• Purpose & Scope
• Materials, Construction & Maintenance
  • Health & Safety
  • Risk Assessment
  • Contruction (Design & Management) Regs 1994
  • Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
• Selection of Access Structures
• Design Sheets

Materials, Construction & Maintenance

It is expected that users of the Guide will have some familiarity with the practical aspects of countryside access management. The Information Sheets provide sufficient data on the design, construction and installation of the different structures to enable suitably skilled personnel to build them. However, they are not intended to offer a complete or exhaustive specification or a blueprint that will be suitable for every situation. In many instances designs will need to be adapted to suit a particular set of circumstances or to solve a specific access problem. It is therefore recommended that, where appropriate, advice is sought from experienced practitioners or skilled contractors as to the suitability of a particular design and anymodifications that may be necessary.

In addition, it should be recognised that the quality and lifespan of individual structures will depend upon the standards of materials and workmanship used in their construction. Wherever possible, these should conform to the relevant British Standards and Approved Codes of Practice. The following guidelines will also assist in achieving high standards of construction and installation, thereby minimising the requirement for future repair and replacement, and ensuring that structures function safely and reliably and cause the minimum of inconvenience to users:

• All softwood timber should be dried to an appropriate moisture content and pressure treated with an approved preservative (c.f. BS1282). Larch or Scots pine are preferred. Spruce should not be used for timbers that are to be in contact with the ground.
• The use of timber impregnated with wood preservatives should be avoided on wetland sites of conservation importance due to the leaching of copper, arsenic and other chemicals.
• All metal fittings and fencing materials (e.g. hinges, latches, bolts, screws, nails, fence wire and mesh) should be galvanised, zinc plated, sherardised or otherwise treated to prevent rusting.
• Concrete should not normally be used to install strainers, struts, posts and other timbers, except where a hole cannot be excavated to an adequate depth. Preferably, they should be fixed by back-filling with well rammed earth and stones.
• Concrete should be used to install metal structures or where a timber post or strainer is subject to exceptional loads (e.g. to support a steel pole barrier).