Grassland fire effects on corroded barbed wire

Abstract

Fire effects on rangeland ecosystems have been studied extensively. Few studies have investigated effects of fire on rangeland developments. Only 1 study has investigated the effects of fire on barbed wire with an intact coating of corrosion-resistant zinc and no studies have investigated wire that has lost the protective coating. A common perception is that grass fire causes older wire to break more easily and become more brittle. In the present study, we determined the influence of grassland fire on wire that was 20 and 30-years old and had sufficient loss of the zinc coating to have undergone corrosion of the underlying steel. We found that regardless of age, wire subjected to grass fire did not differ (P > 0.05) in breaking strength, elongation, or ductility from the same wire that was not subjected to fire. We conclude that the problems experienced when repairing breaks in old barbed wireare not a result of fire, but rather brittle and weak wire resulting from exposure to the corrosive elements of the environment.