Some hoarding companies advertise that ‘snaking’ is bad, so we asked an expert Structural Engineer. Here is what they said:

The movement of a counterweighted hoarding out of original alignment over time is sometimes referred to as ‘snaking’. This happens when a flexible hoarding system responds to loads such as wind, and small movements in the base add up over time to a noticeable change. This effect is more likely on straight hoardings but should not be considered as a failure in its performance. Displacements in the hoardings can often easily be pushed back into alignment.

The flexibility in a hoarding that results in ‘snaking’ can be beneficial to the overall overturning performance of a hoarding. A more flexible hoarding absorbs more energy and therefore is less likely to overturn in unsustained loads, such as wind.

As a hoarding shifts, the footprint of the hoarding becomes deeper, and the change in geometry makes a hoarding stronger against overturning. The hoarding panels also begin to act as a tension tie between each upright so that any uneven loads are distributed across a larger number of uprights. Therefore, efforts to prevent ‘snaking’ may inadvertently stiffen the hoarding so that these secondary effects are no longer available to offer a factor of safety on the overturning performance of the overall hoarding system.

TITAN’s counterweighted hoarding construction systems have no need for cross beams or supports to stop ‘snaking’ because it is not necessary. TITAN is the safest and most straightforward hoarding system available. TITAN has done all the research and testing, so you don’t have to!

TITAN Hoarding Systems has the most experienced team so call us today to talk to a hoarding expert.