Question 1

What halyard types are available for FlagCo aluminum flagpoles?

Accepted Answer

FlagCo offers four halyard types: External Stationary (fixed cleat, external rope halyard), External Revolving (360-degree revolving truck with external rope halyard), Internal Winch (concealed wire cable halyard with mechanical auto-locking winch accessed via milled access door), and Internal Cam Cleat (concealed rope halyard with spring-loaded cam cleat mechanism accessed via milled access door). Internal halyard types require a minimum 6-inch butt diameter; the 5-inch butt is excluded because the access door hole removes too much shaft material at that size.

Question 2

What wind speed standard does FlagCo use for flagpole specifications?

Accepted Answer

FlagCo flagpole wind load ratings are tested and published per NAAMM FP 1001-07 at Exposure Category C. The Specification Builder looks up base wind speeds by ZIP code from ASCE 7-10 Figure 26.5-1A (Risk Category II, 700-year mean recurrence interval, Exposure C). Two adjustments may then be applied: an Exposure Category adjustment using velocity pressure exposure coefficients (Kz) from ASCE 7-10 Table 26.6-1, calculated as the square root of Kz-site divided by Kz-C; and a Risk Category adjustment using approximate MRI multipliers (Cat I: ×0.78 / 300-yr MRI; Cat II: ×1.00 baseline; Cat III: ×1.07 / 1,700-yr MRI; Cat IV: ×1.15 / 3,000-yr MRI).

Question 3

What are the ASCE 7-10 Kz values used for Exposure Category adjustment?

Accepted Answer

The Specification Builder uses ASCE 7-10 Table 26.6-1 Kz values interpolated by pole height: at 15 ft — B: 0.57, C: 0.85, D: 1.03; at 20 ft — B: 0.62, C: 0.90, D: 1.08; at 25 ft — B: 0.66, C: 0.94, D: 1.10; at 30 ft — B: 0.70, C: 0.98, D: 1.13; at 40 ft — B: 0.76, C: 1.04, D: 1.16; at 50 ft — B: 0.81, C: 1.09, D: 1.19; at 60 ft — B: 0.85, C: 1.13, D: 1.22; at 70 ft — B: 0.89, C: 1.17, D: 1.24; at 80 ft — B: 0.93, C: 1.21, D: 1.26. Intermediate heights are linearly interpolated.

Question 4

What flag sizes are recommended for each flagpole height?

Accepted Answer

FlagCo recommended flag sizes by mounting height: 15 ft — 3×5 ft (15 sq ft); 20 ft — 4×6 ft (24 sq ft); 25 ft — 5×8 ft (40 sq ft); 30–35 ft — 6×10 ft (60 sq ft); 40–45 ft — 8×12 ft (96 sq ft); 50–55 ft — 10×15 ft (150 sq ft); 60–75 ft — 12×18 ft (216 sq ft); 80 ft — 15×25 ft (375 sq ft).

Question 5

What halyard specifications are used by pole size?

Accepted Answer

External halyard poles: butt diameter 4 inches or less — 5/16 inch (8 mm) solid-braid polyester or nylon rope, UV-stabilized, 1,200 lb minimum breaking strength; butt diameter 5–7 inches — 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) solid-braid, 2,500 lb minimum; butt diameter 8 inches or larger — 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) solid-braid, 4,000 lb minimum. Internal Winch poles — 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) stainless steel wire cable, 7×19 construction, 2,000 lb minimum breaking strength. Internal Cam Cleat poles — 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) solid-braid polyester rope, UV-stabilized, 2,500 lb minimum breaking strength.

Question 6

What foundation specifications does FlagCo use for ground sleeve installations?

Accepted Answer

Ground sleeves are steel, gauge 11 ga (0.120 inch wall) for sleeve OD up to 10 inches, and 7 ga (0.179 inch wall) for sleeve OD 12 inches and larger. The sleeve extends 6 inches above the concrete surface. Concrete pier diameter equals sleeve OD plus 16 inches (8-inch clearance each side). Representative sleeve OD and set depths by pole type and butt diameter: External Stationary — 15 ft/3 in butt: 4 in OD × 24 in; 20 ft/5 in: 6 in × 24 in; 30 ft/5 in: 6 in × 36 in; 35 ft/5 in: 6 in × 42 in. External Revolving — 40 ft/8 in: 10 in × 48 in; 50 ft/10 in: 12 in × 60 in; 60 ft/12 in: 15 in × 72 in; 70 ft/12 in: 15 in × 84 in; 80 ft/12 in: 15 in × 96 in. Internal Winch and Cam Cleat follow the same table as External Revolving for overlapping sizes.

