For the secure perimeter of a warehouse or industrial yard in Canada, galvanized steel fencing is usually the right choice: chain-link for long runs, or welded-wire mesh panels where a security engineer sets a higher protection level. Powder-coated aluminum belongs where the public sees the fence: the office frontage, visitor parking, and the screens around bins, generators and loading areas.
On many industrial sites the right answer is two fence systems, not one, and the line between them is the line between the working yard and the street. ArcView fabricates aluminum only, so the steel recommendations below are not ours to sell. We state them because they are what the project needs.
Match the fence to the zone
| Zone on the site | What the fence has to do | Usual system | Reference documents | ArcView |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yard and storage perimeter | Enclose a long run and discourage casual entry | Galvanized steel chain-link fabric on a steel framework | CAN/CGSB-138.1 (fabric), CAN/CGSB-138.3 (installation), ASTM F1043 (framework) | Not supplied: steel |
| High-security perimeter | Resist climbing and cutting at a protection level set for the site | Welded-wire mesh security fence, designed by the site security engineer | ASTM F3204 (design guide for welded-wire security fence) | Not supplied: steel |
| Office frontage, street edge, visitor parking | Look finished, match the building, keep the finish through salt and freeze-thaw | Powder-coated aluminum vertical blade or spear-top picket fence | Municipal fence by-law and site plan approval | Blade and spear-top fence |
| Bins, generators, mechanical and loading areas | Block the line of sight while letting air through | Louvered aluminum privacy screen with matching gates | Municipal by-law and site plan approval | Louvered privacy screen |
| Vehicle entrances | Open reliably, often automated, often card or intercom controlled | Cantilever sliding or double-leaf swing gate | ASTM F2200 and UL 325 for automated vehicle gates | Aluminum swing and sliding gates, within the limits below |
The yard perimeter: steel, and why
The working perimeter of a warehouse or distribution yard is usually long, rarely looked at, and judged on whether it keeps people out. Galvanized steel chain-link is the system Canada's national standards are written around: the Canadian General Standards Board publishes CAN/CGSB-138.1 for chain-link fabric, which it describes as fabric "used in commercial and industrial applications", and CAN/CGSB-138.3 for installing it. ASTM F1043 sets strength and protective-coating requirements for the steel framework that carries chain-link and welded or woven wire mesh.
Where the site needs more than a boundary, for example high-value storage or a client security requirement, the next step is a welded-wire mesh security fence. ASTM F3204 is written for the site security engineer to select the components of a site-specific welded-wire perimeter barrier, and it leaves the required level of protection to that engineer. If a security consultant is involved, their specification decides the fence, not the fence supplier's catalogue.
Steel is stronger than aluminum and has the lower up-front cost, which is why it wins here. The trade-off is maintenance: steel rusts wherever its coating is breached, which is why galvanizing under any powder coat is the right specification for a steel fence in Canada. The aluminum vs steel vs wrought iron fencing comparison covers that trade-off in more detail.
The public-facing edge: where aluminum earns its place
The office entrance, the street frontage and the visitor parking are the parts of an industrial site that clients, staff and the municipality actually see. Here the requirement changes from "keep people out" to "look finished for years". Aluminum does not rust, so a chipped powder coat does not turn into a rust streak, and a powder-coated aluminum fence keeps its finish without repainting in Canadian freeze-thaw and de-icing salt conditions. ArcView uses AAMA 2604 powder coat as standard and AAMA 2605 super-durable coating where the site calls for it.
For this zone, ArcView fabricates vertical blade fencing (65 × 16 mm extruded blades with 40, 50 or 60 mm gaps, or closed for full privacy, in heights from 900 mm to 2400 mm) and spear-top picket fencing in heights from 1200 to 1800 mm. Both can be powder coated to match the building's window and cladding colour.
Where the frontage needs steel's strength more than aluminum's resistance to rust, a galvanized steel ornamental picket fence is the alternative; ASTM F2408 covers coated tubular picket fence systems made from galvanized steel.
