Steel Tube Post

What Is a Steel Tube Post and Where Is It Preferred?

A steel tube post is a metal fence support made from hollow section, galvanized first and then finished with electrostatic powder coating. Although the trade calls it a "tube post", the product is not a round tube but a rectangular hollow section; at the same weight this section gives markedly higher bending resistance perpendicular to the fence plane than a round profile. Almost every panel fence, louvre fence, artificial grass fence and welded wire mesh system is built on steel tube posts.

The biggest advantage of the steel tube post over the concrete post is appearance and installation flexibility. Its slim profile does not visually crowd the fence line, RAL colour options let it match the panel tone exactly, and it can be bolted to an existing concrete surface through a flange plate with no breaking out. As AnkaraTel we sell steel tube posts from our Ostim-based warehouse and ship to every province in Turkey.

Steel Tube Post Sizes and Types

Three standard lengths are held in stock, and each length is produced with a different profile section to suit the fence load it will carry.

150 cm and 200 cm Steel Tube Post (40x60 mm)

These two lengths are made from 40x60 mm hollow section. The 150 cm post suits 100 cm artificial grass fence, low garden mesh and internal garden dividers. The 200 cm post is the standard support for 150 cm high panel fence and welded wire mesh applications. The profile is set with its wide face perpendicular to the fence line, so resistance to wind and external loading works on the strongest axis.

250 cm Steel Tube Post (60x40 mm)

The 250 cm length is produced in a 60x40 mm section with a thicker wall. It carries 180-200 cm high panel fence, louvre fence and any line exposed to heavy wind load. In louvre fence especially the whole face is closed, so the wind load reaching the post is many times higher than with panel fence; for that reason louvre applications of 180 cm and above should never drop below the 250 cm post.

Technical Specification Table

The top end of the post is closed with a cap; rainwater that gets inside an uncapped profile freezes in winter and fatigues the section from within.

Where Is the Steel Tube Post Used?

• Villa, housing estate and private garden perimeters: the clean RAL-coloured finish is the standard for decorative lines.
• Schools, hospitals and public buildings: applied quickly and cleanly together with panel fence.
• Sports grounds and artificial turf pitches: the support for tall welded wire mesh systems.
• Car parks and business boundaries: set on a concrete slab with flange-plate installation, with no breaking out.
• Landscape dividers: a soft boundary using a 150 cm post with artificial grass fence.

How Many Steel Tube Posts Do You Need? A Worked Example

The calculation rests on the spacing set by the fence type:

Number of posts = (Line length ÷ Post spacing) + 1

In panel fence the standard panel width is 250 cm, so the spacing is 2.5 metres and no tolerance gap is left; every panel sits between two posts. For chain link and welded wire mesh 2-2.5 metres applies, while in louvre fence, where the face is closed, 1.5-2 metres spacing is recommended.

1. Measure the line: the perimeter of a factory yard is 250 metres.
2. Deduct the gate: a 6 metre sliding gate is taken out: 250 - 6 = 244 metres.
3. Calculate for panel fence: 244 ÷ 2.5 = 97.6 → 98 panels; number of posts 98 + 1 = 99 units.
4. Add the corner and gate posts: the 4 corners are already inside the calculation, but 2 reinforced posts are added either side of the gate.
5. Total: approximately 101 steel tube posts of 200 cm.

Had the same line been closed with louvre fence, at 2 metre spacing it would take 244 ÷ 2 = 122 + 1 = 123 posts of 250 cm. A closed face pushes the post count straight up.

Installing Steel Tube Posts: Flange-Plate and Buried Methods

Flange-Plate Installation with Anchor Bolts

Where the ground is concrete, concrete over paving, or a garden wall coping, flange-plate installation is used. The 10x10 or 12x12 cm base plate welded to the foot of the post carries four anchor bolt holes.

