What is wrong with this picture?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the construction and design flaws of a fence gate at a worksite in Silicon Valley. Participants explore various problems with the gate's functionality and security, as well as humorous observations about its design. The conversation includes technical considerations and speculative ideas about the gate's intended use and construction methods.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that a pedestrian can easily walk through the gate and a vehicle could push it open.
  • One participant suggests that security systems are designed to discourage trespassers rather than completely prevent entry.
  • There is speculation about whether the gate was designed as a sliding or swinging gate, with some participants expressing confusion about its mechanics.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential use of second-hand components and improper installation of the gate posts and hinges.
  • Some participants humorously suggest that the gate's design could be an ingenious solution, while others question its practicality.
  • Technical calculations regarding friction torque and rolling resistance are mentioned, indicating a deeper analysis of the gate's functionality.
  • Participants discuss the lack of visible hinges and the implications for how the gates would operate on the sloped rails.
  • There is a humorous exchange about the appropriateness of warning signs related to land mines, with various opinions on color coding and visibility.
  • Some participants express disbelief at the design flaws, suggesting that the forum has spent more time analyzing the issue than the designers did.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions about the gate's design, with no clear consensus on whether it is functional or flawed. Multiple competing views on its intended use and effectiveness remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various assumptions about the gate's construction and intended use, but these assumptions are not universally agreed upon. The discussion includes technical details that may depend on specific definitions and interpretations.

  • #31
DaveC426913 said:
Why?
Would your actions differ depending on what it said?

I mean, do you have a threshold of sufficient land mine danger, below which you'll mark it for return with a picnic basket under arm?
Old habit. Wouldn't mind finding out about the area I'm messing about in. When I'm in a new place I always like to :
a) explore with local public transit, and
b) go picnicking in a minefield, if a toxic waste dump isn't handy,

chimo.
 
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  • #32
Now there is a case of Darwinism in action!
hmmm27 said:
When I'm in a new place I always like to :
a) explore with local public transit, and
b) go picnicking in a minefield, if a toxic waste dump isn't handy,
 
  • #33
Tom.G said:
Now there is a case of Darwinism in action!
(Only if he's of breeding age and hasn't bred yet... I'm picturing the pitter-patter of little mine sweepers.)
 
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  • #34
DaveC426913 said:
(Only if he's of breeding age and hasn't bred yet... I'm picturing the pitter-patter of little mine sweepers.)
Oh, it seemed to be a valid way to differentiate between a 19yo and a 69yo, inspect the endeavors they pursue.
 
  • #35
  • #36
I can't help but feel slightly slighted. Idjits.

Anyways, I thought we were picking on @berkeman and his knee-level barbed-wire along a sidewalk.
 
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  • #37
Vanadium 50 said:
I just use these:

View attachment 290433

And, in line with the subject of this thread, what's wrong with this sign? Two things, actually.
What's wrong with that sign is that it's discriminating against land mines! Poor land mines who sooo much wish to enter.
 
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  • #38
This thread really went off the rails since I looked last.
 
  • #39
LOL. Update -- they just installed new, longer gates that actually meet in the middle. I'll post a picture tomorrow. I still don't know if they have something installed now to hold the silly gates open when they slide them uphill...
 
  • #40
berkeman said:
... I still don't know if they have something installed now to hold the silly gates open when they slide them uphill...
Rusted bearings perhaps.
 
  • #41
berkeman said:
LOL. Update -- they just installed new, longer gates that actually meet in the middle. I'll post a picture tomorrow. I still don't know if they have something installed now to hold the silly gates open when they slide them uphill...
A spot of excavation could dig them out of their problem.
 
  • #42
sophiecentaur said:
A spot of excavation could dig them out of their problem.
In a nice display of synchronicity, land mines would also solve their problem.
 
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  • #43
gmax137 said:
This thread really went off the rails since I looked last.
Yup, just like what might happen when they try to open that gate.
 
