Steel outdoor flagpoles

We use bent multi-sided steel shafts with high resistance to weather. The main stages:

• choosing the material: for flagpoles 20, 30, 40 and 50 m high we usually use steel sheet of grades S245, S345
• making the multi-sided shaft of the required diameters and length
• making the flag raising mechanism
• making the foundation anchor cage from round steel

Flagpoles are made of steel and coated with hot-dip zinc or varnish. Most coatings come in special anti-corrosion colours; individual colours can be specified by the customer.

The wall thickness and diameter are chosen to give the required wind resistance for the specific installation site.

Installing a tall flagpole is a complex technical process: it needs suitable equipment, qualified specialists and compliance with safety rules. The main stages:

• choosing the site: height, visibility and safety are taken into account;
• preparing the ground: earthworks and the foundation;
• assembling the flagpole, usually on the ground;
• lifting with a crane or an aerial lift, observing all safety rules;
• fixing it securely to the foundation with special fasteners;
• fitting the flag and checking: the flag must fly freely and the flagpole must not be damaged during erection.

Inspect the flagpole and its fixings at least once a year and after strong winds or other dangerous weather. Work on tall flagpoles is done in protective clothing and with safety equipment.

An example is a 42 m flagpole (FSh-42-3.II-54). This model consists of the following components:

• a galvanised steel shaft of four pyramidal sections; in cross-section a regular 16-sided polygon, with the sections joined by telescopic joints;
• a lockable inspection hatch: inside are an electric mini-hoist and space for the electrical panel;
• a wire rope, a flag chain with weights and a limit stop that automatically stops the lift in the top position;
• a rotating bracket: the flag turns through 360° with the wind;
• three obstruction lights at the top, a lightning rod in the form of a coat of arms and 16 anchors in the foundation.

For more on the design, see the article How to Choose a Flagpole: Height, Flag Size, Lifting Mechanism; inspections and maintenance are covered in How to Install a Flagpole.

A flagpole marks a territory and underlines the status of a site, so it is usually ordered by institutions and businesses:

• administrative buildings: council and government buildings where the State Flag of Ukraine is raised;
• filling stations and roadside businesses: a tall flagpole is visible from far down the road;
• enterprises, offices, production and commercial sites: the flag of the company or the country at the entrance or beside a building;
• parks, squares and memorial complexes maintained by communities and institutions: the height is chosen for the size of the space and the viewing distance.

The flag acts as a sail, so wind is the main load on a flagpole. The starting value is the characteristic wind pressure value W0 for the location; for regional capitals it ranges from 0.37 to 0.52 kPa under DBN V.1.2-2:2006 (see the W0 table).

The design load is not W0 itself: W0 is multiplied by a coefficient for section shape, height, wind direction and the dynamic component, and by a reliability factor. So two flagpoles of the same height may end up with different diameters and wall thicknesses in different cities, or with different flags in one city.

For Lviv the starting pressure is about 1.4 times that for Kyiv, so there is no universal table of sizes. For flag size against height, see How to Choose a Flagpole.

The foundation and the anchor cage are selected together with the flagpole: the size and depth of the base depend on the height, the flag and the soil. If you have soil data for the site, send it with your request. The usual sequence during installation:

• the cage’s anchors line up with the holes in the shaft’s base flange, and the cage is cast into the foundation before erection;
• the shaft is erected once the foundation has reached at least 50% of its design strength; the slings are removed only after all the anchor nuts are fully tightened;
• mounting bolts are recommended to be tightened to at least 15 kgf·m, and on galvanised structures the nuts are re-tightened a week later to compensate for the settling of the zinc.

Grounding, lightning protection and the full procedure are covered in How to Install a Flagpole.

• Vyshniaky village, Kyiv region: a 30 m flagpole with night illumination of the flag and an electric lifting mechanism.
• Bucha: a 30 m flagpole with night illumination of the flag, without a lifting mechanism; 6×10 m flag.

Indicative prices (including VAT, as of September 2026): flagpoles for commercial and public sites, 6–70 m, from UAH 11,000 each; for private houses with a spinning head, from UAH 9,500. The final price depends on height, wall thickness and shaft diameter, lifting mechanism (manual or electric), illumination, coating, colour and foundation; delivery is quoted separately.

• Specify the height, number of flags, location (wind region) and type of base.
• We select the diameter and wall thickness for the required wind resistance.
• We calculate the price and lead time; we manufacture and deliver to the site.