greater duty of care to anyone on the property with permission including guests and people who have implied permission, such as the postman. Consider the danger posed to any children who may be visiting the property. If a child was injured after climbing on a wall in which broken glass is embedded, the householder is very likely to have breached their duty of care. Alan Krell, The Devil's Rope: A Cultural History of Barbed Wire (London: Reaktion Books Ltd, 2002), p. 23.The Criminal Justice Act 2003 provides some protection to householders. If a trespasser suffers an injury during the course of a crime, for which he is subsequently convicted and for which he could be sent to prison, he will only be able to sue the householder if he gets the court’s permission to do so. The court is unlikely to grant permission unless the householder had taken grossly excessive steps or had not been acting to defend himself, his family or his property from an offence. As with any fence, barbed wire fences require gates to allow the passage of persons, vehicles and farm implements. Gates vary in width from 3.5 metres (12ft) to allow the passage of vehicles and tractors, to 12 metres (40ft) on farm land to pass combines and swathers.