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  • #44
The two topics in this thread don't even meet in the middle.
Can the topics now be replaced with broader concepts ?
 
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  • #45
Baluncore said:
The two topics in this thread don't even meet in the middle.
Can the topics now be replaced with broader concepts ?
Land mines and fence gates?
 
  • #46
We could probably benefit from more links here.
(Blokes are shameless with our endless Dad jokes.)
 
  • #47
berkeman said:
LOL. Update -- they just installed new, longer gates that actually meet in the middle. I'll post a picture tomorrow. I still don't know if they have something installed now to hold the silly gates open when they slide them uphill...
Baluncore said:
The two topics in this thread don't even meet in the middle.
Can the topics now be replaced with broader concepts ?
Here's a picture with the new, longer gates, which now indeed meet in the middle. I looked closer at the rails and rollers along the sides of the fence, and I still don't see anything that will hold the gates open when rolled up the slopes. Maybe they are relying on the friction of the rollers and the rolling resistance of the new bigger rubber tires. I guess I could sneak over and spray some WD-40 on the rollers and rails just for fun... :devil:

Larger Fixed Gates Peterson Way Oct 2021.jpg
 
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  • #48
These roll inward, right? So the wheels are perpendicular to the direction of motion? Plenty of friction!
 
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  • #49
Vanadium 50 said:
These roll inward, right? So the wheels are perpendicular to the direction of motion? Plenty of friction!
LOL, er, no. I'd sure like to watch the first few crews try to open those gates in the dark early in the morning at start of shift in the demo of the old building. Trying to push them in the way you describe, then uttering some expletives, then pushing one sideways up the slope and watching it roll back down the slope on its own... "Hey you two, come here and hold these ***** gates open!"
 
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  • #50
I used to do work that had me on a lot of construction sites. One of my first jobs was distinguished by the fact that there were 3 different languages spoken on the site and none of them was English. Now, being a first generation immigrant myself I'm the last person to pretend that the US has an official language but it's difficult to work as a team when you don't have a shared communication method.

They managed to do a poured concrete floor such that a welded steel frame door, after installation, had a half inch gap on one side.
 
  • #51
berkeman said:
LOL, er, no. I'd sure like to watch the first few crews try to open those gates in the dark early in the morning at start of shift in the demo of the old building. Trying to push them in the way you describe, then uttering some expletives, then pushing one sideways up the slope and watching it roll back down the slope on its own... "Hey you two, come here and hold these ***** gates open!"
Nononono, you misunderstand the goal. Just look at the latest updates from the IT job market. The idea is to discourage people _leaving_.
 
  • #52
theycallmevirgo said:
They managed to do a poured concrete floor such that a welded steel frame door, after installation, had a half inch gap on one side.
Makes one wonder - if apparently not the universal language of math - what language the architectural blue prints were rendered in...
 
  • #53
A quick technical update -- I saw the gate today and it is held open by the roller bearing friction on the rails. I didn't see any hold-open latches or anything. They've been using the gate for demolition equipment and support trucks, and it seems to stay open just fine. I'm resisting the urge to do the WD-40 experiment on the roller bearings...
 
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  • #54
If you have time to service the rollers with WD-40 for them, you might also consider changing a car's radiator coolant, then cleaning all the insulators on their electric fence by dressing them with a light coating of dilute glycol from a spray-bottle.

A more constructive observation is that a spot of glycol (hygroscopic), on the clear plastic face of a moving coil meter, attracts sufficient moisture to bleed off the external electrostatic charges that can cause weird errors of the pointer readings. To test meter sensitivity, just wipe the external meter face with a dry finger. If the pointer moves or dances wildly, dab the outside surface with a spot of dilute glycol.
 
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  • #55
First thing was - it doesn't close all the way. Then I was guessing swing gate. But closer look at the photo - it looks like there are some rails, but they don't appear to be level, so not sure how that's going to go.
 
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