It was Colin Rose, creator of the Swirl Cone, otherwise known as the Gateway to Carmarthenshire, who identified that Gripples, manufactured by Sheffield-based Gripple Limited, were the best means of securing the structure.

Funded by the Welsh Assembly and erected on a roundabout on the main access route into the county, the 12-metre high stainless steel cone comprises a 16-metre diameter base plate, top cone, a central column supported by a lattice of 400 stainless steel cables, the ends of which were attached to the Gripples. Their integral tensioning and locking mechanism then allowed the cables to be tensioned equally, using a Gripple torq tensioning tool, and then secured to the ground.

Colin said: "Because of the structure's wide base and high apex, in the interests of safety and to prevent tampering, it was vital to tension and lock the cables on the ground.

"I researched all available cable fixings and the Gripples was the best solution. Made of zinc alloy, they work well with stainless steel, are self-contained, have a long life and were easy to install. The people at Gripple were very helpful, advising me how best to use the products."

The Gateway to Carmarthenshire was the idea of Carmarthen County Council and local residents as a means of marking the arrival into the county.

The commission, which was managed by Wales' main art consultants, Cardiff-based SAFLE, was designed to reflect the area's precision engineering industry and the shipping history of the nearby estuary, and will be unveiled later this year.

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