Testing the corral panel


 Having constructed a 24' prototype corral panel I decided to test how well the design holds up to abuse before attempting to produce more panels.  These tests weren't scientific, but gave me a good idea of where I needed to make improvements. 
My first test was to ram into each side of the panel with the tractor multiple times.  The tractor weighs many times more than any bison and its gearing and hydraulics make it stronger that a bison. However, bison have a level of speed and maneuverability that no tractor could ever reach.  The panel held up well to this test and showed no signs of stress.
The next test was to pick up the entire panel and allow it to sit for a while with its full weight of roughly 320 pounds on its "toes." Nothing broke or bent so I tried bouncing the panel on its toes and still nothing broke. For added long-term strength I will add small knee braces at the base of the legs.
Finally, I picked the panel up with the front end loader and bounced it up and down vigorously.  The panel shook and wobbled some, but nothing broke or was bent. 
Based on the results of these tests I now plan to place a bulk order of enough steel to produce panels for the entire corral. 

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