Stainless steel cable is a robust and hardwearing material that can be used in a wide variety of projects that need a practical solution.
It’s more than that however. The material can also be used for aesthetic purposes and contribute towards a project’s design.
Here we explain both the practical and aesthetic features of stainless steel wire cable.
Practical features of stainless steel cable
Stainless steel is a metal alloy containing a mix of elements that make it very robust and resistant to corrosion. Jakob’s cable and wire rope products go a step further, in that they are made from 316-grade stainless steel. This material contains molybdenum, which makes it resistant to sea spray and gives it ‘marine grade’ status.
The cable comes in a range of wire rope configurations and can also be formed into a malleable mesh of different aperture-opening sizes.
Features also include:
- Low maintenance requirements.
- Easy-to-clean.
- Excellent longevity – up to 25 years depending on the installation.
- High strength capacity.
- High fire-resistance.
- Easy to install.
- Great modularity.
Because of its strength and longevity, stainless steel cable has many practical uses in projects. Here are some examples.
- Stainless steel wire balustrades – such as on the Monash University LTB internal atrium where the cables extend in a continuous vertical line over three levels. This balustrade meets the safety code while allowing for full utilisation of the atrium space.
- Green balustrades – for example at the Taronga Zoo accommodation centre, where vertical cables double as support structures for climbing plants.
- Bridge barriers – stainless steel wire mesh can make an excellent fall-protection screen for bridges.
- Carpark fall protection – wire mesh can also make a great safety barrier for carparks that need a quick and easy-to-install solution.
- Kids’ playgrounds – the malleable nature of wire mesh means it can be used to wrap around some of the quirky shapes you often find in children’s play equipment. In these instances, the mesh provides the required fall protection while allowing for free play and views from heights.
How stainless steel cable contributes to aesthetics
We consider that as well as being practical, the material used in facades or safety barriers should look good.
Jakob’s stainless steel products meet this goal – cables offer a sleek and translucent look and mesh has a filigree-like appearance. The material can also be coated in just about any colour to fit in with the overall colour scheme of an installation.
There are many ways in which stainless steel cable can contribute to projects on an aesthetic level.
Here are some examples:
- Public balustrades – stainless steel cable can contribute to the design of public structures such as bridges. An example is the Elizabeth Quay footbridge in Perth where 500mm aperture mesh follows along the bridge’s S-shaped curves.
- Catenary lighting installations – wire cables can be great for catenary lighting projects. The wire supports overhead lighting that can be decorative as well as practical.
Stainless steel cable can also be used for art installations:
- Steam Mill Lane in Sydney – in this project 6mm wire rope supports overhead boldly coloured metal artworks along the laneway.
- Sculptural installations – such as the 9m tall Wind Roundabout in Texas. The cables in this outdoor project provide the necessary strength and flexibility to support hundreds of metal shapes while moving in response to the wind.
Contact us for more information
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like to discuss the practical and aesthetic aspects of stainless steel cable, and how it could be used in your next project.