Screens for bins, generators and loading docks
Bins, generators and loading areas are the parts of a site most owners want hidden from the street, and they need airflow. A louvered aluminum privacy screen blocks the line of sight at eye level while staying ventilated. ArcView's louvered screen uses 70 × 13 mm angled louvre blades at approximately 58 mm centres, with matching louvered pedestrian and double-leaf service gates. Screens around rooftop mechanical equipment are covered under custom metal fabrication.
Gates: the part that gets used every day
A vehicle gate is the moving part of the fence, and on a working site it is used every day. Two decisions matter:
- Sliding or swing. A cantilever sliding gate keeps the driveway clear of a swinging leaf. A double-leaf swing gate suits wider openings where there is room for the leaves to swing.
- Automation. In ASTM F2200, the specification for automated vehicular gate construction, automated gate systems are required to comply with UL 325. Gates should be fabricated with the operator mounting, safety-device provisions and pedestals for card readers or intercoms already detailed, so the electrical and security contractors are not improvising on site.
ArcView fabricates aluminum cantilever sliding gates to approximately 4 m clear in a single leaf, and double-leaf swing gates for wider openings. For wide truck entrances on a steel perimeter fence, a steel gate from the perimeter fence contractor is usually the simpler and stronger choice. An aluminum gate makes sense where the gate sits in the public-facing aluminum fence.
What to settle before you ask for a quote
- What the fence is protecting against. A boundary, a theft risk, or a specified security level. The answer picks the system.
- Who sees each run. Split the site into the working yard and the public-facing edge; they rarely need the same fence.
- Height and location rules. Municipal fence by-laws set maximum heights at street edges and property lines, and site plan approval often sets the required height for enclosures.
- Posts and frost. In-ground posts are set below the local frost depth; flanged posts on slabs are anchored to the structural engineer's detail.
- Vehicle access. Opening width, how often the gate cycles, and whether it will be automated.
What ArcView does and does not do
ArcView fabricates aluminum fencing, louvered privacy screens and gates to the site plan for commercial, multi-residential and institutional projects, with in-ground, flanged or face-fixed posts detailed to the substrate. We do not fabricate steel chain-link, welded-wire security fence or steel gates, we do not sell standard panels, and we do not take single-family residential fence work. On an industrial site, that usually means we supply the frontage, the screens and the matching gates, and a steel fence contractor supplies the yard perimeter.
Frequently asked questions
What type of fence is used around a warehouse or industrial yard in Canada?
Usually galvanized steel chain-link on a steel framework for the yard perimeter, the system covered by the CAN/CGSB-138 chain-link standards, or a welded-wire mesh security fence where a security engineer sets a higher protection level. Powder-coated aluminum is used for the public-facing frontage and for screens around bins, generators and loading areas.
Is aluminum fencing strong enough for an industrial site?
For the frontage, visitor parking, enclosures and screens, yes: there the loads are wind and incidental impact, and the posts and footings are engineered for the site. Where anti-climb, cut-resistant security fencing is specified, steel is the correct material.
Chain-link or welded-wire mesh for a warehouse perimeter?
Chain-link is the system Canada's national chain-link standards describe for commercial and industrial use, and it suits enclosing a long run. Welded-wire mesh security fence is the step up when the site has a defined security requirement; ASTM F3204 guides the site security engineer in selecting its components, and that engineer sets the protection level.
What standard applies to automated gates on an industrial site?
ASTM F2200 is the specification for automated vehicular gate construction, and it requires automated gate systems to comply with UL 325. Gates should arrive with the operator mounting, safety-device provisions and card reader or intercom pedestals already detailed.
Does ArcView supply chain-link or steel security fencing?
No. ArcView's fencing line is aluminum only, fabricated to drawing for commercial, multi-residential and institutional projects. On an industrial site we typically supply the frontage fence, the louvered screens and the matching gates, and a steel fence contractor supplies the yard perimeter.