1. Run a string line and mark the post positions on the concrete.
2. Set the flange plate in place and mark the hole centres, then drill 8-10 cm deep with a 10-12 mm bit.
3. Blow the dust out of the holes; dust reduces the grip of the anchor.
4. Fix at four points with M10 or M12 steel anchor bolts. The floor concrete must be sound and at least 10 cm thick; flange plates are never fixed onto a thin screed.
5. Tighten the nuts crosswise and in stages; over-tightening one point warps the plate.
6. Check plumb with a spirit level and, if needed, correct it with steel washers under the flange.

Buried (Concreted-In) Installation

1. On soil, dig a 30x30 cm hole for each post. The depth should be 40 cm for a 150 cm post, 45-50 cm for a 200 cm post and 50-60 cm for a 250 cm post.
2. Lay 5 cm of gravel in the bottom of the hole; it stops the foot of the profile standing in water.
3. Set the post, plumb it in both directions and hold it with temporary wedges.
4. Pour C16-C20 mortar and finish the top surface sloping away from the post so water cannot pond at its base.
5. Allow at least 48 hours for the concrete to cure before fitting panels or slats.
6. Wherever a cut has been made, seal the exposed metal with zinc-based touch-up paint.

Steel Tube Post or Concrete Post?

We sell both products, and the right choice changes with the project:

• Steel tube post when appearance matters: the slim profile and RAL colour give a clean line integrated with the panel, whereas a concrete post leaves a thick grey silhouette.
• Steel tube post where there is a concrete slab: flange-plate installation needs no breaking out and the job is done in a day.
• Concrete post on long rural lines: on field and pasture perimeters of hundreds of metres the cost per metre is lower and no paint maintenance is needed.
• Concrete post on remote land with a scrap risk: a metal post has scrap value, concrete has none.
• Steel tube post on temporary lines that will be dismantled and moved: a flange-plate system can be taken apart and rebuilt.
• Curved concrete post on high security lines with razor wire: achieving the same rigidity in metal costs more.

Once you choose the steel tube post, decide the surface product at the same time: plan 2.5 metre spacing for panel fence and 1.5-2 metres for louvre fence.

What Determines the Price of a Steel Tube Post?

All our prices include VAT. The main items that set the cost of a steel tube post are these:

• Profile section and length: the difference between 40x60 mm and 60x40 mm, together with the length of the post, directly changes the amount of metal used.
• Wall thickness: the difference between 1.2 mm and 2 mm creates a clear cost gap per kilogram at the same length. Always ask about wall thickness when you compare offers.
• Surface treatment: a merely painted profile and a galvanized then powder coated profile are not the same product; the zinc layer adds cost but multiplies service life.
• Flange, cap and clip accessories: a post with a welded base plate is priced differently from a plain cut post.
• Quantity and dispatch: unit cost falls on bulk orders; the haulage charge is shown as a separate line in the quotation according to distance and vehicle type.

Galvanized Coating, Maintenance, Service Life and Nationwide Shipment

Our steel tube posts carry two layers of protection: zinc coating first, electrostatic powder paint over it. The zinc layer delivers cathodic protection even where the paint has been scratched; the zinc is sacrificed instead of the exposed steel and the rust does not spread. On profiles that are only painted, a single scratch turns within a few seasons into rust creeping along under the paint. Comparing these two products on price alone is misleading.

Maintenance is simple: a surface clean once a year, scratches sealed with zinc-based touch-up paint and a check of the anchor nuts are enough. Under normal climate conditions the expected service life is 15-25 years.

We ship steel tube posts to every province in Turkey. Because of their length the products usually travel by part-load haulage rather than standard courier; profile surfaces are protected with spacers before dispatch. Site survey is free of charge within Ankara, but delivery is always charged - this applies to deliveries within Ankara as well; we do not offer free shipping. Installation is not one of our standard services; our teams attend projects of approximately 1000 metres and above. On smaller jobs we deliver the product and provide installation instructions and technical support.