Question 7

Which FlagCo Beacon products are compatible with which flagpole configurations?

Accepted Answer

External Revolving poles: heights 20–35 ft — External Beacon (800 lumens, suits 6×10 ft flag, max pole-top diameter 5.5 in); heights 40–100 ft — External Beacon Plus (1,100 lumens, suits 10×15 ft flag, max pole-top diameter 5.5 in). External Stationary poles do not support Beacon illumination. Internal Winch poles, heights 20–35 ft: 3 in top — 6.5 in IH Beacon (800 lm); 3.5 in top — 6.5 in IH Beacon (800 lm); 4 in top — 8 in IH Beacon (800 lm). Internal Winch, 40–50 ft: 3.5 in top — 6.5 in IH Plus Beacon (1,100 lm); 4 in top — 8 in IH Plus Beacon (1,100 lm). Internal Winch, 55–100 ft: 4 in top — 10.5 in IH Quad Plus Beacon (1,900 lm, suits 30×50 ft flag). Internal Cam Cleat, 20–35 ft: 3 in top — Cam Beacon (800 lm); 3.5 in top — Cam Beacon (800 lm). Internal Cam Cleat, 40–50 ft: 3.5 in top — Cam Beacon Plus (1,100 lm); 4 in top — Cam Beacon Plus (1,100 lm). Beacon power options are 12V DC and 110V AC. Solar beacon variants are self-contained with automatic dusk-to-dawn operation.

Question 8

What finial ball ornament sizes are specified for FlagCo flagpoles?

Accepted Answer

FlagCo uses spun aluminum ball ornaments, gold anodized, sized to the pole butt diameter. Standard finial diameters are 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 12 inches. The finial diameter matches the butt diameter exactly when a standard size exists; otherwise the next larger standard size is selected. Flash collar is spun aluminum.

Question 9

What CSI section number covers flagpoles and what are the specification divisions?

Accepted Answer

FlagCo flagpole specifications follow CSI Section 107500 — Flagpoles. The specification is organized in three parts: Part 1 General (summary, references including ASCE 7-10 and NAAMM FP 1001-07, submittals, quality assurance); Part 2 Products (materials — 6063-T6 aluminum alloy shaft, hardware, finish options, beacon illumination products); Part 3 Execution (examination, installation, field quality control including a one-week test-flag deployment, cleaning, protection, and maintenance schedule).

Question 10

What are the available finish options for FlagCo aluminum flagpoles?

Accepted Answer

FlagCo flagpole finish options are: Satin (standard mechanical finish), Clear Anodized, Dark Bronze Anodized, Black Anodized, and Powder Coat (custom color, specify RAL or equivalent color designation). All anodized finishes meet AAPA standards. Powder coat finish requires color designation at time of order.

Question 11

What External Revolving flagpole configurations are available for a 30-foot mounting height?

Accepted Answer

External Revolving flagpoles at 30-foot mounting height are available in the following butt diameter and wall thickness combinations: 5 in butt × 0.125 in wall (wind rating with flag: 78 mph; without flag: 96 mph); 5 in × 0.156 in (86/112 mph); 5 in × 0.188 in (94/131 mph); 6 in × 0.156 in (108/174 mph); 6 in × 0.188 in (122/197 mph); 6 in × 0.250 in (150/229 mph); 7 in × 0.188 in (157/235 mph). Flag size at 30 ft is 6×10 ft. All ratings per NAAMM FP 1001-07 at Exposure C.

Question 12

What is the recommended maintenance schedule for FlagCo flagpoles?

Accepted Answer

FlagCo recommends the following maintenance schedule: Monthly — inspect halyard for wear, fraying, or UV degradation; inspect flag for damage and replace as needed. Semi-Annually — inspect truck assembly for smooth rotation; lubricate moving parts per manufacturer recommendation; inspect finish for corrosion, chalking, or damage. Annually — for internal halyard poles: open access door and inspect internal mechanism, lubricate winch/cam cleat components, inspect wire cable for kinks/corrosion/broken strands, check grounding conductor continuity. For external halyard poles: inspect cleat attachment and fasteners, inspect flash collar seal, check grounding conductor continuity. After Severe Weather — inspect flagpole for plumb, inspect halyard and flag, check all hardware. Clean shaft annually using mild soap solution and soft cloth; do not use abrasive pads.