A sand fence or sandbreak, similar to a snow fence, is a

barrier A barrier or barricade is a physical structure which blocks or impedes something. Barrier may also refer to: Places * Barrier, Kentucky, a community in the United States * Barrier, Voerendaal, a place in the municipality of Voerendaal, Netherl ...

used to force windblown, drifting

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class o ...

to accumulate in a desired place. Sand fences are employed to control erosion, help

sand dune stabilization Sand dune stabilization is a coastal management practice designed to prevent erosion of sand dunes. Sand dunes are common features of shoreline and desert environments. Dunes provide habitat for highly specialized plants and animals, including rar ...

, keep sand off roadways, and to recruit new material in desert areas. Sand fences are also commonly employed following storm events in order to aid in the dune recovery process, particularly in developed areas where dunes are critical for protection of property. A typical construction is to attach a perforated

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

sheet to stakes at regular intervals, similar to construction site fencing or temporary sports field fencing. Another is a

cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

or other lightweight wood strip and wire fence, also attached to metal stakes. A permanent sand fence is generally of larger wooden poles set deeply into the ground with large wooden planks running horizontally across them. The drifting and settling of sand behind and in front of such a fence occurs because the wind speed on both the downwind and windward sides is less than that on the far windward side, allowing light materials such as sand to settle. This creates a pile both in front of and behind the sand fence causing more sand to drop out. Conveniently the sand does not drop on the barrier itself, otherwise it would soon be buried and rendered useless.How To Install Snow Sand Fence-Guidelines
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References

{{reflist Environmental soil science Fences Earthworks (engineering)

See also

References